Did you notice a class casting rods outside? Well, that was Outdoor Pursuits II and they are practicing casting a fly fishing rod.
“We were practicing the art of casting a fly rod which is a little bit different than a traditional rod,” William Sodemann, the teacher for the class said.
Outdoor Pursuits II is practicing fly fishing not in water but on land to help get the idea of how to actually fly fish and to get reps in also to get comfortable with it for when they actually go fly fishing.
Gabriel Mott (10) loves to fish especially with his grandparents.
“We practice to understand the idea before actually trying, as well as learning the risks and techniques,” Mott said.
What is fly fishing you may ask? Fly fishing is a hobby/life skill that many people enjoy to connect themselves with nature.
It is a method of fishing that uses a lightweight artificial lure that looks like a fly and you use a fly rod, fly reel, and heavily oiled or treated line to catch fish.
In Outdoor Pursuits I, students learn about the traditional fishing methods. Fly fishing for trout and salmon is a more advanced skill so outdoor pursuits II learns fly fishing.
In Outdoor Pursuits II, they are learning how to tie “flies,” which are supposed to represent bugs that the fish will bite onto. They are also learning how to use the rods because they are different from traditional fishing rods because you have to retract the line manually instead of just pushing a button.
Morgan Buckley (11) enjoys fishing because it is a extremely fun and relaxing activity.
“Learning how to fly fish is hard at first because you aren’t using a traditional fishing rod, so it takes some time to get used to, but once you get it down it’s a lot of fun,” Buckley said.
Fly fishing is more challenging than regular fishing. It is very technical and requires a different skill set than traditional fishing.
“We learned about the technique on how to cast and wind up a fly rod, which can be really fun,” Mott said.
Ryan Cole (12), who has gone fishing before and enjoys it, said learning fly fishing wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be, but it wasn’t too easy.
“You have to use your hands a lot more in fly fishing then normal fishing,” Cole said.
In fly fishing, you have to have a good tempo compared to regular fishing because you need to be able to cast the line far with no gear on the line like in normal fishing.
Mott says “it is pretty straightforward and simple, but different from your typical fishing and it can be difficult at first but you can get the hang of it.”
Fly fishing requires more skill and technique then regular fishing.
Outdoor Pursuits II is planning on going to Broemmelsiek Park in a few weeks to practice outdoor cooking and fly fishing at their lake.
