Most fly fishermen take the sport very seriously. Going beyond the fact that it is a way to catch fish and also to enjoy the outdoors, fly fishermen think of what they do as an art, and rightly so. Fly fishing is much more involved than regular fishing, and it takes practice and dedication to learn the intricacies of the sport. Most fly fishermen will tell you, however, that it is definitely worth it.

When learning how to fly fish, or if you have already been doing it for a while, having the right fly fishing rod is essential. There are several types of fly fishing rods on the market, and which one you choose to use is a matter of personal preference, your fly fishing style, and what you are most comfortable with.

Bamboo fly fishing rods - Talk to many fly fishing enthusiasts and you will hear a lot of good things about bamboo fly fishing rods. Many fly fishermen swear by them, saying they are the best type of fly fishing rod that you can use. Although this is obviously a matter of opinion, there are a lot of positive features in a bamboo fly fishing rod. Bamboo fly fishing rods were one of the first fly fishing rods used, and it is a tribute to their popularity that they are still being made today. These fishing rods are light, flexible, and they have a nice slow action that means they are ideal for those who practice a more refined method of fly fishing. Making bamboo fly fishing rods is a delicate and exact process, and for this reason they tend to be the most expensive fly fishing rods that you can buy.

Graphite fly fishing rods - Fly fishing rods made of graphite tend to be quite stiff, but this doesn’t mean that they are not effective. This type of fly fishing rod is very strong, although the strength can vary depending on the quality. Fly fishermen like the performance and durability that they get from graphite fly fishing rods. They can vary in price and design, so if you are a beginner at fly fishing, you should bring along someone who can help you pick out just the right graphite rod for you.

Fiberglass fly fishing rods - These days, a large number of fishing rods, whether they are for fly fishing or “regular” fishing, are made from fiberglass. Fiberglass is strong, durable, and flexible, making it perfect as a material for fishing rods. The drawback to fiberglass fishing rods is that, compared to bamboo and graphite rods, they are relatively heavier. This means that fly fishermen who are using fiberglass fishing rods may find that their arms feel a little more tired and achy at the end of the day. All in all, though, their strength and their ability to take a lot of punishment make them a popular choice.

Make the statement “all fishing rods are the same” and you are bound to get some laughter and more than a few lectures from experienced fishermen. There are almost as many types of fishing rods are there are types of game fish. There is simply no way that you could have a “one-size-fits-all” fishing rod. Below is a list of some of the different types of fishing rods, and explanations as to why they work well for the type of game fish that they were made for.

Bass fishing rod - The bass, both the freshwater and saltwater variety, is one of the most popular game fish. Bass tournaments are held in lakes and rivers each year, and the lucky fisherman who can land the biggest bass in one of these tournaments gets to take home not only a prize, but a great story as well. One of the reasons that bass are so popular with fishermen is that they can be crafty opponents, and fierce fighters. The type of fishing rod that is good for bass fishing is one that can take a lot of punishment. Landing a bass can take some time, and before you pull one into your boat or on shore, it is going to take your line for a ride, and bend your fishing pole every which way. Bass come in varying sizes, so of course bass fishing rods will come in different sizes, but they all need to be strong and extremely flexible. Bass fishing rods tend to be made from fiberglass more than anything else; though not as strong as graphite, it can take more extreme bending.

Trout fishing rod - Trout fishing rods do not generally need to be as flexible as bass fishing rods. Yes, there are some big trout out there - some as big as salmon - but generally they tend to be lighter than bass, with a little less fight in them. This doesn’t mean that trout aren’t fun to catch…the number of fishermen each year that go trout fishing in lake, rivers, and streams will attest to the fact that trout fishing is a wonderful way to spend the day. Trout poles usually run anywhere from seven feet to ten feet, with a nine foot pole being a good size for going from stream fishing on the shore to lake fishing in a boat. Trout fishing rods can be made from graphite; although graphite is not as flexible as fiberglass, with trout it is flexible enough. Of course, there are also fly fishing rods for trout, but these are in a whole different category than “regular” fishing rods.

Crappie fishing rods - The lengths of crappie fishing rods vary according to individual preference, but one thing about crappie fishing rods that needs to remain constant is that they must be light. Crappie fishing usually involves “jigging”, or snapping the rod up and down continually to lure the fish toward the bait, and if your fishing rod isn’t light, it’s going to tire your arm and wrist out rather quickly. Crappies are fairly small fish, so a light fishing rod and light line are fine to use. Due to the type of fishing it is, comfort should be the main concern when it comes to a crappie fishing rod.

Just the idea of battling a huge lake trout lures anglers to all the remote lakes as far north as the Arctic Circle in Canada. These areas yield many 30 to 40 pound lunker lake trout each year.

In some areas in Canada, the lake trout are also called Mackinaw or grey trout, but the most common nickname given lake trout is simply lakers. Lake trout resemble brook trout, except the tails of lake trout are deeply forked, while those of the brook trout are nearly square. Lake trout in the Great Lakes are silvery-grey with white spots. Elsewhere, they have light spots on a background that may vary from dark green to brown or black.

Lake trout prefer water from 48 to 54F, colder than any other game fish. They will die if unable to find water under 65 degrees F. During summer month’s lake trout will descend to 200 feet in search of cooler water.

There are many lakes with water cold enough for lake trout, but lack oxygen in their depths. And as a result lake trout are restricted to mainly the cold, sterile lakes of the Canadian Shield, the Great Lakes and deep mountain lakes of the west.

Lake trout grow slowly in these frigid waters. In some lakes in Canada, a 10-pound lake trout might be 20 years or older. The age of a trophy lake trout may be 40 years or more. Because they grow so slowly there is always the danger that they could be over harvested.

Unlike most other species lake trout spawn in lakes rather than in rivers. Lake trout spawning occurs in the fall over a bottom of baseball to football sized; rocks. Water depth varies, but is usually 5 to 25 feet.

Lake trout have excellent vision, but because of the poor light at the depths they live, they rely on their sense of smell and on their lateral line to find food. In some water, they feed mainly on aquatic insects, worms and crustaceans. In other lakes they eat only fish, mainly ciscoes, smelt, and sculpin.

A lake trout, brook trout hy-brid, called splake, has been stocked in some northern lakes including Lake Huron. Splake mature earlier than lake trout and grow faster so they are less affected by fishing pressure.

Early spring just after ice out, is a great time for lake trout, they crowd into warmer water to feed closer to shore and remain in water 20 to 30 feet deep.

When lake trout move into shallow water in the spring and in the fall just before spawning, the best methods are casting with flashy spoons or still fishing with natural baits like smelts and strips of sucker meat.

Lake trout shy away from dark heavy lines, so use clear, low diameter line from 8 to 12 pond test is best. Most fishermen prefer medium action spinning tackle.

In years past heavy reels and wire line was the standard for catching lake trout in deep water. But now with the new equipment and techniques it is possible to fish deep with much lighter tackle. Downriggers, sonar and technology has made fishing for deep lake trout a lot easier.

Deep lake trout are frequently scattered and sluggish, so adding an attractor, such as a dodger can improve your success while trolling.

Vertical jigging for lake trout is also a popular method in fishing Canada’s north, works best with a lead head jig or vibrating blade. Simply lower the lure to the bottom; then reel it back up rapidly to get that strike.

Casting with heavy gold or silver spoons for lake trout is a proven technique when lake trout are concentrated off points, in narrows, along islands or over spawning reefs. Cast from a long distance away to prevent spooking the lake trout.

In the Great Lakes the lake trout have made a remarkable come-back after they were nearly wiped out by the sea lamprey and commercial fishing. Lake trout populations have been rebuilt by lamprey controls and restocking programs. These programs have been put in use both in Canada and the United States, both countries have been doing this for some time now and the lakes and anglers are enjoying the fruits of their efforts.

There is nothing like the feeling when you hook up with a nice sized lake trout on medium action fishing rig. So get out there and just enjoy nature and catch the trophy lake trout.