Fly-fishing is only a fraction as popular as spin fishing, its more accessible cousin. According to a 2019 joint report by the Outdoor Foundation and the Recreational Boating Fishing Foundation, only one out of every seven American fishers uses flies. It is an older form of the sport, named for its signature element: the miniature imitations of minnows and aquatic insects, which are traditionally crafted out of fur and feathers. These lures are so lightweight that they rarely travel an arm’s length when thrown; rather, a weighted, tapered fly line and the caster’s skill conspire to send a fly the dozens of feet it needs to travel in order to attract the notice of an unsuspecting fish.
It is conventionally considered a challenging type of fishing, one that requires patience, practice and often a hefty investment in gear.
Even so, the sport is on the rise. In fact, it hasn’t been this ascendant in decades, industry experts say—not since the early ’90s, to be precise, when images of a young Brad Pitt casting for Montana trout in A River Runs Through It sent droves of neophytes to their nearest Orvis dealer.
“There are a lot of new anglers, and not as many old white guys out there on the river as there used to be,” says Joe Fox, 34, owner of Dette Flies in Livingston Manor, New York. “There is [also] much more variety at a customer’s fingertips.”
Fly-fishing has been growing at an annual rate of nearly 3 percent, says the 2019 Outdoor Foundation report. And since Covid-19, local fishing has picked up. Between January and the end of August this year, for example, Connecticut saw a 6 percent increase in purchases of trout-and-salmon stamps, which tend to be more closely correlated with fly-fishing. New York State saw a 15 percent uptick in fishing licenses over a similar period. A wide variety of fish, including carp, northern pike and Amazonian peacock bass, are now deemed worthy of a fly-fisher’s attention, and additional techniques and tools have been devised to hook, land and safely release them.
Women are more prevalent in the sport than they had been. “When I started, more than 20 years ago, it was unusual. That’s not the case anymore, thankfully,” says Vokey, whose podcast, Anchored, has been downloaded more than 10 million times. “I attribute it to the internet and feminism—women coming together and feeling stronger in all sorts of ways.”
As this reporter can attest from visits, the 114-year-old Anglers’ Club of New York is men-only. Yet there is plenty in the history of the sport to encourage women, including the fact that a 15th-century English nun is thought to have been the author of the first book to include angling, The Boke of Saint Albans.
Reasons for choosing fly fishing -
- It’s an accidental workout
A day spent on the river/lake/stream/insert-body-of-water-here is the best kind of incidental exercise. Forget the gym – why not swap the stairmaster for a rocky river bed or the body length mirror for the reflection off a glassy lake? There’ll be significantly more fresh air, which can only be a good thing for your lungs.
Sure, you can fly fish from a drift boat (don’t get us wrong, that’s also awesome) but if you want to work your core, try wading upstream through waist-deep water, against the current, pretending to be a fly for an entire day.
- It’s a game of tactics
A good fly fisher constantly analyses the movements of the river, paying attention to the local bug life and educating themselves on fish feeding patterns. To increase your chances of catching a slippery little fella, every choice you make – from time of day to what fly to use on your line – will come into play.
- It’s humbling
If you’re the kind of outdoor enthusiast who appreciates a challenge, fly fishing is the sport for you. “My best piece of advice for beginner fly fishers? Don’t expect to catch a fish on your first day,” says Charley. This is not the sport that you’ll perfect on your first go, it takes practice and perseverance.
- It’s not going to break the bank
Fly fishing is not an expensive hobby. Sure, you can always find ways to spend a small fortune on gear if you’re so inclined, but all a beginner really needs is a fly rod with line and leader, and a collection of small flies. From there the water is free and the fish don’t come with a surcharge.
- It’s a primal thing
In today’s society, it’s not often that we get to appeal to our primal instincts, but I found fly fishing to be a profound way of getting back to square one. There's nothing quite like evaluating the rush of a river current; like sneaking up on a school of trout armed with just a rod, a line and your wits.
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