What do you picture when you think of fly fishing for trout? If your answer is casting a bug imitation that floats and then watching a fish rise to sip it off the surface, I’d say you fall in with the ...

In theory, fly-fishing is a simple sport: Pick a body of water, choose a fly-fishing rod, select your “fly” (or bait), tie a secure knot, cast your line and, hopefully, land a fish on the other end.

I learned the basics of small water fly fishing from my dad, a former Orvis guide and dry fly purist, who favored the small creeks and streams of western Virginia where I grew up. I used to question ...