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FISHING
Fly Fishing in the Adirondacks
By Fred LeBrun
So you're toying with the idea of getting into fly fishing and wonder what's the best way.
Before offering a pre-beginner from the Capital District or the Adirondacks a strategy and a plan, let me first confirm what the curious but unknowledgeable might suspect. It's absolutely true; if you are a regular reader of Adirondack Sports & Fitness, fly fishing is a natural extension of your interests.
Fly fishing is the only type of angling that is mostly about process, not product. Product being actual factual fish. Even experienced fly fishers can have a perfectly marvelous day on the river and never catch a thing. You wouldn't want to have that happen all the time, but often enough getting blanked happens anyway, whether you want it to or not.
What separates fly fishing from all other forms is a heavy reliance on casting, a rhythmic, repetitive motion that puts the fly in play in much the same way it was done 200 years ago in England. Fly fishing is very, very big on tradition.
Fly casting is also a complex hand-eye-body-rod-line movement that can trigger over even a short afternoon the same meditative plane that runners, long-distance hikers, cross country skiiers, mountain bikers and all the other aerobic exercise cousins will recognize.
Getting to that plane beyond the pain, though, as with all aerobic sports, is a matter of mastering fundamentals to the point where they aren't even thought about, they just happen.
So. Where to start?
WHAT NOT TO DO
Don't be intimidated by all the weird but strangely attractive equipment
and a pervasive mystic that suggests only the select can succeed at fishing
with flies. Nonsense.
A corollary is not to rush into a sporting goods shop and outfit yourself before you have the faintest idea what's needed for the specific type of fly fishing you'll do.
Nobody wants to get fleeced. But that's what you're setting yourself up for by letting any enthusiasm for the acquisition of equipment override common sense. It's worth noting in this regard that the scale and types of the rods, reels, lines and flies vary depending on the species of fish you're after, from brook trout along a dinky mountain stream to striped bass on the Hudson, and to the conditions and places you plan to fish, from ponds to huge rivers to small streams.
Be forewarned if you haven't figured it out yet: you are entering a complicated road system when you get into fly fishing. And it's a toll road all the way.
WHO TO SEEK OUT
What you need first is a good guide. That's in a generic sense, although
down the line the learning curve can be dramatically shortened by hooking
up with a pro who is experienced in coaching along beginners.
The overall problem about getting into fly fishing is that until you know a little bit about it, you really don't know enough to ask meaningful questions or compute the answers you do get.
So the first step is finding someone who is already toodling down the fly fishing highway, sitting that person down and having a perfectly fine conversation on your expectations, experience level, physical limitations and so on. The road to Nirvana is through enlightenment, not equipment.
If you know someone who can give you straight answers, fine. But more than likely you don't, so here are two proven avenues to explore.
The first are the organizations devoted to fly fishing in our region, or those that have many veterans fly fishers as members. They are the Clearwater and Adirondack chapters of Trout Unlimited, and the Capital District Fly Fishers. Bob Mead (399-9000) is the president of Clearwater, and Don Kieffer (583-1874) is the president of the Adirondack Chapter. I know from personal experience that both of these clubs, and the Fly Fishers, will welcome those perfectly ignorant in ways of fly fishing to their respective bosoms and help in any way possible. John Prokorym (869-7563), a fabulous fly rod maker, is the president of Capital District Fly Fishers.
As a second resort to the above names, call Patrick Sisti (461-9696), guide and Trout Unlimited at large member who acts as liason between the two chapters. If you have an interest or a question, he can answer the need.
Attend a meeting or two; it will be more than worth your time. These meetings are open to the public without charge. More than likely you will be invited along on a fishing excursion for the hands-on work, and you will certainly be steered toward the right equipment. My suggestion is to borrow decent equipment until you've fully made up your mind, because fly fishing gear can be pricey. And there's no getting around the fact that if you're going to be often defeated by the fish you pursue, you will probably wish to take refuge in playing with a rod and reel of high quality. Yes, nice toys take the sting out of a fishless adventure.
The other avenue is the fly fishing shop or outfitter, and we have a number of good ones in the region. These folks often offer guides, although if you're looking to get out on the best of the local waters for, say, trout, that would be up on the West Branch of the Au Sable in Adirondacks.
Patrick Sisti will steer you to a guide. So will Walton's Sports Shop in Saratoga Springs (584-7151), and Kevin Henebry at the Ausable River Sport Shop in Wilmington (946-1250). No shop in the Adirondacks is more attuned to daily river conditions than Henebry is. Fran Betters' Adirondack Sport Shop (946-2605) is a must visit for direct contact with a legend of fly fishing, and a superb source for his killer Au Sable Wulff flies, as only he can tie them. If you wish to truly immerse yourself in the trouting experience, stay at the Hungry Trout Motel in Wilmington (946-2217). The food is excellent. There is private water to fish on, and the shop offers full guiding services including an introduction to fly fishing course. Highly recommended.
Taylor & Vadney in Rotterdam (374-3030) and Goldstock's in Scotia (382-2037) can make you feel real fine out on the stream. They carry top-end equipment. As do Jones Outfitters up in Lake Placid (523-3468), the Orvis Outlet Store in Lake George (792-3979), North Country Sports in North Creek (251-4299) and Beaver Brook Outfitters in Wevertown (251-3394). Peter Burns owns Beaver Brook and he's a fine guide, specializing in Adirondack pond excursions.
There are plenty of others around, and the more you know, the more you'll be attracted to particular manufacturers and equipment, and even styles of fly fishing. But remember, the key to getting started right is good, solid, reliable education and information. And don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion if the answers you get don't sound fishy enough.
Fred LeBrun is the outdoor columnist for the Albany Times Union, and
the newspaper's general interest columnist as well. He grew up in the
Catskills, and has been an avid and practicing fly fisherman for more
than 50 years
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