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Traditional – according to the oxford dictionary:

“fishing e.g. for salmon or trout, using a rod and artificial flies as bait.”

In contemporary Australia:

That form of fishing, for any fish, using a rod and fly line to cast artificial “flies” or “lures” either as bait, attractors or antagonizes to fish which are known or expected to be in the vicinity of where the fly or lure is cast.

Fly fishing involves 5 related criteria

Hunting instinct

The ability that some people have which allows them to apply “stealth & cunning” as they approach a fish, understand where to fish and when, to feel at one with nature etc. Etc. To an extent hunting instinct can be learned but the best hunters have “hunting instincts” embodied in their very makeup and apply them intuitively rather than by practice. Maximum score available say 20%

Skills

The ability to use all the “gear” appropriately at the right time. Understanding what fly to use and at what time. Understanding the appropriate technique to employ for the targeted species at that time and in that place. Understanding what your fly is doing. The ability to cast a range of distances accurately. The ability to present a fly in different ways. Maximum score available say 20%
Stamina, fitness & well being
With lower scores here you can of course fly fish but imagine how much easier it is if your one of the lucky people with a high score. One inevitable influence on this is of course age. Maximum score available say 20%

Gear

This includes the flies (or lures), tippets, leaders, rods, reels, clothing, waders, boots, fly vest, watercraft etc etc.  Maximum score available say 20%

Confidence

If you have done your homework, know the water and have confidence in what your doing it does make a difference  confidence is of course not the same as arogrance.
If you take two fishermen distinguished only by their confidence level, which is with identical gear and using what appears to be the same methodology, then the person that has confidence in what he is doing and the equipment that he is using will nearly always catch more fish. Maximum score available say 20%

What would your score be out of the possible 100% ?

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