Is fly fishing the bowhunting of fishing?

[DavePwns]

Just asking your opinions / thoughts on this. For me I will be a bowhunter for life, it's so rewarding using a bow and getting close to the animals. I am an inexperienced fisherman and have mostly used bait and spinners to catch fish, is fly fishing similar to why people bowhunt rather than using firearms?

What are your thoughts on this?

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[Crusty]

I don't think its quite that simple.

Flyfishing does allow a person to immerse themselves in the chase for fish, charting hatches, sifting streams and tying flies to match. Learning curve casts, roll casts and dump casts. Same as bow hunter who stalks animals has to put in 100% to get in close to take a shot.

But you can be also be flyfisherman by buying a rod and a handful of flies, head down to the nearest lake and stand in one spot and flog the water to foam.
Same as you can be a bowhunter by grabbing a crossbow, some bolts, stick up a tree stand any old where and wait for something to walk past.

Its not so much the sport or implement its what you do with it and how much time and effort you put into understanding your quarry.
There are bait fisherman out there who put more time and effort in collecting bait and modifying gear so it works better and getting to know the fish they chase than some flyfisherman put in.



Crusty

 

[kicker338]

Think you might have a point there, I wouldn't compare fly fishing to archery as a whole but a fly fisherman to a traditional bow shooter-
, I could sure go with that. Compounds are more like a worm dunker like me LOL.

 

[JWP58]

I find archery relaxing. I find fly fishing infuriating. Im either tying knots or untangling them. And lets not even talk about nymphing in a boat while hanging on for dear life......

P.s. its a bobber, dont try and church it up fly guys ("strike indicator") << jk

 

[bivouaclarry]

I do both. I would equate fly fishing more with shooting a trad bow versus a compound. With my fly rod I am hunting fish in a more technical manner, which is fun.

 

[svivian]

I think spearfishing is the true underwater archery, but I am also an avid fly fisherman and archer. I think fly fishing and archery hunting are very similar in the sense of how important technique is and patience.

 

[5MilesBack]

You can't really make a blanket statement either way. There are different types of fly-fishing and there are different types of bowhunting. I see guys almost elbow to elbow fly fishing rivers and casting to "their" spot over and over. I'm an active fly fisherman and will cover a mile of a river.....hitting every hole, ripple, and stretch. Kind of like the way I hunt elk.....cover as much ground as possible trying to entice a bull into action. Same for fly fishing.......except the fly is the enticing bugle.

 

[THBZN]

If you really want to dive in on the deep side of flyfishing (no pun intended) give Spey casting a try. I got into a few years ago, and chasing trout with a "small" Spey rod is a ton of fun. Be ready for a very deep rabbit hole, though. Shooting heads, tungsten, Snap T, Skagit, Scandi, etc........

 

[boom]

no. spearfishing is the bowhunting of fishing.

 

[SWOHTR]

Good to know. I'm taking a Fly Fishing class at the University this semester, can't wait to get started. For $57.50 I will either come away with a new hobby or something that I will likely never want to do again!

It looks like it is a more "interactive" method of fishing than spin fishing. Then again, I never was the best (spin) fisherman...so maybe I'm totally off.

 

[Molon Labe]

The only similarity I see between the two is how proud fly fishermen and bow hunters are of the way they fish/hunt.

I don't care either way...flyfish 99% of the time and bow hunt 90% of the time...I just do it because it takes so much more time, patience, requires more research and provides much more frustration.

"Oh...you use worms?...I catch fish with flies that I tied myself using material I harvested from birds and animals I personally hunted...and know the difference between a pseudocloeon and a baetis"

"Yeah I built this bow out of osage orange and the arrows are hand spun cedar with turkey feathers I harvested...the broadheads are hammer forged by me...no big deal that I killed a buck with it at 5yrds after spending an entire day stalking it...same as shooting your buck at 400yds with a win mag"

It is funny when you have the over the top guys talking down on worm dunkers or rifle hunters...
Just lay off and go out and enjoy the outdoors!! haha

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Tenkara rods are fun on creeks.

Bowfishing is the bow hunting of fishing?

sockeye is about 8$ a pound at the grocery store..


Or u can fart around with knots and tangles to catch one mushy fish at a time..

 

[Trial153]

well... Thats pretty much all i do. Bowhunt and fly fish. except with my kids ..in that a case anything goes as long as they are intrested and its semi productive.

 

[Tom_]

Both sports are my passions. Both take attention to detail to be successful. Both can take you to beautiful undisturbed places. Both require an understanding of the quarry. Both involve solving the riddle to make the kill or catch.

Fly fishing has different levels. Fresh or Saltwater. Tiny midges to huge articulated streamers. Nymphing, throwing streamers, matching the hatch. Bow Hunting has big game, small game and maybe dangerous game.

I could go on but let's just say that both sports make me happy. Oh and both allow to buy a bunch of new toys.

 

[juan trueno]

I probably shouldn’t even weigh in. I don’t hunt any archery but...

There isn’t much else I’d rather do. It’s that or get up that hill. And then the one behind it.


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[wildcat33]

Nothing wrong with throwing spinners. I love fly fishing but I fully reject all the elitist BS that tends to come with it, like spin fishing is inferior or something. I still take a spin rod with me for those times I just want to cast out a line and not have to think to much, while also probably having a beer. Fly fishing takes a lot of thought and care, careful rigging, good casting, and/or good line mending. I have spin fished my whole life, so for me, to catch a trout on a spinning rod is fun but not that exciting. Catching a trout on a fly rod, on the other hand is so much more challenging and rewarding. In that sense, it is a lot like bowhunting; many get into it to increase the challenge after plain ol rifle hunting gets old.

 

[adamm88]

I was a hardcore fly fisherman for years, i dont do it much anymore because frankly i sucked, i like to catch fish, lots of fish big or small, bait or lures it doesn't matter to me.
I would compare fly fisherman more to stick bow hunters, more on the elitest of things, obviously this isnt everyone but iv been blown off my more adults because i was either on a ff only stream by myself as a teen or they wouldn't pay two shits attention to me in a fly shop, until o pulled out a big wad of cash, then they paid attention.


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[Russp17]

I was a hardcore fly fisherman for years, i dont do it much anymore because frankly i sucked, i like to catch fish, lots of fish big or small, bait or lures it doesn't matter to me.
I would compare fly fisherman more to stick bow hunters, more on the elitest of things, obviously this isnt everyone but iv been blown off my more adults because i was either on a ff only stream by myself as a teen or they wouldn't pay two shits attention to me in a fly shop, until o pulled out a big wad of cash, then they paid attention.


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Honestly I think some of the elitism in fly fishing from fly fisherman comes from spending so much time learning etc about fish and fish habitat that they care greatly for the resource (similar to a lot of hunters). I feel that then some gear fisherman rub you the wrong way, when they don't care about the resource. It's not to say that all non fly fisherman are like this, but it seems like there is a higher percentage. It's the same on how I feel I have a lot in common with hunters who care about conservation and leaving it better than I came. That's at least my experience.

 

[tyeager2964]

I am a fly fishing snob in that i will only fish dry flies up stream unless that won't work then I will fish with reach and curve casts unless that won't work then i will use emergers but never nymphs unless that won't work then and only then will I tightline nymph unless that won't work then I will use a strike indicator

I am an archery only Hunter until the season ends with me empty handed then I am a proud still Hunter sneaking up on my quarry until we start doing deer drives.

 

[svivian]

Rocky Mountain Spearfishing Association | Representing the spearfishing community in the Rocky Mountain Region since 2008

If anyone is interested in chasing a different type of game.