What Is The Best Time Of Day To Fly Fish? It’s When The Sun Goes Down

Fly fishing has now become quite a common activity around the world. Thanks to Europeans. The sport of fly fishing originated in Europe as a favorite pastime and was later introduced to the rest of the world through the first wave of European settlers. But that’s not what you want to know, right?

What do you mean by fly fishing? Why has it gained so much popularity all of a sudden? And what is the best time of day to fly fish? These are the kind of questions you have in mind about this particular topic, am I right?

So as an outdoor enthusiast myself, I’m going to explain each and every little detail related to fly fishing so you can fully understand the concept without any possible confusion.

best time of day to fly fish

Credit: reference.com

What is fly fishing?

Chances are that you’ve never even heard about fly fishing, despite being an adventurer like me. It definitely is shocking that you don’t know much or anything about fly fishing, given how popular this activity is among outdoor enthusiasts. But that’s okay because you’re here now reading all about it. Better late than never, right?

Anyway, fly fishing means exactly what its name suggests. Fishing with an artificial fly. You obviously know the traditional method of fishing where you use worms to attract fish, right?

So instead of using worms, you’re using an artificial fly as bait. This artificial fly is basically fly anglers that use a hook covered with any one of these elements; fur, yarn, feather, or foam. Anyone material is attached to the hook with the help of a thread, and this particular element is what constitutes an artificial fly.

best time of day to fly fish

How to Fly Fish? The Basic Cast

Different forms of fly fishing

The most common form of fly fishing is none other than dry fly fishing. It is the traditional way to fly fish. When dry fly fishing, you cast the artificial fly to float on water, instead of submerging it into the water. When the artificial fly happens to pass over the fish, the fish naturally tries to rise a little out of the water and bite the dry fly.

This process is then taken over and controlled by the fisherman, who eventually ends up capturing the fish into the landing net.

This method has been given more importance than the other form of fly fishing mainly because the process is so transparent, literally. The fly anglers hover above fish which you can easily spot. And when the fish tries to bite the artificial fly, it rises up slightly out of the water and this again happens right in front of your eyes.

So the transparency of this particular technique is what makes this method so popular among fishing enthusiasts.

HERE ARE some helpful tips to improve your dry fly fishing technique

Another form of fly fishing is called nymph fishing. Flies normally lay eggs in the water and these eggs are known as nymphs. What a fly does is lay its eggs in the lake or river, which then hatch out as nymphs. These nymphs have the ability to reach the surface of the water and this is how they turn into flies.

best time of day to fly fish

So coming back to nymph fishing; artificial nymphs of different sizes are created to float just below the surface of the water. So here all the fishing action takes place in a pretty non-transparent way, unlike dry fly fishing. And one of the reasons why nymph fishing is not so popular is because it is considered to be more demanding due to all the fishing activity taking place below the surface of the water.

The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing | Wet Flys & Nymphs​

What types of fish can you catch with fly fishing?

You can use the method of fly fishing to catch all kinds of fish. But the most popular ones are chairs, salmon, and trout. And among these three, one type of fish that lives and feeds near the surface of the water, especially in shallow regions, is the trout fish. They consume small insects, so it is comparatively easier to use the method of fly fishing in order to catch them quickly.

Stillwater Trout Fishing – Getting Started

What is the best time of day to fly fish?

Sometimes certain questions about fishing have very vague or ambiguous answers. So trying to find the correct answer can take a while. But there’s one question about fishing that has a pretty definitive answer, it’s “what is the best time of day to fly fish?”

And the clear-cut answer is; nighttime. There are many reasons why the time of day to fly fish is at night. The first being, nighttime brings forth darkness, which makes fish feel protected. And this is what brings them up to the surface of the water from down below.

The second reason is the fact that the number of eggs which insects lay in water normally hatch when the sun goes down. And this means more bait.

As far as the best time of day is concerned, you should also know that the moon plays a huge role in helping you catch fish. What the moon does is provide the fish with sufficient light to easily spot the insects. So if you choose to fly fish during the daytime, you are more likely to catch more fish if the moon was not at its best the night before. It’s only logical, right?

Since we’re on the subject of fly fishing during the day, you should keep a few things in mind. Target shaded areas instead of more open spaces. I’m sure you already know the reason why; fish feel safer and more protected from less light.

So they’re more likely to be found on the surface of the water in a shaded area than they are right under the sun. Likewise, opt for areas that are thick with weeds.

best time of day to fly fish

Credit: johngsherman.com

Time to go fly fishing!

I hope that now you’ve understood the whole concept of fly fishing and the best time of day to fly fish. It is a very popular pastime that has the ability to relax your mind and body in so many ways.

So it doesn’t matter what type of fish you want to catch or who you go fly fishing with. The kind of perspective about life that you gain with just one experience can really help lift your mood and make you feel alive and less stressed out.

In fact, one of the many advantages of fly fishing is giving yourself the opportunity to be a part of nature. Some fish live in the most beautiful and prettiest places on our planet, so you get the joy of being able to fish as well as create wonderful memories.

What do you think about fly fishing? Have you ever tried it?

And if you have, what do you think is the best time to go fly fishing?

I would love for you to share your fly fishing experience with us. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.

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