Today was the first day I have ever fly fished. I have to say, it was pretty difficult. Compared to regular fishing (trolling and casting), it is incredibly difficult and pain-staking. I have found that there is almost as much happiness in making a somewhat "fishable" cast than there is in actually catching the fish.
Dr. Kovacich was probably my best choice for a mentor. His method of fishing is so scientific that he takes temperature readings of the river in certain places to find the best area to fish. It's almost as though he has memorized the certain aspects of the river over his many years of fly fishing. Today, he taught me how to do the basic cast and the double cast. The basic cast was pretty easy to figure out, however the double cast is taking a lot longer. In order to perform a double cast, you must execute a single cast, then before the fly touches the water, you must cast again. This method helps when the fish are far away or are hard to get near.
Today, we were fishing for Smallmouth Bass in the New River. Unfortunately, I did not catch any fish, however Dr. Kovacich caught six. I think that it is just a matter of time before I begin to get the hang of fly fishing. Dr. Kovacich said that the Smallmouth Bass were very elusive and hard to catch so I'm not too disappointed. I believe that, after I practice, I will be much more inclined to catch a fish.
We fished from about 9 am to about 3 pm which totals into 7 hours. Today, I didn't spend any money except for about 20 dollars in gas. Dr. Kovacich allowed me to borrow his fly-tying set so maybe I'll try to tie some of my own flies in the next few days.
