COOL streams are one of the joys of summer.
Wading in shallow waters, shaded by overhanging trees and casting a fly to a run or pool is one of fishing's more enlightening experiences.
Trout don't like it hot, but in mountain streams where the water is flowing, well-oxygenated and cool, trout will rise to feed on an insect hatch. The best time of day depends on the insects and level of shade.
Many fly fishers will hunt trout all day, choosing their waters depending on conditions.
But there are some who prefer to be on the water as the sun is settling in the west, fishing the last hour or so of daylight when air temperatures are cooler and there is less sunlight on the water.
During the 1990s, fly fishing, both saltwater and freshwater, had a major growth spurt, and then seemed to fall by the wayside.
Drought reduced opportunities in some areas, but many younger anglers got hooked on the soft-plastic lure revolution.
Fly fishing is a resilient pursuit with proven longevity, having been around in one form or another since the second century AD.
A Roman writer, Claudius Aelianus, quite possibly the world's first fishing writer, reported that locals fishing the Astraeus River in Macedonia, were catching brown trout by fastening red wool and wax-coloured feathers to a hook.
One of the bugbears of fly fishing used to be entry price.
This has changed and anglers can purchase a basic 5-6wt freshwater fly-fishing combo outfit with a weight forward floating fly line for about the same price you would pay for a good snapper outfit.
And consider this: in the hotter months, streams overgrown by bushes and low hanging branches are invariably the most productive waters.
From a trout's perspective, heavy bank-side flora means cooler water, shade cover for ambush and affords some protection from birds.
Under this scenario, roll casts become the order of the day and you may be reluctant to risk damage to a state-of-the-art, $1000 fly rod built out of space-age material.
Supplementary equipment such as fly vests, waders and fly boxes are well within most people's price range. It depends on what you purchase.
The basic principle of fly fishing is that the weight of the line, not the lure, is used to cast the fly
You can teach yourself to fly fish, but my suggestion for people starting out is to invest a few dollars and attend a fly-fishing school. The investment puts the novice ahead in terms of the time it takes to learn to cast and fish flies.
I have heard some anglers grumble about the price of flies, but there is value to be had.
At the risk of offending purists, flies are lures and can be constructed to imitate fish or insect. Soft plastic and hard-body lures are much more expensive per unit than flies, and you can only present one lure at a time.
Fly fishers, though, can present more than one fly at the same time depending on rig. For example, a dry fly indicator with a nymph set below.
You can even tie flies yourself and reduce costs, while adding value to your fishing experience.
The choice of fly depends on environment and insect life, which is why fly fishers talk of matching the hatch.
If you intend fishing below the surface then try working nymph patterns such as the popular Gold Beadhead Nymph or Stick Caddis flies.
Popular dry flies include the Geehi Beetle, Royal Wulff, Red Humpy and Adams.
Success in streams comes through knowledge and stealth.
The angler has to understand what constitutes a likely lay, the sort of food trout will seek and how best to present lure, fly or bait.
Trout lie in deeper pools, at the head and tail of runs, or wait beneath bushy overhangs along the banks.
It is necessary to use stealth when approaching likely areas, work your way upstream and make long casts wherever possible.
