Artificial flies can deceive fish into mistaking
them for the real thing. There are five basic
kinds of flies: dry flies, wet flies, nymphs,
streamers, and bugs.
Dry Flies
Dry flies
float on or in the surface to imitate terrestrial
or aquatic insects. Generally, such insects
float and move with the water's surface movements
or with the wind's speed and direction. Dry
flies are usually presented with a floating
fly line and allowed to drift or float as naturally
as possible.
If the
real insect is active on the surface, you should
attempt to impart a similar action to the artificial.
On the other hand, if the natural is inactive,
the imitation should also be inactive. Wind,
variable horizontal current speeds, or both
of these forces will often cause drag on the
fly line, leader, and fly. Drag causes the imitation
to move unnaturally. It can usually be avoided
by proper presentation and mending of the fly
line.
An Elk Hair Caddis dry fly
Most dry
flies are designed and tied with materials that
allow them to float partly above or in the water's
surface film. However, if not treated with a
waterproofing agent such as silicone or paraffin,
they usually will soon become wet and sink.
This is especially true when a fly has undergone
repeated dunkings or has caught many fish.
Use a
dry-fly spray or paste to waterproof the fly
before you use it. Put on just enough to coat
the entire fly very lightly. Sprays and liquids
are a little easier to apply, but they are more
expensive and do not last as long as the paste
dry-fly flotants. Pastes will usually liquefy
with the warmth of your fingers and solidify
when fished.
If the
dry fly begins to float too low or sink and
does not improve after several water-removing
false-casts, retrieve it and blot with an absorbent
paper or cloth towel, tissue, or chamois leather.
Absorbing the excess water will lighten the
fly and serve also to clean it. Apply another
coat of dry-fly dressing, and the fly should
float like new. An absorbent towel or chamois
is also very useful for cleaning and drying
the fly after you remove it—wet, slimy,
and matted—from a fish's mouth.
Wet
Flies
Wet flies
sink just below the surface or deeper and generally
imitate aquatic insects swimming,emerging, egg-laying,
or drifting helplessly in the water. Some wet
flies also imitate small fish or submerged terrestrial
insects. Wet flies can be fished with floating,
sinking-tip, or full-sinking fly lines, depending
upon the depth and angle of the desired fly
movement.
A basic wet fly
On calm
water, wet flies are usually presented on the
far side of where you suspect a fish is swimming.
The fly is then allowed to sink to the right
depth. Then, with whatever action and speed
will imitate the natural insect or small minnow,
the fly is retrieved to and past the fish.
Many wet
flies are made in highly colorful attractor
or exciter patterns, especially those used for
brook trout, bass, shad, panfish, salmon, and
steelhead. These attractor flies are generally
fished faster and in a less imitative manner
in an attempt to attract and excite the fish.
Wet flies
in moving water are generally presented in front
of and just above the fish's position. They
are drifted downstream or retrieved across or
upstream, depending upon what they are designed
to imitate and how they are meant to attract
or excite the fish.
To
find out more about tackles used for fishing
in Labrador click the link below:
