Fly by day | Arno Laubscher of Scientific Fly

Posted in Fishing | Interactive | Lifestyle | Local Personalities

Arno Laubscher is a business man from Nelspruit who is hard to get hold of. When he’s not jet setting around the globe making deals he’s hard at work testing his newest product. It just so happens that his range of products is fly fishing flies and the only way to properly test them is to fish.

By Benno Stander

Arno with a sailfish he caught on fly

With 21 years’ experience in the fly fishing industry, covering everything from making flies, selling them and fishing with them, Arno knows his business. Scientific Fly came about when Arno decided that he was ready to do his own thing in 2001. He used to train people to make flies when he finally decided to start his own line of products. Today his product range stretches to over a thousand different flies and also include a wide range of hooks and material needed to tie flies. His products can be found in South Africa, Finland, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Australia and he is currently in negotiations with companies in several other countries.

“It’s difficult for me to say where my love for fishing first started. My dad used to fish a little but not fly fishing. I started the hobby when I was ten years old and taught myself by reading lots of books and spending many hours with a rod in hand. Somewhere along the line I just got fascinated with the prospect of catching big fish on light tackle and kept on pushing the envelope,” explains Arno.

When developing new flies the best part of the process is obviously to test them. Unfortunately Arno would never get any work done if he had to test each one himself. “I know many specialists and have many friends in the fly fishing industry and often send them flies to test out,” he remarks.

Arno Scientific Fly

Over the years Arno has also been invited to share his wealth of knowledge and often hosts talks and presentations at events and expos in countries like England and America. But according to him his biggest achievement to date is the fact that his brand has become recognised internationally as one of the best manufacturers and suppliers of quality fly fishing lures. “Scientific Fly just keeps growing and I keep getting interest from more stockists around the world. Something I am tremendously proud of.”

Currently the Scientific Fly factory employs some 80 workers that tie flies to supply the demand. “Everyone has their own unique style of tying flies and some people really take the art to the next level by making flies that represent insects in a super realistic manner. Scientific Fly is more about functionality and flies are made to be effective. We are constantly looking for new ideas and try new material as it appears on the market,” says Arno.

Arno Scientific Fly

“These days more and more synthetic material is used in fly tying and we are constantly doing research to stay ahead of the market. This is simply because synthetic material generally lasts longer, especially in harsher conditions such as in salt water. When it comes to fresh water trout fishing the natural products are still the best. Hare and buck hair, feathers from chickens, guinea fowl, ostrich and other birds are just some of the natural products you might encounter in a good quality trout fly.

Even though the range is already massive, Arno is currently working tirelessly to expand his selection of saltwater flies. “When people think of fly fishing they often associate it only with trout fishing. In reality you can catch just about any fish with the right fly rod and fly fishing for saltwater fish is becoming increasingly popular.”

Arno himself is a very keen saltwater fly fisherman and when asked what his favourite catch was to date, he grins, “You’ll often hear the guys say; there are two types of fish, you get tarpon, and then you get all the other fish. Catching a tarpon is something completely different and the tremendous leaping ability and ferocious fighting makes landing one an experience that is hard to beat.”

Arno Scientific Fly

Why fly fish

Fishing as a hobby is one of the best ways to relax in the great outdoors. Many a fisherman will tell you that although landing the big one is always memorable, just spending time in the great outdoors is reward in itself.

According to Arno, “Fly fishing is a little more scientific than many other types of fishing. It’s not simply a case of chucking something into the water and hoping a fish tries to eat it. With fly fishing everything is important. From where your fly lands, to how it lands, how it moves and how you react on a bite. This changes when fishing for different fish in different locations.”

“When you start catching different species of fish it really helps to know a lot about the fish you are trying to catch and for this reason most fly fishermen spend a lot of time studying the behaviour of the fish and reading up on their hobby.”

Arno’s Advice

“If you want to get into fly fishing make sure you get to a pro fishing shop specialising in fly fishing. Many all-tackle shops stock fly fishing equipment but don’t necessarily have enough knowledge of the sport to give you the right advice and sell you the right equipment. If you buy the wrong equipment you will either get frustrated and stop fishing, or will end up buying twice.”

“The next important step is to learn to cast. It takes time and effort to perfect but it’s the first most important part of fly fishing since you cannot catch anything if you can’t get the lure in the water.”