Fly-Fishing

Fly-Fishing BSA Supply No. 33283

Fly-fishing is a specialized form of fishing that combines skill and artistry. Because it is so rich with tradition, it is a passion for millions of people. The beauty of the water, the solitude, and the skills that the sport requires have made fly-fishing very important in the lives of many notable people.

Requirements

1. Explain to your counselor the injuries that could occur while fly-fishing and the proper treatment, including cuts, scratches, puncture wounds, insect bites, hypothermia, dehydration, and heat reactions. Explain how to remove a hook that has lodged in your arm. Name and explain five safety practices you should always follow while fly-fishing.
2. Discuss how to match a fly rod, line, and leader to get a balanced system. Discuss several types of fly lines, and explain how and when each would be used. Review with your counselor how to care for this equipment.
3. Demonstrate how to tie proper knots to prepare a fly rod for fishing:
   1. Tie a backing to a fly reel spool using the arbor backing knot.
   2. Attach backing to fly line using the nail knot.
   3. Attach a leader to fly line using the needle knot, nail knot, or a loop-to-loop connection.
   4. Add tippet to a leader using a double surgeon's loop or blood knot.
   5. Tie a fly onto the terminal end of the leader using the improved clinch knot.
4. Explain how each of the following types of flies are used: dry flies, wet flies, nymphs, streamers, bass bugs, and poppers. What does each imitate? Tie at least two types of the flies mentioned in this requirement.
5. Demonstrate the ability to cast a fly consistently and accurately using overhead and roll cast techniques.
6. Go to a suitable fishing location and make observations on the types of insects fish may be eating. Look for flying insects and some that may be on or beneath the water's surface. Look under rocks. Explain the importance of matching the hatch.
7. Explain the importance of practicing Leave No Trace and how it positively affects fly-fishing resources.
8. Obtain a copy of the regulations affecting game fishing where you live. Explain why they were adopted and what you accomplish by following them.
9. Explain what good outdoor sportsmanlike behavior is and how it relates to fishermen. Tell how the Outdoor Code of the Boy Scouts of America relates to a fishing enthusiast, including the aspects of littering, trespassing, courteous behavior, and obeying fishing regulations.
10. Using the fly-fishing techniques you have learned, catch two different kinds of fish and identify them. Release at least one of them unharmed. Clean and cook another fish.

Resources

Scouting Resources

Boy Scout Handbook, Conservation Handbook, and Fieldbook; Camping, Cooking, Environmental Science, First Aid, Fish and Wildlife Management, Fishing, and Soil and Water Conservation merit badge pamphlets

Books

• Alley, Robert H. 40 Best Trout Flies. Frank Amato Publications, 1997.
• Best, A. K. A. K. Best's Fly Box. The Lyons Press, 2006.
• Hughes, Dave. Essential Trout Flies. Stackpole Books, 2000.
• Hughes, Dave. Trout Flies: The Tier's Reference. Stackpole Books, 1999.
• Leiser, Eric. The Complete Book of Fly Tying. Knopf, 1977.
• Lord, Macaulay. The L. L. Bean Fly-Casting Handbook. The Lyons Press, 2000.
• Martin, Darrell. Micropatterns: Tying and Fishing the Small Fly. The Lyons Press, 1999.
• McKim, John F. Fly Tying: Adventures in Fur, Feathers, and Fun. Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1998.
• McNally, Tom, and Tom Beecham. The Complete Book of Fly Fishing. McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, 1997.
• Morris, Skip. Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple. Frank Amato Publications, 2002.
• Rosenbauer, Tom. The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide. The Lyons Press, 1998.
• Rutter, Michael. Fly Fishing Made Easy: A Manual for Beginners With Tips for the Experienced. Globe Pequot Press, 2006.
• Shook, Michael D. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fly Fishing. Alpha Books, 2005.
• Sousa, Robert J. Learn to Fly-Fish in 24 Hours. McGraw-Hill, 2006.
• Talleur, Dick. Modern Fly-Tying Materials. The Lyons Press, 1995.
• Whitlock, Dave. The L. L. Bean Fly-Fishing Handbook. The Lyons Press, 2006.
• Wulff, Joan. Joan Wulff's Fly Casting Techniques. The Lyons Press, 1994.

DVDs

• LaFontaine, Gary, and Dick Sharon. Successful Fly Fishing Strategies, 100 minutes. Miracle Productions, 2002.
• Wulff, Joan. Joan Wulff's Dynamics of Fly Casting. From Solid Basics to Advanced Techniques, 90 minutes. Miracle Productions, 2001.
• Young, David, and Cheryl Young. Fly Fishing: The Lifetime Sport, 240 minutes. Honeybear Press, 2005.

Periodicals

Fly Fish America magazine
Web site: http://www.flyfishamerica.com

Fly Fishing and Fly Tying magazine
Web site: http://www.flyfishing-and-flytying.co.uk

Fly Fisherman magazine online
Web site: http://www.flyfisherman.com

Organizations and Web Sites

American Museum of Fly Fishing
P.O. Box 42
4104 Main St.
Manchester, VT 05254
Telephone: 802-362-3300
Web site: http://www.amff.com

The Catch and Release Foundation
19 Parmalee Road
Newtown, CT 06740
Toll-free telephone: 800-63-CATCH
Web site: http://www.catchandreleasefound.org

Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF)
215 E. Lewis St.
Livingston, MT 59047
Telephone: 406-222-9369
Web site: http://www.fedflyfishers.org

Flyfish.com
Web site: http://www.flyfish.com

International Game Fish Association
300 Gulf Stream Way
Dania, FL 33004
Telephone: 954-927-2628
Web site: http://www.igfa.org

Leave No Trace
P.O. Box 997
1830 17th St., Suite 100
Boulder, CO 80304
Toll-free telephone: 800-332-4100
Web site: http://www.lnt.org

Trout Unlimited
1300 N. 17th St., Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22209
Toll-free telephone: 800-834-2419
Web site: http://www.tu.org

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Main Interior
1849 C St., NW
Washington, DC 20240
Web site: http://www.fws.gov

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