Let's Go Fishing
Iris Ritenour
Com/155
November 30, 2013
Erin Fuller

Let's Go Fishing

It is always an exciting time when going deep sea fishing. Some people regard fishing as an old man’s sport. People have been captivated by the sea since the beginning of time, and of catching fish since around the same time. The sport has grown hugely in many ways, yet has stayed the same in many aspects. Imagine looking at the ocean as a slick plate of glass when it is calm, or it can be a very dangerous place if a storm decides to get it riled up. Fly fishing, on the other hand can be a relaxing adventure. Although it takes skill to cast a fly rod, a sharp eye to find the fish, a special hand to convince the fish to take the feathery lure, and quite possibly some fast reflexes to hook the fish, if you get that window of opportunity. If you do not get it right, you can watch your fish majestically swim away as he spits out the feathery hook, and you reel the line in as gracefully as you cast it out. Although deep sea fishing and fly fishing are similar as sports, they differ concerning equipment, locations, and types of fish.

For those of you interested in fishing, but are not so lucky at it, there are some guidelines you may want to try. The first important thing you should know is that the equipment you use is very important. “You would not want to “bring a knife to a gunfight,” because it wouldn’t be prudent.” ("Fishing." 123HelpMe.com. 13 Nov 2013 <http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=65836>). Fishing is just the same. If you are fishing for an 800 pound blue marlin, you would not want to use a light-weight fly rod. If you are fly-fishing for large cutthroat in saltwater, you would not need a heavy action rod. In order to know what equipment to use, you first need to know what species of fish you are fishing for. If you are fishing for black sea bass, you would want to use a bait casting reel with about 15-20 pound test line with a heavy action rod. The second most important equipment would be the various types of lures and baits to be used. When fly fishing, the types of lures used are often handmade with feathers and hooks. Some types of lures for black bass are buzz baits, spinners, jigs, and top-water lures. Live baits would include minnows, crawfish, and worms, otherwise known as night-crawlers. Make sure you know what species of fish you are fishing for so you can have the proper equipment. When you have your equipment under control, the next important thing is to decide where the best location is. Once you figure out the species of fish you are interested in catching, the location of where to fish is really easy. Some of the locations for fly fishing are so beautiful; it is a view that can help you feel closer to God. There is no question that fish live in beautiful places. It can be a wooded stream far out in the country, or a mountain lake you just happened to stumble onto. It could be a river lined with trees on either side, clothed in gold, reds, yellows, and greens. It could be a bay, a faraway reef, or even an island in the Pacific. It has to be said that fly fishing is done in some of God’s most beautiful creations. As well, deep sea fishing is a whole other adventure. Getting on the boat to head out to your destination is when the adrenaline starts to flow. Heading out to sea, the waves are hitting the boat. Some of them are big enough to cause your feet to leave the deck by a few inches. The cool ocean mist is hitting you in the face, and the smell of the ocean is an experience in itself. It is something that is indescribable. The sun coming up over the horizon is so gorgeous that it is a moment to cherish. Some of the popular types of fish you can catch when fly fishing are trout, salmon, pike and bass. These are just a few species of fish that live in fresh water. Fresh water fish are fish that live in water where there is less than 0.05% of salinity (salt). Lake Champlain, in Vermont is popular for all the freshwater species listed above. However, Michigan is the best for Great Lakes salmon. Three rivers are Manistee, Pere Marquette, and the Muskegon,. http://www.indigoguideservice.com/michigan_fishing_charter_guide_info/michigan_fish_seasons/michigan-salmon-fishing/. Some of the types of salt water fish caught when fly fishing are mullet, Spanish mackerel, tarpon and skipjack. Some of the popular places to fish for these species are West Palm Beach, Ft. Pierce, Port Saint Lucie and Boca Raton, all located in Florida. One of the first American anglers to catch these species with fly fishing was A. W. Dimmock. In 1911, he published a book titled “The Book of the Tarpon.” In 1908, he had another article published in a magazine entitled, ‘Country Life in America.’ Dimmock made people smile with witty remarks such as “My latest theory is that the best time to catch fish is when they bite, but that view is subject to change.” His writing inspired a generation in the twenties, but the sport of fly fishing did not really take off until the fifties, and became even more phenomenal in the seventies and eighties, http://www.flyfishinghistory.com/salt water fly fishing.htm. Some popular species of fish you can catch when deep sea fishing is American red snapper, bee-liner, triggerfish, amberjack, grouper, cobia, dolphin, blue marlin, shark, orange roughy, and swordfish. The list goes on and on. Deep sea fishing usually takes place off the shoreline anywhere from one hundred to six thousand feet deep. Deep sea fish take long periods of time to grow and can take decades to replenish themselves or repopulate. In fact, some of the ocean fish you have eaten were probably born before you. Some of the methods used for deep sea fishing are drifting, trolling and bottom-fishing. Deep sea fishing is more dangerous than fresh-water fly fishing because of weather, tides, and unpredictable storms. Popular regions for deep sea fishing in the United States include off the coasts of Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Alaska, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts. Some of the more exotic locations include Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas. http://www.mademan.com/mm/history-deep-sea-fishing.html Even though fly fishing and deep sea fishing are similar as outdoor sports, they are also different in many ways. Each has times of the year when there are certain types of fish in season. Each uses specific types of equipment required to be comfortable. Each has different types of locations and can be enjoyable as an outside sport, and each have different results with types of fish caught. No matter how strong, or how brave or courageous you think you are, you should always remember that you are no match for any animal that is in his own element. Even though there are probably more reasons to fish than there are fishermen or fisherwomen, at the end of the day it does not even matter. It could be a once in a lifetime trip to somewhere you have never been before. It could be that maybe you are looking for some inner peace or quiet time of your own. Maybe you want to bond with the guys or gals. Just pick a reason, make up a reason or choose not to have a reason. Whatever the case may be – just do it! Grab a rod and reel, or a fly rod, some tackle, lures, or bait, don’t forget your net and just go. Get out and enjoy the beauty of nature. Some of God’s most beautiful creations have been seen with a fishing pole in one hand, and a fish wrestled from the water in the other.

http://www.completeflyfishingguide.com/typesoffish.html http://www.fishorangebeach.com/fishwecatch.cfm http://www.indigoguideservice.com/michigan_fishing_charter_guide_info/michigan_fish _seasons/michigan-salmon-fishing/. http://www.mademan.com/mm/history-deep-sea-fishing.html http://www.mademan.com/mm/history-deep-sea-fishing.html