Outdoor Education- Fishing

Equipment Components and Assembly

ROD ANATOMY * When not using hook, always store hook on the hook keeper…not the guides. Always be aware of where you place your rod. Never leave the tip on the ground, someone could step on it (they easily break).

REEL ANATOMY Open Faced/ Spincast Reel Casts slightly further (less resistance) Pinch line w/ index finger, open bail, cast Rod to target while releasing line. Close Faced Reel Easy “beginner’s” reel Hold release button, cast to target while releasing button.

REEL ANATOMY continued Baitcaster Advanced release, thumb stays on Spool throughout cast. Casts further and smoother, more difficult to master.

CASTING Pinch line w/ index finger and open bail. Begin backcast (more elbow, less shoulder). Continue backcast keeping pole parallel w/body, perpendicular to ground. End backcast abruptly (1-2 o’clock) Begin aggressive forward cast (whipping the pole) toward your target (eyes on target) Continue forward cast…ensure guides are in line with target, ensure elbow stays below shoulder. Straighten index finger for release of line. Releasing too early will cause a high cast, and too late will cause a short cast.

Fishing Tackle When fishing with live bait (worm, minnow, cricket), you’ll want to have: BOBBER: This will indicate when a fish has taken your bait into it’s mouth SINKER: Weight attached to the line helps get your hook/bait down into water. HOOK: If you don’t know why a hook would be useful in fishing, I feel sorry for you.

Artificial Bait/ Lures ADVANTAGES- Lures are less messy than bait. Lures gut hook fewer fish (gut hooking is when the fish partially or completely swallows hook) Allow you to cover more water in less time You can target species you want to catch more efficiently Easily changed out DISADVANTAGES- Lures can be expensive compared to bait. Lures can be snagged on underwater obstacles, accidentally casted into trees. Nothing can completely simulate live bait.

Types of Lures… Jigs- Most versatile, least expensive. Plugs- Made to resemble baitfish, frogs, or other prey. Fished at a Variety of depths based on the Size of the lip. Bigger=deeper. Jigs- Most versatile, least expensive. Bounced off the bottom in a series of hops. Spinners- Great beginner lure/easy to use. Just cast and retrieve. Spinning blade causes Vibration which is picked up by the fish’s lateral line. Great for use in murky water. Spinnerbaits/Buzzbaits- Awkward looking Lure that uses vibration and appears like a baitfish. Chuck and wind. Very effective when fish aren’t too deep in water. Spoons- Curved metal lures. First spoons were just that with the handle broken off. Wobbles in the water to simulate an injured bait fish. Just cast and retrieve. Soft Plastics- Mostly used for bass fishing. Made to l Imitate worms, minnows, lizards, frogs. Life-like movement in the water. Retrieved like a jig.

FLY FISHING

Components of the fly rod & reel What is the difference between spincast fishing and fly fishing? When spincast fishing, you are casting a weighted lure/bait attached to a weightless line. When fly fishing, you are casting a weightless lure/fly attached to a weighted line.

Components of the fly rod & reel

Steps to Basic Fly-Casting Stance- Student should straddle the casting line. If the caster is right-handed, the right foot should be over the casting line toward the target line. Feet are shoulder width apart. 2. 3 Rod Lengths- The caster should always keep fly line equal to about 3 lengths of their rod in front of the rod tip. This provides enough weight to bend (load) the rod during the cast. 3. Grip- The proper grip will have the thumb on top of the rod grip, point nearly Straight toward the target. The “V” between the thumb and forefinger should point Toward the shoulder of the caster’s rod hand. Grip is firm, not tight. 4. Line on finger- For the basic cast, the fly line should be held against the rod grip by the index finger of the rod hand. The opposite hand (line hand) should stay to the side for now. 5. Elbow Set- The elbow is the foundation of the cast. It should rest comfortably in a natural position at the caster’s side, just above hip.

Steps to Basic Fly Casting … 6. Wrist in line- The wrist should be positioned so that it is in a straight line running from the elbow to the rod tip, with no bending or cocking. Back of hand should appear parallel to the rod grip, not twisted over or under it. 7. Address- This step is where the caster is preparing to make back cast: the rod tip is lowered to a point of 2 in. off the ground/water, pointing in a straight line down the fly line. There should be no slack in the line, still 3 rod lengths long. 8. Pick-up- This is the first movement in the back cast. It is a slow, deliberate lifting of the rod tip as it rotates upward using the elbow as the foundation. It covers a range of 90°. There is NO use of the wrist during this phase. It starts slowly and increases in speed as the rod tip is raised in a “tomahawk chop” manner. 9. Back Cast (to a stop)- this is a short, upward movement of the rod tip. The wrist is used to flick the rod tip to an abrupt stop straight above the caster’s head. The thumb of the rod hand should be pointing straight up upon completion. This is a sharp, crisp motion using mostly the wrist and a little bit of the forearm (which finishes in an upright, vertical position as the rod tip is brought to a snapping stop). 10. Forward Cast- The caster, without changing any position of the wrist, hand, arm or elbow, begins to rotate the arm downward, using the elbow as the foundation. This motion begins slowly and ends with another abrupt stop of the rod tip with a short, flicking of the wrist at the point the back cast was started.

Casting continued… 11. Let Down- This is the “follow through” stage. The caster lowers the rod tip gently toward the target as the fly line unrolls in front of them. The arm should be in a straight line, from the elbow to the rod tip, with the wrist returning to the flat, or straight position, in line with the grip.