FLIESBAIT?ORMastering drifts, mends a challenge for fly fansLure fishing way to go for walleye and catfishT
There are many creative methods for catching fish. Two of the more prominent disciplines are fly-fishing and bait fishing.
Fly fishers attempt to catch fish while using the weight of the fishing line to cast a nearly weightless fly. If they are casting correctly, the fly should catch the attention of the fish.
Steve Gossage, a Colorado Springs native and merchandise manager/guide at Angler’s Covey, says fly-fishing is more technical than bait, or lure, fishing.
“First of all, there’s the bugs,” he says. “Getting your drifts right, your mends right – adjusting your line on the water to undo what the current is doing – just getting that right drift.
“Then it’s about strike detection. There’s so many other smaller technical aspects of it.”
Instead of using weighted lines, bait and lure fishers use lead weights or heavy lures to get their hooks in the water. Catching fish using this method isn’t simple, but it’s easier at first and often cheaper.
“The fly fishers’ gear is highly expensive compared to lure fishing,” said Dennis Depew, a sales associate at Bass Pro Shops. “They have $800-$1,000 rods whereas you can get a pretty good rod for spinning or bait casting for $80-$100.”
Many fly fishers are introduced to the sport of fishing through lures or bait and eventually make the leap to fly-fishing out of curiosity or simply as a way of embracing a different challenge. Fly-fishing can offer personal satisfaction in a variety of ways, as many learn to tie the artificial flies themselves.
“For the most part, fly guys are just average folks who just wanted to make that next evolutionary step,” Gossage said.
“There’s some very skilled bait and lure guys out there who can probably, on any given stretch of water, out-fish most fly guys. But on the average, I’ll say a skilled fly angler will out-fish a skilled lure guy.”
Depew has dabbled in fly-fishing but always comes back to lure fishing.
“I’ve caught bigger fish, I’ve caught more fish,” Depew said. Fly fishers are “kind of limited to not being able to fly-fish for catfish or walleye, and those are two species that are fun to catch on a rod and reel.”
The debate over fly-fishing or bait fishing can carry animosity, but Gossage said it doesn’t need to.
“I don’t think fishing should be a competition,” he said. “I mean, life’s competitive enough.”
Whatever the preference of method, anglers can agree on one thing: Fishing sure beats the hectic bustle of city life.
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BEST TIMES FOR ANGLERS
Top fishing times and days for the coming weeks. For best results, begin fishing an hour before and continue an hour after the times given (X indicates best days).
Today 2:45 a.m. 3:10 p.m.
Friday 3:40 a.m. 4:05 p.m. Saturday 4:35 a.m. 5:05 p.m.
Sunday 5:35 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
X-Monday 6:30 a.m. 6:55 p.m.
X-Tuesday 7:25 a.m. 7:50 p.m.
Wednesday 8:20 a.m. 8:45 p.m.
Thursday 9:15 a.m. 9:40 p.m.
Source: U.S. Naval Observatory data
With the snowy Sangre de Cristo range as a backdrop, Roger Welles fly-fishes on the Arkansas River just east of Cotopaxi Thursday, March 15. 2012. The temperature in nearby Canon City hit 75 degrees Thursday and Welles said he couldn’t pass up the chance to get on the river. He said he lives in Canon City and fishes the Arkansas year-round. Mark Reis, The Gazette
A fly fisherman releases a brown trout back into the Arkansas River East of Salida Tuesday, March 19, 2013. Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette
Horizon Middle School special needs students Carlos Atencio, left, and Jeremy Barr test out their fishing skills during the District 49 Annual Fishing Event at Prospect Lake Friday, May 10, 2013. Students participated in activities such as casting, fish anatomy and knot tying. Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette
Fish hook with worm isolated on white background
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) whole
Walleye or Zander
Catfish on white (Clipping path)
Colorado native Landon Mayer fishes on the “Dream Stream” portion of the South Platte between Eleven Mile and Spinney Mountain Reservoirs Monday, March 18, 2013. He has been guiding fly fishing trips on the rivers across the state for 17 years and started guiding right after high school. Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette
Tim Reidy casts his fishing line into Quail Lake during a warm afternoon in Colorado Springs on Wednesday, Oct.20, 2010. Moments later he got a bite, but no fish. Reidy was alright with that. He tries to make it out to the lake as often as he can, sometimes three times a week. Gazette, Bryan Oller
Jack Tremblay enjoys a quiet afternoon of fishing at Palmer on Thursday, June 26, 2008. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett)