I am an avid fly angler, I was never overly interested in video goodgamestation, those were for my kids. The is especially true when I could head outside and experience the real thing. Over the years, it has become abundantly apparent however that I cannot get out to the lake as often as I would like. Life just finds a means of getting in the way. I had to find a release, a way to satisfy my need to get out on the water.
The question to me became, is playing fly fishing games online, on the computer or on a game station and adequate replacement? I will level with you; I’m not completely convinced, but the first thing I did notice when I gave it a try was, there were no mosquitoes!
Seriously though, I have noticed a few other advantages; for one thing I can fly fish in places that I would ordinarily never be able to visit in real life. I am able to fish for species which are not available where I live. Not to mention the fact that there are no size or catch limits and it’s open season year round.
I was further impressed by the fact that there are so many options available with these video games today. Beside everything I mentioned above, I can control my casting and the fly I want to use. Heck, I think I have even learned a thing or two about lures from playing these games. That is likely because it is so similar to actual fly fishing you actually have to know a bit about the sport.
I have done some research to increase my knowledge of the fly fishing games available on the market. There are two basic types of games available, games you can download or games you can purchase.
The downloadable games which are available online can literally be found at the click of a mouse. There are even some free sites out there; although they do not provide the best experience and some are spam, so be careful. However, with the proper internet connection you can visit these gaming sites and you can begin trying some of the free demos offered.
You will likely get a much better experience from a downloadable game you purchase. There are several good ones out there such as “Real World Fly Fishing” and “FlySlim.” The graphics, options and functions of these games make the experience about as good as it can get without being in the water.
There are also games you can purchase for a game system like PS3, Xbox or Wii. Some of these games include “Rapala Fishing Frenzy,” “The Strike” and “Reel Fishing.” Most systems also sell a fishing rod as a gaming accessory which adds to the realism.
Whether you enjoy fishing off shore, saltwater, fresh water, deep sea or fly angling in real life, there is a video game to match. If you are like me, these video games will never take the place of experiencing the enjoyment of the sport first hand, but they do provide an interesting and enjoyable distraction.
