FLY FISHING FUNDAMENTALS
• Session 3
- Classification of flies
- Basic entomology
- Major fly families
- Other imitations
- Typical fly sizes
- Other considerations
- Your fly box
WHICH FLY TO USE?
FLY SELECTING FUNDAMENTALS
• Fisheries contain aquatic insects/creatures at various stages of their lifecycle
• Fly fishers learn the lifecycles of aquatic insects/creatures and how to select a fly that imitates an aquatic food source
MANY WAYS TO CLASSIFY FLIES
• “Match the Hatch” vs Attractor
• Mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, midges/chironomids, damsel flies, crayfish, etc.
• Dries, wets, nymphs, streamers, terrestrials, poppers, foam
• By fish species
• Guide flies (practical) vs full dress flies (artwork)
• And others …
MAJOR CATEGORIES
• Dry Flies: a fly that floats (an adult insect)
• Wet Flies, Nymphs, Emergers: will be below the surface of the water (an immature insect)
MAJOR CATEGORIES
• Streamers: i mitate baitfish
• Terrestrials: i mitate terrestrial insects from the land
BASIC DESCRIPTIONS
• Flies are sold by hook size
- Larger hook number = a smaller hook
- Smaller hook number = a larger hook
- A size 2 hook is larger than a size 20 hook
• Dry Flies: a fly that floats on top of the water
• Wet Flies: will be below the water surface; nymph flies (insect larval stage) and streamer flies
SIZE, SHAPE, AND COLOR
• Session 3
- Classification of flies
- Basic entomology
- Major fly families
- Other imitations
- Typical fly sizes
- Other considerations
- Your fly box
ENTOMOLOGY: THE STUDY OF INSECTS
• Fly fishers focus on water -based insects
• Basic life cycle
- Eggs laid in water
- Grow/mature in water (most of life cycle - nymph)
- Transition to adult above water (emerge - hatch)
- Female lays eggs (short adult life)
- Falls to water
• Emerge in different seasons/conditions
• Also consider other insects that fall on water
- terrestrials
BASIC ENTOMOLOGY
• This is only an introduction
• Each insect family has many variations
- Different sizes
- Different colors
- Different environments / seasons
• Our purpose: - Basic knowledge for better fishing
- Recognize the insect
- Recognize its environment
- Learn behavior and vulnerability
SELECTING A FLY
“Match the Hatch”
- Imitate a natural aquatic insect 80% of a fish diet is from food sources below the water surface
IDENTIFY THE ACTUAL INSECTS IN THE WATER
“MATCH
THE HATCH”
• We don’t need to know the scientific name of the aquatic insect
• But based on the size, shape, and color, we can identify a similar looking fly in our box to resemble the actual aquatic insect
COMMON FLY FISHING INSECTS
• Mayfly
• Caddisfly
• Stonefly
• Chironomid (Midge)
• Nymphs: immature form
• Terrestrials
SEE WHAT’S THERE
• Net
• Seine
• Underwater rocks
• Streamside vegetation
• Hatch charts
• Internet resources
INSECT CHARACTERISTICS
• Size
• Insect body parts -tail, abdomen, thorax, legs, head, antennae
• Number of tails
• Number of legs
• Number of antennae
• Number and shape of wings of adult
• Color
WHEN
IN PLAY? USE HATCH CHARTS
COMMON FLIES & IMITATIONS
MAYFLY
CADDISFLY
• Session 3
- Classification of flies
- Basic entomology
- Major fly families
- Other imitations
- Typical fly sizes
- Other considerations
- Your fly box
LIFE CYCLE OF A MAYFLY
MAYFLY EMERGER
MAYFLY ADULT
MAYFLY PROFILE
• 2 or 3 tails, usually 3
• 6 legs
• No antennae
• Wings are upright on adult
• Nymphs have gills on abdomen
• Adult males have large, bright color eyes
• Male Spinners have very long front legs and long tails
MAYFLY PATTERNS
COMMON MAYFLY VARIETIES
• Blue Wing Olive
• Hendrickson
• March Brown
• Trico
Cahills
Drakes
Mahoganies • Sulfurs
Remember Duns & Spinners
LIFE CYCLE OF A CADDISFLY
CADDISFLY STAGES LARVA PUPA
CADDISFLY LARVA IN CASE
CADDISFLY CASES
CADDISFLY ADULT
CADDISFLY PROFILE
• No tails
• 6 legs
• Usually have antennae
• Tent shape wings (laying down)
CADDISFLY STAGE PATTERNS
CADDISFLY PATTERNS
CADDISFLY ADULT PATTERN
COMMON CADDISFLY VARIETIES
• Black, Zebra, … Caddis
• Green, Long Horned, … Sedge
• White, … Miller
• Summer Flyer
LIFE CYCLE OF A STONEFLY
STONEFLY NYMPHS
STONEFLY EMERGER
STONEFLY ADULT
STONEFLY PROFILE
• 2 tails
• 6 legs
• Normally have antennae
• Wings fold over body
STONEFLY PATTERNS
COMMON STONEFLY VARIETIES
• Black, Brown, … Stonefly
• Yellow Sally, Dark Sally
• Session 3
- Classification of flies
- Basic entomology
- Major fly families
- Other imitations
- Typical fly sizes
- Other considerations
- Your fly box
OTHER COMMON IMITATIONS
• Midges (Chironomids)
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Crane Flies
• Hellgrammites
• Terrestrials
- Beatles
- Grasshoppers
- Moths
- Ants
• Crayfish
• Scuds
• Frogs
• Sow Bugs
HELLGRAMMITE
SCUD
ANT & BEATLE PATTERNS
MOTH & GRASSHOPPER PATTERNS
CRAYFISH & FROG PATTERNS
STREAMERS – THEY IMITATE BAIT FISH
A HATCH CHART IS HELPFUL
• Session 3
- Classification of flies
- Basic entomology
- Major fly families
- Other imitations
- Typical fly sizes
- Other considerations
- Your fly box
WATER INSECTS & HOOK SIZES
• Mayflies 10-16
• Caddisflies 10-18
• Stoneflies 6-14
• Midges (Chironomids) 14-24
• Dragonflies 6-12
• Damselflies 8-14
• Crane Flies 4-10
• Hellgrammites 2-8
• Scuds 10-14
• Sow Bugs 10-14
SOME TOP FLIES
• Pheasant Tail Nymph 16-20
• Hare’s Ear Nymph 8-18
• Copper John Nymph 10-16
• Partridge & Orange Wet Fly 14-20
• Professor Wet Fly 8-16
• Emerger Wet Fly 14-18
• Adams Dry Fly 10-16
• Parachute Adams Dry Fly 12-22
• Elk Hair Caddis Dry Fly 15-20
• Stimulator Dry Fly 8-16
• Griffith’s Gnat Dry Fly 16-24
• RS2 Midge 18-22
• Zebra Midge Midge 18-22
• Woolly Bugger Streamer 4-10
TERRESTRIALS
They fall/are blown into water
• Beatles 8-14
• Grasshoppers 6-12
• Moths 10-14
• Ants 12-16
OTHER WATER CREATURES
• Crayfish
4-8
• Frogs 4-8
• Session 3
- Classification of flies
- Basic entomology
- Major fly families
- Other imitations
- Typical fly sizes
- Other considerations
- Your fly box
KEY SELECTION FACTORS
Imitate an aquatic creature
• Size
• Shape / Profile
• Color
• Movement
OTHER CRITERIA
Instead of just ”matching the hatch” (size, shape, color) for fly selection, select flies based on more criteria.
1. Size
4. Animation
2. Shape
5. Abundance
3. Color 6. Vulnerability
• Focus on insects in your fishing locations
• Majority of fish diet is under water
• Most of insect life cycle is under water
- Fishable all year
• Emerging & adult life is very short
- Seasonal
- Follow hatch charts
ATTRACTOR FLIES
• Why do they work?
• Don’t look like any insect
• Often bright colors & great movement
• Fish may see as potential new food or as threat
• Only way to test or chase is to bite!
• They are attractive to fly fishers!
ROYAL COACHMAN
STIMULATOR
CHERNOBYL ANT
BIG BUG
BARBLESS HOOKS
• Use barbless hooks to “Handle Fish Safely for Soft Release”
• Much less injury when removing fly from fish (and humans!)
• Easy to smash barb with pliers or forceps
• Risk of loosing fish is low with proper line tension when playing the fish
• Session 3
- Classification of flies
- Basic entomology
- Major fly families
- Other imitations
- Typical fly sizes
- Other considerations
- Your fly box
YOUR FLY BOX
THE FLY BOX CHALLENGE
• Carry only the flies you expect to use & in which you have confidence
• Minimalize: Condense flies into as few boxes as possible
• Organize: Sort flies by some standard
• Label: If you have multiple fly boxes, label the box
• Your name: Include your contact information on the fly box in case you lose the fly box
• Your Warehouse: Maintain large storage box(s) containing various types of flies; then have smaller, more manageable fly boxes to take to the fishery
ORGANIZING YOUR FLY BOX
It depends on what you prefer –
• Starting your fly fishing journey:
- One box would be enough to hold your flies
- Within the one box, organize the flies by:
• Dry flies
• Nymphs and wet flies
• Streamers
• Fishery
• Fish species
• As your journey continues:
- A box for specific types of flies
- A box for specific species
- A box for a specific fishery
FLY TYING INSTRUCTION SOURCES
• Fundamental Flies for the Beginner Fly Tier
https://www.flyfishersinternational.org/Fly -Tying -Group/Fly -
Tying -Education/Beginner -Fly-Tying -Manual
• Fly Tying Video Library
https://www.flyfishersinternational.org/Fly -Tying -Group/FlyTying -Video -Library
• Your Local Fly Fishing Club
• A Fly Tying Friend
WHAT TO ANTICIPATE
• You will begin thinking you need to fill your box with a wide variety of flies
• You will discover you most frequently fish only a few flies, filling your box with these flies in a variety of sizes and colors
• The Tiers Dilemma
– It’s too much fun mastering the challenge of tying a new fly!
IN
SUMMARY, SELECT A FLY BY:
• Previous experience in the same fishery
• As we approach the fishery, read the water (structure)
• “Matching the Hatch” (size, shape, color)
• Behavior or animation of the aquatic insect
• Bright day – light color fly; Gloomy day – dark color fly
• Favorite fly in which you have confidence