All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter,
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
-Tolkien

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^{Image Source}

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Fly Fishing - Choosing a Fly

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Introduction

One of the most critical aspects of ensuring success with fly fishing is mastering the task of choosing the right fly for the environment and conditions you will be fishing in. the difference in choice from one fly to the next could be the difference in landing a monster fish or driving home empty handed. We will briefly explore the various considerations you should examine when choosing a fly at your favorite stream, as well as the different categories of flies and what they mean to you in the field.

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Variety, Variety, Variety

Enough cannot be said about having a large variety of different types of flies with you when you venture out to the streams, rivers, and ponds. The type of fly you will use will depend greatly upon the location you choose to fish and the weather conditions on that particular day. What may work in the spring on your favorite stream may not work in the fall. Flies are intended to mimic the colors and movements of the local insects, worms, and other creepy-crawlies the fish would be feeding on during the time and at the area you are fishing. That is why the greater variety you have to choose from, the better the chance you have of matching a fly to whatever is buzzing/crawling around when you are at the fishing location.

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Wet or Dry

Generally flies are divided into two major groups: Dry flies and wet flies. Dry flies mimic flying insects or an insect that has fallen onto the top of the water from the trees. They are designed to float on top of the water and the goal is to elicit a top-water strike. It has been my experience that dry flies work much better in warmer weather and climates. A sub-group of the dry fly section is what is referred to as poppers. Poppers are usually made out of foam or cork and make a distinctive “popping” noise when you pull the line. They are usually larger than most dry flies and are excellent on ponds and lakes for bass and panfish. They most resemble larger flying insects such as flies, beetles, bees, etc.

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^{I've caught more fish on this type of popper than all the other flies I've tried combined. Bettis Popper}

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^{Bubble Bee Popper}

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^{Dry Fly}

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^{Another Dry Fly}

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Wet flies are intended to be used underwater and attempt to mimic various insects in the larvae stage of development and also small fish or minnows.. They are made out different types of materials and many times a strike indicator is used to assist the angler in seeing when the bait is being taken. Some varieties of wet flies are zebra midges, San Juan worms, wooly boogers, and minnows.

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^{Pink San Juan Worm. Super powerful wet fly}

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^{Zebra Midge Wet Fly}

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^{Modified Minnow - Excellent for aggressive fish such as Croppie, Bass, Etc.}

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Conclusion

Again, not enough can be said about ensuring that you have an abundant variety of flies when you hit the trails. Most flies are relatively small compared to traditional fishing lures and several different types can be carried in a small pouch or in a pocket. I personally have a side-sling style bag and I have several hard plastic cases. I separate the flies in the categories of wet, dry, and poppers. The cases have clear sides so a quick peek will tell me what type of flies are inside. When I get to a new stream, or one that I haven’t fished in awhile, I turn over some rocks and look through some leaves to see what kind of insects are abundant and then I try to match them to any number of flies that I have in my cases. I hope this shed a little light on the proper selection process for flies and I thank you for taking the time to read it. Tight lines!

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