Sorry Alan as someone who has flyrodded or flyfished for everything from sailfish down, I don't think 'important' is an operative word in this case. Trying to operate a distinction or some kind of artifical barrier is pointless. It merely generates the snobbery that other anglers see as the curse of the tweed clad classes. How would you describe flyfishing, something that only involves trout, salmon and grayling? Or something that only involves an artificial fly ? If I were to use (and I do) a larger than average 'fly' for pike fishing how does that automatically become flyrodding and if we accept it's about the use of fly imitations then how do you classify using fry and prawn imitations for 'gamefish' (gulp! there I've said the 'g' word) Pike flies are usually large uncreaturelike lures which could not really be called a fly by any stretch of the imagination and we call it Pike flyfishing.
Pick up a fly rod with a fly line and go after whatever species takes your fancy and call it whatever you like. You might be unceremonially booted off the Test and the Itchen for wearing the wrong garb, casting in the wrong direction or having the wrong species dog in attendance but who gives a stuff. Since Neil used an artificial 'fly' in the middle of natural baits, I see little difference between casting a tied mayfly into the middle of a streamload of naturals during duffers fortnight. You are probably on the wrong forum Neil, but enjoy your flyfishing, now I'm off to nail some rudd on a breadflake fly.
