Fly Fishing vs Spin Fishing: Which is better?? (Trout Fishing)

[@jimmymani]

Which is better... whichever one puts the biggest smile on your face and warmth in your heart.

[@korlock3000]

It's the one that catches more fish.

[@Liamflatout]

@@korlock3000 LOL

[@spockling6538]

So nice seeing this kind of comments instead of "Spin rods are so much better" or the same thing for fly

[@dgracia18]

For me, no question it's fly-fishing. Plus, when fishing for trout, once you figure out what they are eating and imitate it correctly, you can catch crazy numbers of fish. Starting out, getting a few things right will get you catching fish. Then the more you know and the better your skills get, the more fish you consistently catch. And the good news is that you will never know it all. You can constantly learn new things and the more you learn, the better you get. Plus, tying flies adds a whole other segment to your fly-fishing. Allows you to make the flies you need when you need them. I started tying flies when I first started fly-fishing because I had borrowed my brother-in-law's fly box of flies and accidentally dropped them into a 10-ft. deep pool in the Sandy River of Oregon. Those were spendy to replace. A local sporting goods store offered a multi-week class in fly-tying for much less than I paid to replace that lost box and flies, and that got me started. Eventually ended up teaching fly-tying with my own 6-week course many years later. Fly-fishing has its limitations though. Even with sinking lines, fishing deeper than ~20-ft. deep is a problem - not because it can't be done but rather because it takes so long for the line to sink that deep and your fly with it. So spinning gear definitely has the advantage there. Same with bass fishing, but bass above those depths are a LOT of fun and that actively feed above that depth for much of the year.. Stream and river fishing is fly-fishing's forte, and deep water lakes where you don't get hung up on every rock or log, are spinning gear's forte. Spinning also is a better choice for deep sea fishing where you would waste half the day waiting for your fly-line to sink with fly-gear. I like fly-fishing so much that I choose to use it in places where it may be a marginal choice, because it is so much fun to play and land fish on a fly-rod.

[@EPTber]

​@@dgracia18this was the comment that i was looking for. I will be definitly getting a fly combo now. Tight lines😁

[@anytimefishingandoutdoors6983]

I fly fish for trout on streams and rivers, I use bait-caster or spinning rigs for lakes. I don’t discriminate different styles of fishing, they all have their advantages.

[@gillboygd]

Well said, I love fly fishing for everything but I never ditch conventional, especially for bass!

[@THESLlCK]

what's the advantage of fly fishing?

[@gillboygd]

@@THESLlCK it makes you able to cast tiny profiles and it’s more effective for trout. For the most part it’s an extra thing

[@raqoncraq1353]

Bro, you do realize that they have bait caster set ups for creeks and rivers and streams, right Shimano, MGL 70 HG with a 6 foot six Shimano Schmitter fast action fuck I need to fly rod for I’ll pass on that

[@raqoncraq1353]

I’m sorry, but fly fishing is old man fishing

[@EngineeringHooksets]

I feel like most fly fishermen think that the only lure spin fishermen use is spinners. I lived in Colorado for a few months and I caught a lot of trout spin fishing with 2-inch jerkbaits and micro softplastics on a 1/32 or 1/16 oz jig. Those are way more effective than spinners IMO and would be a better representation of what spinning rods are capable of.

[@sp10sn]

Right? There is no trouble putting a double midge rig on a spin cast. Perhaps a bobber is required but so what?

[@EngineeringHooksets]

@sp10sn fly fishermen use bobbers too.

[@bjellison905]

I got a lot of tricks up my sleeve i use. Eggs, rubber worms. Ive even used nymphs and such from fly rods. Its all about presentation. The creeks i fish is too crowded with trees to use a fly rod

[@Jon_Ray]

@@EngineeringHooksets it’s called a strike indicator not a bobber

[@samsoniteman24]

Smaller rapalas work in New Mexico and colorado rivers

[@lyledahlberg288]

I am 79 years old and have fish for trout since I was seven. I’ve used all methods that I know of. I think flyfishing with my Flyrod is great fun and sometimes it seems to be the only way to catch fish but I think spin fishing is much more versatile and let’s face it you can always Tie a afly onto your Spooner or spinne Or use a bubble and throw the fly as far as you want to. That’s my two cents.

[@AlistairYQOng]

agreed with you on the fly attaching to the spinning rod, it is also evolved into baitcaster as well which is BFS.

[@JB-tz9pi]

yeah. egg patterns on a spinning rod during the runs is where its at.

[@SnRJ23]

Thank you for your wisdom, Sir. I will definitely try this next time I get to the river 👍

[@bushleague3472]

Too, I can use the same rod to fish for both panfish and Pike, and I can use that rod to fish at any depth. Covering all those bases with a single fly rod would be rather difficult, practically impossible without multiple lines and much re-rigging.

[@SuperMarioY]

Not being an expert I am wondering why can one not fly fish with spinning rood? Surely it is possible to cast the fly using the spinning rod / reel combo.

[@FishingWithLardAlmighty]

It has to be tough making these comparison videos because so much depends on the water conditions and the mood of the fish. Today they wanted flies, but you may go back to the same creek next week and smoke them on spinners. I think knowing how to fly fish AND spin fish, and when is the best time for each, is the key to being a truly proficient angler. Great video, thanks for taking us along!

[@hardmanfishing]

I completely agree. I fished with spinners enough to know that they probably out fish a fly rod at times. I think I'll probably do this video a few other times during different times of the year or just with different bodies of water to see what happens.

[@KevinRapkochFishing]

Great comment! I completely agree!!

[@dakkeylon6153]

To go off this, as a fishermen I would not had fished that with a spinner only but switched to a micro worm with a jig head and bounced it through those deep holes much like you did with the nymphs. But also I’ve started using micro floats on my spinning gear to throw nymphs and such in slower conditions. We carry a tackle box aka tool box with different gear for different reasons.

[@bjnelson9490]

@@hardmanfishing Try the soft plastics on your Fly Rod as well. Especially the Mini Trout Magnets.

[@bigmac1495]

Agreed. Plus I find that a spinning rod is like throwing a streamer. Will typically get larger fish. Whereas flies are flies, and any size trout will eat it.

[@gamblerfishin]

Definitely a ultra light spinning guy. Grew up on it, and i’ll always love the feeling of catching a fish on a spinning rod! Getting into fly fishing has taught me a new appreciation for fishing as a whole, and I will say, it’s definitely super fun and in some cases way more effective! 100% worth getting into if you’re a serious angler and want to try something different.

[@DTartist4336]

Sentiments exactly I love fishing with ultralights. Iam 68 years old getting into fly fishing for the first time. Looking forward to it.

[@sspsp6545]

I got 8 salmon on the fly rod yesterday. My wife got absolutely nothing. I love both types of fishing, but I just started fly fishing in earnest and man nothing beats it’s.

[@richdoyle964]

I used spinning gear for decades but started to slip into fly fishing in the late 90s. Though I enjoyed it, as arthritis took its toll on my body, I find myself using spinning gear once again. Both are enjoyable, both productive and both addicting. Great vid and discussions.

[@matthewbutcher9246]

Learnt to fly fish first, did this for me. Then had to learn to spin cos my wee man wanted to come out fishing with me. "The things you do for your kids." Love doing them both!! Brilliant video, thank you.👍

[@707_Challengerr]

I have been fishing using spinning gear for about 17 years. I have been fly fishing for only 2 years, and I feel like I have caught the same amount of fish in those 2 years that I would have on spinning gear. And I’m a guide so I fish a lot

[@OHCreekFishing]

I’ve trout fished with both and have had around the same results on both, i think I sheerly depends on the scenarios of which you are fishing!

[@geckogod4083]

Season for sure, always have more luck with my spinner in spring

[@smothertheresa5881]

can you use a fly on any rod??? and have you ever tride?

[@OHCreekFishing]

@@smothertheresa5881 yes! I’ve thrown small midge flys and woolly buggers under bobbers on my spinning set ups. If you give them some movement they’ll catch fish

[@GLWFishing]

@@OHCreekFishingcan u do a KZbin short on how to set it up on a spinning tod

[@E3Chase]

love your videos, every time im feeling burnt out or discouraged you inspire me to get back out on the water. thanks for the content

[@chasinbowsnbrowns3652]

I agree with your assessment totally . The only advantages I see spin fishing having is that you can really launch it further and get into the undercuts a lot more effectively! I do see guys on the water using spinning gear on the water and it’s usually quality over quantity! I’ve actually tried experimenting exactly as you have and found that fly fishing overall is more efficient and requires more skill making it a much more rewarding way to fish ! Oh by the way , awesome job landings those beautiful bows !! Tight line buddy

[@hardmanfishing]

Thank you!

[@bushleague3472]

My observations are the reverse of yours. When I used fly gear I generally caught more fish but they were smaller, probably because the typical offering resembled a bug. Now I generally catch less fish on the same waters, but the size is up, presumably because the typical lure resembles a minnow.

[@justinmills9728]

Finally a video of spin fishing! I miss your spin fishing videos.

[@terekswildadventures26]

Typically I run a spin fishing set up and a fly fishing set up when I’m out on the water. To me it seems that is the best way to catch the most fish. This was a great video to watch love the content!

[@RyderWiebeOutdoors]

Hey man, I just wanna say thank you for getting me hooked on fly fishing. You were they first guy I started watching when I got my first fly rod. Keep up the great videos. God Bless 👍

[@hardmanfishing]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching and I'm glad you've enjoyed all of the videos

[@pointlesspanda3447]

Just starting fly fishing yesterday, and found it to be much easier than spin fishing. Could be my teacher, but it’s so much more smooth

[@maxlutz3674]

With fly fishing a lot depends on the teacher. I had beginners catch their firat fish within half an hour. They are not expert casters by then but that first fish created the wish to learn more.

[@jaaron2834]

Fly casting is the ultimate fishing style...for me,.. it's either fly casting or conventional multiplier reels ... no spinning reels for me... even with ultra light lures . . I use a BFS reel & 6' baitcasting rod to match for micro lures

[@AndreasNilsson-y8i]

Spinfishing is ok BUT flyfishing is alot more fun . I got my first flyrod 1986 , bin hookt ever sins . Just love it ! Great video !

[@lastdays3876]

Many fishes in such a small stream. Man! You are blessed!

[@EasternPaFishing]

Great video! Definitely makes me want to get better at fly fishing. I think if you used a smaller spinner (1/16 or a 1/24 oz) with a silver blade you would have caught just as many with the spinning rod. Can't wait for more dope fishing content in 2023!

[@epicxon3003]

That’s what I thought

[@FlyFishingbyRobert]

Nice show! A fly rod can be the best tool to present something in the strike zone and that is not talked about enough I think so great that you point that out 👍

[@brandom5138]

When you get good at fly fishing and when you learn to pick up specialty methods like euro nymphing, you will catch way more trout in rivers and streams than with spinning gear. However, when trout fishing in lakes and ponds, fishing with spinning gear is usually more effective but you can still do well on the fly when they’re not hunkered down deep.

[@seanlincicome7328]

Neither is better, they both have a time and place. Both are about having fun and being outside, if its what you have and it gets you out its the best. I am a die-hard fly fisherman but recently have expanded to spinning to be able to adjust when needed or to change it up and try new things.

[@LonMoore]

I fly fish for most freshwater fish but for catfish and saltwater fish it's nice to have spinning gear

[@seanlincicome7328]

@@LonMoore hence time and place. For saltwater I prefer fly rod to spinning but I dont chase things like snapper and grouper if I did then I would choose spinning gear for fish like that. But I definitely get where you come from with that.

[@smothertheresa5881]

can you use a fly on any rod??? and have you ever tride?

[@joeybruski3798]

Wrong

[@Nimrod.97]

Man! What a beaut! I'm surprised you didn't take it home n cook it! I'd sure be tempted 👍

[@zumalot]

I used smaller panther martins generally on 4lb test, small spinning reel and normally did well where we fished. I practiced with a fly rod on a stock tank once and thought I had it down, but once on location, failure and foul language, switched over to an ultralight spinning rig with my favorite panther martins. I did not get to fish often so I went with what put meat on the table. We picked one day per trip to keep our catch for fresh trout and probably a few too many beers. We obviously called this a Rocky Mountain High. However your thoughts on fly fishing made perfect sense and I'll admit is probably "better" for most that know what they're doing. I do enjoy watching y'all fly fish, but generally love the mountains with the creeks and rivers. PS- those rainbows were killer! Good show.

[@tombeyer375]

Agree on the Panther Martin's, on ul spinning gear! Sometimes a micro float, with a fly tied on about 4 feet behind it works too. AND, watch how many beers, as you might fall in (of course, I've never done that)!! 😂

[@zumalot]

@@tombeyer375 I have actually seen the micro float and fly in action. A father/son camping in the high country by a lake, Wind River Range, Wyoming. I watch the boy pull in a nice cuttie nearly every cast. The dad was not happy to see us as he thought he and his boy hiked far enough up. We didn't stay long as the welcome sign was not turned on. I understood their feeling to a point. I also experienced my first issue with altitude. Still a magical day. Thanks for stopping by.

[@TheCanadaman1]

Awesome video as always. You're keeping me 'fed' until out season opens on April 15th

[@adammajor9575]

Your videos are the reason I am learning how to fly fish.

[@hardmanfishing]

Heck yeah!! Thank you for watching!

[@winterwolf13]

I do both types. I use them depending on where I’m going or what I’m doing. For me I feel like it’s more of a personal preference. I do have to say that a spinner is used so much on trout that most don’t hit it anymore. Besides most fish have their own preferences of what to eat that day so always good to bring a variety of lures

[@hirkojs]

Awesome video, I hope it’ll help convince my grandkids to take up fly fishing & tying with me

[@coreylabarge126]

Both are fine. I perfere to change the treble hook on the spinner to single hook. Treble hooks can tear up trout at times.

[@jeffreylea2319]

In most of CT's trout streams treble hooks are illegal! I think they should always be banned for trout fishing-- they certainly aren't necessary, when with technique you can land a 22" trout on a size 22 barbless nymph hook!

[@abaddon3735]

Not only that they get snagged all the time

[@bradwinne5819]

I do both and have been successful with both. There are many variables that drive me to use one over the other at a given time on a given water. Also, the technique you were using for the fly in this video can easily be emulated with a spin rig on that particular water.

[@KevinRapkochFishing]

Definitely times and spots where a fly-rod is the best tool to catch fish, and times and spots where a spinner is the best tool. Great video, brother. That bow at 11:00 was beautiful!

[@rlnw34dw72]

In my region so few fishermen use fly rods but i enjoy your every video!Don’t know why,but it’s also easier to catch a fish on spin rod for me:)

[@realbankrobber]

Its an easy answer question. It really depends on the conditions of the rivers, the time of the year and the mood of the trouts. I only fish trout with the spinning technic for about 30 years now but I love to see fly fishing videos. I use spinners, jerkbaits and shad softbaits, and depending on the days etc the fish react differently on the bait I use. It happened to me several times using one of those baits in some hole and nothing, and changed to a different bait first cast and boom!!! Thanks for the videos!!!

[@obozomustgo5449]

Jon, fly or spin fishing, you're a danged fish magnet! Great video.

[@mainetroutwhisperer]

Awesome fish! It’s not really the same thing though right? Spinner vs nymphs. Why not throw a spinner and a streamer or if you’re gonna use nymphs, toss a small jig with float on the spin rod? There’s so many different techniques you can do with both rods, you can essentially do the same thing with both.

[@jamesmuro9286]

I LOVED this video. Sure, a comparison like this is tough, but fascinating none-the-less. The other take on this is still water fishing (lakes and ponds). I find it incredibly frustrating to fly fish on a pond or lake, and have greater success using a spin rod in those circumstances. Yes, there are a ton of videos out there on how to fly fish still waters, but it's an area of fishing that I lack competency.

[@jaketrout5628]

When spin fishing for trout what should your combo be, like rod length and type of reels?

[@secretweaponevan]

I can't fathom the flyline that you're using. It looks so easy to cast. I am primarily into Tenkara-style fishing right now. So easy to present a fly on cheap($25) gear.

[@corvus2288]

I'd say they would be about the same effectiveness depending on conditions, but spinning is WAY more convenient, versatile and flexible in terms of places where you can use it, kinds of lures you can use, and types of fish you can catch

[@andybishop4436]

I've been a devoted spinner fisherman my entire life. Always thought fly fishing was more about style points than catching fish, but KZbin has been changing my mind. This video might be the one that finally convinced me to give it a shot. The above comments are probably right that it depends on conditions, but I'd hate to think my Mepps spinners are going right past monsters like that.

[@edwardcowan7012]

I have recently started to fish for trout in the winter. For the last 45 years I have fished bass tournaments, briefly at the pro level. Bass fishing I use both spinning and casting equipment with line test from 4 lb Mono to 65 lb braid. I’d like to fish 20 on a Flipping Rod with a jig 100% of the time but in bass fishing what works is what counts and you don’t get points for style. I am starting the build of a 8 ft 4 wt rod as I watch the video and hope it will increase my presentation option fishing for brook trout in the small Pocono class A streams I’ve been fishing.

[@troutowl]

I started fly fishing about 2months ago and haven't used a spinning reel since. I absolutely fell in love with fly fishing.

[@freshandsaltyjohnny]

It's why I won't get into fly fishing I'm afraid I'll like it so much that I'll never pick up a spinning rod again. The one type of fly fishing I am interested In is tenkara fly fishing which is the original fly fishing dating back in the 1700's in Japan.

[@ПриваловСергей-р5м]

Both options are great. It would be interesting to compete with fly fishing gear on two or three rivers. For now I prefer BFS and handmade spinners and spoons. Sinking minnows show themselves differently on different rivers, and I have not found a 100% solution for myself. I wanted to ask about flies for trout. Which ones did you use in the video? Thank you, Serge

[@patjordan1955]

Beautiful big rainbows! Thanks!

[@troutbum476]

Nice looking trout stream ! I flyfish and spin. Where I have had more success with spin fishing in rivers is with Rapala countdown in smaller sizes. Thanks for the video.

[@awkwardcapgun6131]

I'm sure one day I'll take the dive and learn me how to fly fish, but I've really enjoyed fishing with spinners and dont really feel like im missing out, I catch plenty. Certainly beats the ol worm n bobber my old man tried to raise me on. Good video and always fun to see side by side comparisons for fishin trout in rivers. Cheers!

[@kennethkempka9592]

With what I just said I just started fly fishing eight months ago and I am totally addicted !!!!!

[@parallaxfree109]

I'm primarily a spinning guy however this newish BFS movement in America has me hooked. Plus you can and I do nymph with a spinning setup.

[@loydtruss]

Jon Went back and lookewd ath this video again, that enjoyable-----I am going to fish a size 8 or 10 streamer Euro Nymphing on the tailrace I fish here in Alabama---my question is do you fish steamrers that small which is what I fish for here---they are stocked rainbow---thanks for sharing

[@ivanbiasutti4567]

thx mate, great video! I bought the fly rod and never used it. Now it's time to clear the cobwebs .

[@justal4844]

Hardman, NICE fishing video. Well shot, well edited and well narrated. For the rest of us, here are my (worthless) comments: 1) I exclusively fly fish now because I fish in catch and release fisheries almost exclusively. MOST spinning lures have treble hooks and I've torn up the face of many trout released when I was a younger man. I think one element of "better" is to consider what hooking does to the trout, especially if you want one to live and be caught another day; no issue if culling / taking the trout for food is the goal. Those little bumps around the mouth we see are from hook barbs, so even flies aren't perfect. 2) this really isn't a fly fishing vs. spin fishing video TO ME, because he's tight line nymphing / Euro nymphing (i.e. jigging) even though he's using traditional fly fishing nymphs. You can toss those same nymphs with a spinning rod, so really this is more of a "which artificial is better" as opposed to which technique is better video. ☮🐟🐟🐟 p.s. Hardman, were you using super light tippet or a 3 or 4 weight rod? Those big ones were dragging you all over 😅😉🙃 p.p.s. How do you like those Dryft waders?

[@chipyeahoo]

Different methods for different situations. I typically spin fish more than fly fish for trout in my local waters because it suits the fishing here more. I use a 5 and a half foot ultralight setup with 3 pound line and a variety of lures. I use spoons, small spinners, smaller crankbaits, jigs and certain soft plastics such as worms and hellgrammite imitations with this rig as well as salmon eggs on occasion. I use my 6 foot medium light rod with 4 pound test with larger spoons, larger cranks and soft plastics like crawfish imitations, especially when I’m specifically targeting larger browns. Here’s a twist to throw in here; I will sometimes use flies with my spinning gear. I use a clear casting bubble a couple feet up the line and often with a two fly dropper rig. In some of my local creeks the overhanging trees and abundance of greenery as well as the steep and high embankments and little to no means of wading due to water depth makes for a nearly impossible time using conventional fly gear. It’s very effective in certain situations. That said there are certain situations where trout will only hit a properly placed fly that matches the forage they’re after at that moment. Both methods have their place. If I might add too that bigger examples of trout from all species often target larger prey such as other fish as well as things like crayfish just as much as insects. Sure, muddlers, streamers, buggers and craw imitators work, with a fly setup but throwing soft plastics, spoons and cranks with spinning gear is often tough to beat for those situations. I’ll crawl a plastic craw or jig slowly along the bottom or jerk and pause a crankbait that has an action that no fly can imitate. BTW, you were fishing that spinner awfully fast and it was a rather large spinner too. I mostly use 1/16 ounce or smaller spinners and retrieve as slowly as possible. I prefer inline (wire through the blade) type spinners when fishing in current as those type of blades will spin at very low speeds. I have tried a few of those Joe’s Flies type fly spinners like the one you used here and never have had any luck with them, LOL. My other spinner offerings beat them soundly in terms of catch rates. I’d like to see another challenge between fly fishing and a spinning rig using 3 pound test line and something along the lines of a 1/16 ounce Worden’s Vibric Rooster Tail in black Mylar or black with copper blade color (my favorite spinner and color of such) fished *slowly* to see the difference in catch rates then.

[@michaelsmith7193]

An interesting topic, well handled. Thanks for sharing this with us!

[@milehyandriver]

I think all styles and methods of fishing are interesting. To some it's not about what is most productive. Trout eat flies which is why fly fishing is just about as easy as bobber fishing. What I learned from bass fishing with spin and bait casting and fly gear is that sometimes it's not about matching the hatch but getting the fish to strike even when not hungry. I think out of all the ways I fish, if I want to go out and guarantee a catch, I will go fly fishing for trout. It's not that hard. Being a well rounded angler by learning different techniques and methods makes fishing even more fun. Last summer I tied up bass jigs in crawdad patterns and crushed it. Before fly fishing, I was bass fishing and fishing jigs was a really effective method and took what I learned using baitcasters and spin rods and it really helped when targeting bass with a fly rod. I love hook setting on a bass with a baitcaster but a good solid strip set is just as satisfying. Fishing is just awesome!

[@dgracia18]

I really only fly-fish now for trout, salmon, steelhead, and some saltwater fish. I am a dyed-in-the-wool fly-fisher. Started flyfishing in 1976 in Oregon when I bought a fly rod for my brother-in-law's birthday and a week before his birthday he bought himself a better one. Long story short I kept it and struggled through every scrap of info I could find on it for the next 11-years. I ended up back in CA in 1987 and became the Schools Coordinator for the Orvis West-Coast schools. Anytime we had 5 or more students (max of 12) in a class, I helped teach the class. I pretty much filled the schools up and spent about 140+ days per year in the field teaching fly-fishing, primarily in California and Oregon Spring Creeks. Also taught 3-day bass schools at the beginning of the season and 5-day fly-fishing for Steelhead classes at the end of the season. Was a licensed fly-fishing guide in CA for most of that time. Besides the fact with fly-fishing that you are always trying to figure out a puzzle of what is available to trout, what they are eating during the time you are fishing, where the trout are holding, etc., it's just a lot more fun to land fish on a fly rod. Everything is much more manual, especially for trout fishing. The reel primarily just holds line when trout fishing. You pull as much line off the reel as you need to cast, and then you cast the line, letting the line slip through your fingers as you extend the cast. Then you need to get your fly to float like there are no strings attached, and there's often 30-feet of more of line attached to it. But the line floats and you can learn how to manipulate the line so your fly floats drag-free, what we call dead drift. Most of the aquatic insects that trout eat don't swim or swim very well when they are in the current and even fewer run across the top of the surface. So getting that drift to float your fly like there are no strings attached makes a big difference. And every current you fish is different. When you strike and hook up on a fish, you can't just reel him in. The tippet of your leader (the smallest part) is much lighter in breaking strength than most spinning lines and if you try to just pull a struggling fish straight in, you'll break the line and lose the fish and the fly. So it's a give and take battle. When the fish is shaking its head of pulling hard, you ease up on the line and perhaps let some line slip through your fingers. When the fish jumps, you ease off a bit. There's no automatic drag on all that slack line, so you need to control the tension with your fingers. You let it slip through your fingers as needed and clamp it down when you don't need it to slip through. To retrieve the line you need to strip it through your fingers. When the fish stops pulling or shaking its head, you pull hard and/or retrieve some line to get him closer - when he pulls hare, you don't - when he stops shaking his head and pulling hard, you put the stick to him. If he wants to go one way you lead him the other way and keep him out of the main current. When you get the fish up to the surface and can get his head up, you can pretty well slide him across the surface towards you. Every once in a while you will get a large enough fish that will pull all the slack line out and start pulling the line off the reel and then you can reel him in as opposed to stripping him in. Anyhow everything is much more dependent on how you manually manipulate your gear using more delicate tackle than you do when spin fishing. And, because the reel is behind your hand instead of in front of it, you feel every twitch of the rod, so you get a lot more tactile feedback.... But the upshot reall is to just do whichever you find you enjoy most. For me, it's fly-fishing. OK, I'll stop now. I could go on and on..

[@hereticwinter07]

I think it really depends. Weather conditions, target species, body of water, time of year, fishing pressure and many other factors come into dictating the most effective method for fishing. Fly fishing definitely takes more skill than using spinning/bait casting rod, but that doesn’t always mean one will be superior to the other all the time. It all comes down to conditions in place.

[@dgracia18]

Just an FYI on the side pressure when fighting a fish. In my experience if you move the rod below a 45° angle to the side from straight overhead, you get a much greater chance of pulling the fly out of the fish's mouth...I learned that the hard way.

[@AlaskanFeverArchery]

You can cast tiny lures as well, you just need a BFS setup. 😁 Ultra light baitcaster with low cup casting reel, short rod (4-5 feet), tiny lures. I can cast even tungsten nymphs too, jig flies with my BFS rod. In Europe and Japan it is very effective for trout and our bigger chub, european perch, barbel, etc. but I follow BFS anglers from USA as well. Many lures are available on the market, and not just lures, flies too.

[@fairladyz9957]

Bfs is my new favorite way of fishing

[@MrNcturkey]

Neat show. What kind of Orvis Fly Reel is that.

[@RyItar]

I can confirm as a person that fish with both i have similar experience that fly fishing gets you more fish but those on spin are way bigger.I also don't use spinners because fish just don't bite on them but i use spoons like Abu Toby or Salmo Minnow otherwise most of the time they just ignore them even if see them in water.

[@espio23ify]

Looking for opinions on this - what about flies on spinning gear? Say with a water bubble float or a drop shot. Not as finesse as a fly rod setup, maybe more likely to spook a fish, maybe less sensitive with a more indirect connection to the lure. Still though probably a good option to have in the arsenal.

[@AaronHuntFishing]

I would guess the fly rod would be most effective more consistently for wild trout. I personally use neither as my primary technique. I prefer Bait Finesse or BFS.

[@jahpass]

I was expecting that "spin fishing" means using spinning reel and rod then cast lure to catch trout but what I saw in this video is just keep using spinner. I'm living in Japan and I do trout fishing with lure but I barely use spinner because it gets my line tangled too much. I always use spoon or minnow plug ( does it called shad bait in USA?) to provoke trouts and this technics is very popular in Japan. When I fish with my friend who is fly fisher I found lure is better than fly sometimes then also fly is WAY better than lure sometimes. It's hard to make comparison. Anyway this video makes me thinking learn fly fishing !

[@davidmiller5078]

You can use any type bait/lure/fly on a spinning setup and cast just as effectively by placing a small clear casting bubble 12 to 24 inches above the fly. The bubble also allows you to use dry or wet fly. You can also tune the depth of the lure with the casting bubble. Have caught lots of trout, crappie, and bass with this setup.

[@IslandFishGuys]

Would you say it's the exact same thing as fly fishing or something similar that might get some results

[@attorneydad]

I would like to see if the same is true for stocked trout. The ones they stock in Texas will sometimes bite a kastmaster spoon. Otherwise , it’s powerbait or skunk!

[@banobani1]

That’s it. I’m convinced 😂 I gotta learn to fly fish. Nice vid

[@joemarrier44]

Entertaining video. I think both have their place depending on conditions, water temp, and what's presented. My concern is with your choice of spinner.....I would have switched up to a lighter spinner.

[@lastcoyote2355]

I will not say which is more productive . But consider one very important point . The hook . I tie my flies and always use barbless hooks . Spin fishing with lures , not all people switch out the treble hook to a single hook . Treble hooks were never made for catch and release fishing therefore the fish inevitably is more likely to die . Just food for those .

[@denverwood5290]

I think it just depends on the day and the fish. There have been days I can't catch anything on a fly, but spinning is productive and vice versa.

[@scottthefunkRedPill]

You said it at the start of the video, they mostly eat bugs. Spinning a young fly sipping trout damages their lips they hit it so hard the hooks are so big and travelling at speed. In Scotland they call spinning for trout MUGGING! Fly is better once converted no one ever goes back, think about that. I was dry fly fishing today - superb.

[@maxlutz3674]

I started fly fishing very early. I covered less water than with a spinning rod but I tend to get a better reading of the water. With the fly rod I can mend the line and have more control over the fly in the water. Practice allows me to put a fly in nooks I can´t reach with a spinner. Also flies are generally cheaper and smaller. That allows to have a smaller pack for the gear. If push comes to shove I can use a streamer. I think the fly more versatile. I caught pike, carp and a couple of other species with a fly too. Spin fishing has its place in my fishing as well.

[@ayeyooo7008]

I’d really love to fish small streams like this, could you tell me about your fly rod and reel as well as what line you use? Looking to get into fly or center pin fishing, whichever lets me fish exactly how you are fishing in this video. Thank you

[@Black-March]

People can discuss what they like more and what's the most fun all they want. But if you want to catch fish then spin fishing is always superior. With a spin rod you catch more fish, it's easier to learn, and you catch larger fish. In Norway all fish size records are recorded for both fly fishing and spin rods separately, and spin rods records are consistently 40-50% ahead of flies. Like for instance brown trout, where the national record for flies is 10.6 kg and the record for spin rod is 15.3 kg. For Salmon, the record is 26.6 kg for flies, 35.3 for spin. Again the spin rod is far ahead. It's also worth noting that spin rods can also be better than fly rods for fly fishing. A float + fly setup can allow you to cast flies at far greater ranges than a fly rod can. I carry a pretty special tackle box, a Loop Opti 180 Tube Fly Box, which in practice works really well for carrying a combination on flies and lures in a single box. And I carry about 50 flies and a float + 15 clean hooks for bait fishing, 12 spinners, 10 lures and 3 jerkbaits. That's one single pocket size box that allows me to fish for trout anywhere no matter what the trout want and where they are. If they're far out, I got the range. If they're deep in a lake, I got the lures. If they're in the shallows, that's no problem either and if they're busy eating flies I got a large selection with me at all times. You can't match that with a fly rod. So discuss the fun and challenge aspect all you want, but at the end of the day, spin rods are more diverse, catch more fish and catch larger fish.

[@jeffs7773]

You should do a comparison video using regular fly line, and then going with the mono/ euro rig. I’m sure someone has done a video on that already, but you could still do one of your own too. So many old schoolers make a big stink about the mono rig. Make this a topic for a future vid

[@hardmanfishing]

Honestly a good idea!! I may try to do that later in the year. It's so cold and the water is so cold that it's just the best technique for this time of year. I think a streamer vs jerk bait would be a good one too.

[@jwalk8546]

Totally depends on foot path or water restricting ability to get to desired hole. Big current, wide banks with deep holes I'll normally fly. Smaller creeks and shallow rivers inside gorges I normally spin or fish a fly rod like a pole.

[@natewunn]

That wide angle lens really accentuates the underhand cast you are throwing the spinner with. I thought you were doing something different, but after i watched it closely a few times, I think I do the same thing. It just looks weird.

[@jacobdisioux]

The video might not have given the best answers, but it is asking a very intriguing question worth exploring.

[@viking7560]

Homemade live well. The epitome of red neck ingenuity! I like that better than the stick fishing video. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@hardmanfishing]

Sometimes you've got to get r dun!! Thanks for watching

[@nathanroberts5731]

I've always used spinning gear for Trout. Would love to learn and dabble a bit with Fly fishing. I use spinners, spoons, jerkbaits, jigs. I love the versatility of using a spinning rod.

[@UtahWaterLog]

I've fly fished for awhile and I still prefer a spinning rod, fishing jigs. This type of comparison never quite works out very well since each method could be more effective in differing fishing situations. It's also somewhat arguable that jig fishing is similar in principle to fly fishing since marabou jigs are basically heavy woolybuggers. In my case, I'm usually fishing still water in a float tube, so jigging with a spinning rod lends an added degree of control when working the hard edges of thick weed beds and other obstacles. That said, my two largest trout came on the fly rod, on the tube near weed beds. The conditions and motivation dictate the best tools for any given outing. I don't chase big grayling with a spinning rod and I don't chase big brookies with a fly rod. Specific to this video's question, getting a proficient (primarily) spin fisher to be the spin fishing example and letting the proficient fly angler be the fly fishing example would give both methods a better representation. Winter streams provide great opportunities for both methods, when carried out by people who know their craft.

[@NickArnette]

Great video! Your waders look like blue jeans. What kind of waders are they? Congrats on those nice rainbows! I like how you fish without an indicator and just go by feel and instinct. Yes, more comparison videos, please!

[@hesalovelybuoy5944]

do you think a medium spinning rod (shakespeare beta 20-80g) would be good for brown trout? i would fish a small mepps behind a bubble float with a long 5lb leader

[@dak8840]

Trying to learn about fly fishing, but who are the Ferrari of the fly reels and rods? Like shimano being in the bass world.

[@barbrybak5005]

Very well done. Fishing for 75 years using spin rods, panther martin, mepps,my homemade during my bait shop days and did well. Flyfishing. in MI.a blast,with nymphs,dries,and wet flies, and streamers also equally effective if you put in the time and visualize where the fish are Good fishing to all, and a very nice video. Thank you for your.time.....Rick aka.Big Bear

[@robertrichartz9520]

I fish the smallest phoebe spoon in small streams and some larger sizes in the lakes for trout . I have found Ol' phoebe to be one of the best lures in my box . On the fly rod I do alot of nymphs and terrestrail patterns . The ant is a great trout fly that seems to work well.

[@rileyredmond2891]

It would be awesome if you shared what wt rod/reel set up you were using at the start of each video! Keep up with the good content!

[@BTT72genX]

I wonder if using a smaller panther marten or similar smaller spinner would have caught more of those smaller trout that the flies did.

[@sonnybedez7040]

Great catch. What size fly rod do you have

[@loydtruss]

Forgot to ask can you do the same video fishing for stock trout? Thanks for sharing

[@x6xwpflx9x]

Nice Rainbows! Where are you located? Georgia?

[@abaddon3735]

I fish for trout primarily with spinners and have had lots of luck. I live in Minnesota and travel over to my girlfriends in River Falls, Wisconsin, to fish the KinnicKinnic. First time I ever went I was catching tons of trout just below a damn right where the current slowed a bit. I was throwing a panther martin and rooster tails, both seem to work great. My only gripe with spinners is if you don't have waders it's easy to get snagged and lose a lot of them.

[@SCYCOFISHINGHUNTING]

I like to do both. My best day of euro nymphing is 18 trout, which isn’t too great, but my best day with spinners is 33. I like spinners for really small streams, where shorter casts are better. Overall I enjoy fly fishing more, but it is good to know how to use both

[@Mntnere]

Funny on your Facebook post someone thought that was a poster behind you lol 🤣 nice fishing ,always enjoy your videos

[@hardmanfishing]

LOL I know. I think he asked if I fished private water. I guess I can't blame him for asking. Thanks for watching!

[@bixby9797]

I use a spinning rig most as I'm ok at fly fishing but not that good. In the summer, I catch as many trout on a spinning using worms than anything. Sneaking up on a beaver pond or brook and dropping that worm over the edge for brookies is much fun. Where needed a burnt cork as a bobber and floating a worm along sometimes works wonders

[@adamfeldberg9521]

I think part of the issue could be the spinner size. I've had the most spinner luck in small creeks with the tiniest micro #1-2 panther martin spinners. Even the little guys will hit it then. And if they go more for bugs then a black blade helps

[@loydtruss]

Fantastic video---your fly line looks like a Euro Nymphing fly line is that what you are using with the fly rod???

[@hardmanfishing]

Yessir!

[@jeremiahurban2457]

I take both when I go out. My biggest rainbow 27” and 29” brown both come from a spinning rod with a #11 shadow rap slow sinking jerk bait.

[@markhopkins3825]

I really enjoyed this. I have read the current comments and agree that you might have had a better spinning experience with more of a “Joes Fly”, size 8 spinner on a lighter rod. But… I agree with your Baitfish vs Bug analysis. I would love for you to consider a few “come be my fishing partner for a day” promos.

[@hardmanfishing]

You may be right. I honestly thought the spinner would work so well that I didn't have a great backup. Lesson learned for the next one! Not a bad idea, it's tough to do logistically though. At least on my end

[@raymonddoerr2523]

Spinners/spoons can slay on lakes when you don’t have access to a boat. They cast a quarter miles and you can cover the hole water column by letting your lure sink down when you need it. Flies can’t big fish too though, I’ve seen that first hand.

[@captainrylenaviation29]

Great video. May i ask what company of that fly rod is that and its wt and height ? It seems your casting at ease.