Casting a limber fly rod is the only way to get a fish on the line for lots of anglers. Yet there are hold outs who think fly fishing is difficult, expensive and some kind of elite angling sport.

Famed fly fishing writer John Gierach once wrote a book called Standing in a River Waving a Stick. Well, fly fishing looks a lot like that. And the stick in question is a fly rod. It’s the rod that ...