[Bryan]

How long is the life of an average fly, not a real one, the ones you buy and catch fish with? My ones appear to wear out somewhat!

 And, sungalsses, polorid, are thay esential to a productive day fishing?

 Trout, what weights are considerd small, meduim and large?

What would be considerd the lentgh of an average cast 30Ft 40Ft ????

Why is fly fishing so facinating???????

[Robert MacDonald-Lewis]

The life expectancy of a fly will depend on the fly in question.  I would expect quill bodied flies (uncoated) to last no more than a few fish.  A palmered wet fly should last several successful sessions.  These estimates are based on home tied flies; some shop bought flies will not last as long.

Some sort of eye protection should be considered essential, how much benefit you get from Polaroid lenses will depend on the type of fishing you are doing.

As to trout weights, this will depend on your expectations and the water you are fishing.  On some waters a half pounder could be a monster fish on others there could fish up to and over 20lb.

As with the other points there is not really a length for an average cast, on some waters there may not be room for a 30ft cast.  Each cast should be judged in its own right.

It may be better if you worry less about average numbers, lengths and sizes and just concentrate on enjoying your fishing.

Robbie

[Allan Liddle]

Flies ar like .22 bullets, expendable.
Poorly tied flies will not last long (like all mine  ) and successful flies tend to get ravaged (although this isn't always a bad thing as scruffy flies are better IMHO)

Polarised glasses are not expendable and you should always wear some form of eye protection (aye ok there's times we don't but we should).  Be careful what lense colour you buy though 'cause different lenses offer different advantages in different light / water.  I use the interchangable ones so i can swap if required.  Doesn't always work though 
Oh and remember it's hard to tie on flies with sunglasses on in the evening  I thought i was going blind last weekend 'till i noticed i still had them on about 10.30

[Barry Robertson]

Glasses are priceless in my opinion, not only do they keep your eyes safe but they also help your fishing alot.
My last outing was fishing for browns from a boat and i reckon i wouldnt have had half the amount of fish if i had not been wearing polaroid glasses. The amount of follows that turned into takes / fish would not of been noticed without glasses.
For a rainbow water I would consider a small fish to be under or around 1lb, medium 2/3lb, and anything above i would consider as large.

[Peter McCallum]

I get really mad when I watch videos or see pictures of fishermen not wearing glasses  . I've had a couple of close shaves when taking kids to the water and one of them had glasses (wraparound) on at the time.

This should be required viewing for all anglers!!

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/567/

In natural waters the average fish is just what it should be, it all depends on feeding and spawning available.

[bordertroot]

horrific stuff Peter,but hope your not looking for legistlation ?
That could take our pleasure/sport/pastime down a path I dont want to go.
I do wear prescription and over polorised as norm.

Bob

[Euan Innes]

"Flies are like 22 bullets, expendable"
Well, I'd like to disagree with that one  
I find that they are more like arrows - the well made ones last a long time once you pull them out of the target and use them again. On that recent trip to Assynt I had one fly take over thirty fish and another almost twenty before one of them wore out. If you make the arrow well then all will be good. The trick is to make the arrow well.

Glasses - well I HAVE to wear them so I'm biased. Yes you should because they make you look cool and mysterious and impervious to wayward bad casts. Well not impervious but at least you're wearing protection.... And always have a good hat. Sartorial elegance AND shade = vital!

Size is NOT important - location, mates, fun, state of mind, enjoyment and grin factor are what counts.  

Cast length - average is difficult to describe. There are guys on here can put NASA out of a job, but you just really need to learn how to cast to where the fish are. If at first you can't reach them, cast, cast and cast again. Practice...
It does take a while to learn so stick with it. And learn how to cast short and delicate too, it comes in handy.

Fascinating? Oh man, wait till you try this for forty years. Fascinating is so not the word!!!

Just have fun with the whole thing and don't get too absorbed in the whole technical thing. Find what works for you, find where you need to go to get what works for you, working and work at it.

In a fun way

 

[Hamish Young]

How long is the life of an average fly, not a real one, the ones you buy and catch fish with? My ones appear to wear out somewhat!

To be fair, a lot depends on the type of pattern. General rule of thumb for me is the simpler it is the longer it lasts. I'm not doing enough fly tying at the moment (actually, been nearly a year since I tied a fly for myself with my own gear ) so I expect what I do have to last. I have some old faithfuls in my boxes which have caught me fish for at least two seasons and are, more or less, still holding together so I guess the whole 'well tied' argument holds water.

And, sungalsses, polorid, are thay esential to a productive day fishing?

Firstly they're eye protection, it rips my knitting something chronic the number of anglers I see without them.
Polaroid glasses are, in my view, an essential. With them you'll be amazed at what you can see, without them you'll be missing some vital information.

Trout, what weights are considerd small, meduim and large?

Wild brownies:
small - up to half a pound.
Medium - half pound to a pound.
Large - the one that got away.

'bows:
Small - up to a pound.
Medium - up to three pounds.
Large - the ones other folk catch.

What would be considerd the lentgh of an average cast 30Ft 40Ft ????

Entirely reasonable.

Why is fly fishing so facinating???????

Because, like any form of fishing really, the more you get immersed in it the more you realise how very little you know.
So I learn something every time I go fishing, and that makes it fascinating 

H 

[adambrain]

Rabbitangler,

that video is HORRENDOUS!! Never will i fish without glasses again!!

[Offthebard]

Glasses essential safety featue IMHO - Polarised shades just make watching fish more fun.

Flees last as long as a bit of string some troots have teeth like jaws they're real killing machines .

Casting is subjective - happiness is a rod in hand . No distance comp in covering a fish its putting it in the right place that counts.

Size matters - perhaps to some - all troot are welcome to me. IMHO any wild broonie over a pond is a good fish and anything 5LB or over is exceptional when caught on the flee. Obviously fisheries are different as the fish are reared to size before release and therefore more plentiful.

Sandy.

[Peter McCallum]

Rabbitangler,

that video is HORRENDOUS!! Never will i fish without glasses again!!

If only one takes heed my job is done

[Ghettofarmulous]

facinating eye surgery when you think about it. a steady hand needed indeed.
Will not be going fishing untill i get eye protection
Thanks for that