Why fly fishing is trendy – and where the best spots are

Fly fishermen are the gentlemen and ladies among the anglers. Their role models on the Scottish salmon rivers always knew how to dress properly: Knickerbockers shook around their calves, a bow tie held their shirt collar together, and a weathered tweed hat sat enthroned on their head, ideally an inheritance gift from their noble grandfather.

It all had style, but it was also pretty old-fashioned. The image turned in 1992 when the fly-fishing epic "A river springs from the middle" was filmed with the young Brad Pitt in the lead role of Robert Redford. Man, was that cool man! Many then read the novel by Norman Maclean. "In our family," it says on the first page, "there was no clear dividing line between religion and fly fishing."

Fly fishing is not just fishing – it is a fine art

Almost all fly fishermen would subscribe to this sentence. Fishing can be a hobby. Fishing with a fly, on the other hand, is a quasi-religious calling and a high art at the same time. Among other things, it was the passion of Charles C. Ritz, son of the legendary hotel founder César Ritz. His book “Experienced Fly Fishing”, published in 1956, became the standard work for generations of like-minded people. The foreword was written by none other than Ernest Hemingway, because old "Hem" was hopelessly addicted not only to alcohol, but also to fishing with artificial flies.

But what makes this passion so special? Why do scoffers claim that fly fishing is the most difficult and costly way not to catch a fish? Why is it that supposedly only the right mixture of Buddhist serenity and concentrated ambition leads to success?

It all depends on the right throwing technique

Well, the casting, the throwing technique is a complex process indeed. First, the actor fingers a colorful artificial fly with a hook from his real wood box, which he tied himself if possible and which looks like an emaciated Lagerfeld model in a flashy costume. The fly imitates an insect falling on the water and is made from materials that are ordered in special catalogs.

If you don't find the “ingredients” there, you can still break into natural history museums to get hold of special feathers from long-extinct birds. With the whip, which used to be made of bamboo, but is now made of high-tech carbon fiber and is sinfully expensive, you then walk to the river. The fly fisherman holds the rod in his right hand, his forearm bent at eleven o'clock. He moves the rod at one o'clock, slowly at first, then faster. The whole thing back, the reverse sequence of movements. In the process, it releases more and more flying line, the fly whizzes horizontally through the air until it touches the surface of the water gently, but by no means slaps like an emergency landing.

At first the learning curve is quite steep. But then it takes time, similar to golf. Only years of experience and disciplined practice lead to success: the rod should become an extended arm, the movements must flow into one another. Only then can the bow tie be placed in the right place with the ease that makes the sport appear so elegantly British. The right place – it's often just a piece of water the size of a notepad.

The number and size of the catches do not matter to serious fly fishermen

In addition to the fly tying and the complex throwing, it is the sensitive observation of nature that distinguishes the actor. After all, he has to know all the insects that roam the river in order to choose the right stunt fly. He has to stalk silently, because the smallest mistake betrays him and lets the cautious trout take flight. All of this requires the highest level of concentration and cunning, but also leads to a flow-like state, an almost erotic confrontation with the water and its scaled inhabitants.

Serious fly fans strive to reach that dignified final stage of fishing, in which the number and size of the caught fin bearers no longer play a role, but only about the complete merging of the fish hunter with the sublime nature. The fish caught with barbless hooks are usually released again after the act has been completed. This is called catch & release in technical jargon.

Ideal for city dwellers and those at risk of burnout

By now, at the latest, it should have become clear that this is no longer about finding fish, but about finding yourself. Fishing has become part of the hip lifestyle pursuits for city dwellers at risk of burn-out and nature addicts: yoga on the even days of the week, a basic fly-fishing course on the odd days, both with a certificate of mindfulness. Managers finally come down, spend Quality time at the water.

If you're not careful, the approach to sport can quickly become ridiculous. Throwing the whip as a meditative examination of instincts and urges? "Food foraging" on the river, to celebrate the stylish and archaic self-sufficiency with hand-captured animals?

More and more people go fly fishing

Maybe it can be a size smaller. And then fly fishing is actually a wonderful pastime – especially in phases when many people are no longer so at ease with crowds. In fact, the number of fly-fishing Petri disciples is growing steadily in this country. The sport is by no means as popular as in the USA, where there are said to be around a million fans, including more and more women. But courses for beginners are also enjoying increasing popularity here. Fly fishing, the once royal pastime, has become younger, more attractive and more feminine. The big advantage in Corona times: You don't have to jet halfway around the world, because there are idyllic streams and rivers almost everywhere.

The best destinations for fly fishermen at home and around the world:

• The good is sometimes very close: the Leitzach in the Drachental, just an hour's drive south of Munich, is even popular with guests from the Anglo-Saxon region. Exciting visual fishing for brown trout, rainbow trout and grayling awaits you on the six-kilometer fly route at the Landhotel Alter Wirt. Tobias Cordes, bassist for the Berlin band Seeed, offers guided tours. Info: flyfishingguide-berlin.de
• Wild trout that do not come from fish farms are caught in the largely natural streams and rivers in the Bregenz Forest (Vorarlberg) with its stylish wooden architecture. The best guide there is Claus Elmenreich: flyfish-bregenzerwald.at
• Iván Tarín (salvelinus.com) offers stylish fly fishing trips in the Pyrenees, where the Spanish way of life and cuisine are not neglected. Good old Ernest Hemingway, who fought in the Spanish Civil War in this region, would certainly have liked that, especially since he also knew how to use a fly whip.
• The largest Atlantic salmon are caught on the Russian Kola Peninsula. Military helicopters fly to remote but stylish camps where no more than eight anglers have the whole river to themselves. In the main season, however, up to 15,000 euros are due. Info: www.kharlovka.com
• In one of the most beautiful valleys in Europe you can fish on the Soca in Slovenia with its crystal clear pools. There are meter-long marmorata trout – a species that only occurs in the tributaries of the Adriatic. Info: www.lustrik.com
• If you like it wild, you can use your fly whip to recreate Golden Dorados weighing up to 30 pounds in the Bolivian rainforest. If you are lucky you will see tapirs and jaguars. Greetings from Indiana Jones! Info: untamedangling.com
• Probably the world's best area for rainbow trout is the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. In addition to high volcanoes, there are also many large brown bears there. Info: www.theflyshop.com
• A must for serious fly fishermen is the Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego, where the largest sea trout on the planet spawn every year. The first lodge down there is still the finest: www.kautapen.com – Jimmy Carter and George Bush Senior fished here.
• Some of the most exciting salt water areas can be found on the outer atolls of the Seychelles since the pirates stopped doing their mischief there. The dream of every reef angler: to catch a meter-long Giant Trevally with a fly. Info: www.alphonsefishingco.com
• Once in a lifetime, a fly fisherman has to go to Alaska to catch king salmon weighing up to 40 pounds. One of the best addresses is the Bristol Bay Lodge, where vintage seaplanes take you straight to the salmon. Info: www.bristolbaylodge.com