As trout season gets underway in Missouri, Gabe Batson of Maplewood-based bamboo fly rod company Tufts & Batson explains the nuances of fly fishing, a sport that he says has a “deeper learning curve” but is great for those who want to tailor their own angling experiences. “It takes two and a half months of really going after it before it isn’t really frustrating,” he says. “Once you overcome that frustration, it’s wonderful.”
Pick a location. The Current and Meramec rivers are great for bass and trout fishing; Forest Park’s Jefferson Lake is stocked with trout in the winter and catfish in the warmer months.
Stand back and observe. Batson suggests first taking time to study your surroundings. Be wary of muddy waters or any signs of flooding, which may portend a slow day. Look under rocks to see what bugs are there and then tie on a fly that resembles one of them to give the fish a familiar target.
Choose your fly. Wet flies are used to fish beneath the surface, whereas dry flies rest on the surface like a bug. Batson recommends a “soft hackle” wet fly to start and the “Parachute Adams” as a good dry fly.
Tie the fly to the line. The clinch is the most commonly used knot: Thread the line through the hook’s eye twice. Twist the threaded end around the standing line at least six times. Pass the line through the loop near the eye and pull the loose end so the twists tighten. Cut off the loose end.
Cast a quarter upstream. Hold the rod with your thumb on top and your forearm in line with the rod. Start with the rod down low, draw back the rod in a straight line, and pause while keeping your eye on the tip before bringing it forward into the water. If you’re standing on the bank and the river current’s coming toward you, flip your line 45 degrees upstream and let the line swing below you; then take a couple of steps and try it again. Swinging the fly is a basic method of allowing it to drift with the river.
Move the rod in a lateral motion. “It’s your whole arm working in a pumping motion—it’s not a natural or intuitive feeling,” Batson says. Cast the weight of the line, not the weight of the lure. Casting the line is a physical act, one that he says “opens up so many possibilities.”
Don’t get frustrated. “Getting the fly on the water is the most challenging part. It gets caught around your feet, stuck in the trees,” says Batson. To practice, he recommends working on the basic cast in your back yard or a nearby park.
Feel for a fish on the line. “You might feel a tap-tap-tap or something like an electric vibration,” says Batson. “Hold on to the line with one of your hands, lift the rod quickly, and set the hook, as you would with a spinner.”
