Have you ever walked into a fly shop only to find yourself overwhelmed by the huge number of fly options? It’s not uncommon to see hundreds of bins filled with different patterns, colors, and sizes of fly fishing flies.
While there are many options out there, we can break these patterns down into simple categories that make it easier to understand and select which options are best for your needs. Every species, water type, and region will have variations of flies for the specific environment.
There are also plenty of universal fly patterns that cover a wide range of situations and species. With some experimenting, it won’t take long to find your favorites and build a box of highly effective fly fishing flies.
And that’s why I’m here today. I’ll talk you through everything you need to know about selecting the right fly for your chosen target and the conditions of the water. I’ll walk you through the options one by one so that by the time you’re done reading, you’ll be ready to add to your arsenal. Let’s dive in!
Basic Fly Fishing Fly Categories
There are a few fly types that dominate the scene, and it’s important to know them. It’s even more important to correlate those flies with real insects and food sources (more on that later). Understanding these three fly types will help you categorize the mass of options and break them down into a few primary functions.
- Dry flies. These flies cover everything that floats. Many insects hover on the surface of the water and dry flies are used to imitate them. This is a vast category, however, and it also covers terrestrials, mice, frogs, and everything else that floats.
- Nymphs. The majority of an aquatic insect’s life cycle occurs beneath the surface. Pick up rocks and submerged branches and you’ll find them crawling with different bugs. This is true in Trout rivers, Bass ponds, and just about everywhere. Insects and worms are even common in some saltwater fisheries! The number of insect types and flies used to imitate them is immense, while some general pattern types like egg imitations also fall within this category.
- Streamers. Lastly, we have the broad spectrum of bait fish, sculpins, crayfish and anything else that swims. Some might throw topwater mice and poppers into this category as well. Streamers are used for nearly every species with a ton of offerings intended for both saltwater and freshwater. Some are general while others imitate some very specific species.
Understanding Insects and Food Sources
Now that you have an understanding of the major categories, let’s dive into the more specific food sources. Keep in mind that many insects live underwater for a year or more before migrating to the surface where they transform into adults. This means each insect category is likely to have both nymph and dry fly imitations.
Midges
Fly fishing is generally a game of very small patterns of flies. Chironomids are the exception, as they’re quite large in stillwater environments. Adult midges look like mosquitos or gnats that don’t bite. If you’ve spent any amount of time near freshwater, you’ve certainly encountered midges! These insects are larva beneath the surface and long-legged gnats on the surface. They’re prolific and a favorite food source for a variety of fish.
Mayflies
Many varieties of mayflies exist and they look quite elegant as adults with slender bodies and upright wings. These fly fishing flies are a staple food source for Trout and a load of other species. You can find nymph and adult mayfly imitations varying in size and color. The hexagenia mayfly hatch, in particular, is a unique event with very large insects hatching en masse. They’re even visible on weather radar systems at times!
Stoneflies
There are a few notable stoneflies but salmonflies and goldens draw the most attention. Stoneflies require cold, oxygenated water and this makes them a natural fit for Trout habitats. Salmonflies are notably large, orange in color, and they usually hatch in June. Stonefly nymphs offer a large meal, as do the adults. They’re clumsy fliers and big dry fly patterns can produce a lot of action on the right days.
Caddis
Think about the lifecycle of a butterfly or moth and you have a caddis. The major difference is that they’re underwater for most of their life. Caddis larvae come in numerous forms with free-living varieties and case or net builders. They look like caterpillars to a large degree and they build cocoons from woven sticks and tiny rocks glued together. When the pupa emerges from the cocoon, it shoots rather quickly to the surface where it crawls out into the adult winged version.
Damselflies & Dragonflies
In stillwater and slow-moving rivers or sloughs, damselflies and dragonflies are common food sources for fish. Their nymph forms are largely available, as they swim towards the banks in an effort to crawl onto the land. Once they reach land, they split down the back and emerge with wings. The winged adults mate and then lay eggs on the water where they’re available again. In rare instances, especially in Patagonia, Trout will target adult dragonflies, making great leaps from the water to catch them.
Terrestrials
These bugs aren’t aquatic but you can still fish with them. Trout, Bass, Panfish, and other opportunistic will eat terrestrials. Think grasshoppers, ants, cicadas, beetles, and anything else crawling on the banks. If it’s born on land and accidentally falls into the water, it’s a terrestrial insect.
Crayfish
These fish are common and make for a rich food source for Trout, Bass, Pike, and more. You can’t go wrong with a streamer pattern designed to imitate crayfish. Even a basic wooly bugger will get the job done.
Mice & Frogs
Both these species are present in and around water sources, and just about any fish will try to make a meal of one! In Alaska, fly fishing with mouse flies is a daily recurrence. These are also excellent for warm water species, and you can even cross over with them into saltwater fishing.
Bait Fish
In freshwater, many bait fish flies are designed to imitate general minnows and juvenile fish. In saltwater, the variety of bait fish can become very specific. Glass minnows, mullet, ballyhoo, and other baits are tied in specific sizes and colors to imitate what’s present in the water. The fish can become highly focused so the right imitation is an absolute necessity.
Shrimp & Crabs
Another critical food source in both saltwater and freshwater falls within the crustacean category. If you plan on targeting Bonefish or Permit, you’ll need a few great shrimp and crab patterns to hand. Freshwater shrimp (scuds) are common in lakes, too, and there are even freshwater crabs in Patagonia that are a critical food source for Trout.
Saltwater vs Freshwater Fly Patterns
In terms of general patterns, you can easily cross over between saltwater and freshwater flies. In fact, I use some larger saltwater bait fish patterns to target Pike with great success. They have an excellent profile, look alive in the water and are designed with materials that are easy to cast. Some classic patterns like a Clouser minnow or deceiver can also cover a ton of ground in both fresh and saltwater environments.
The big difference between freshwater and saltwater flies lies in the hook style. Saltwater hooks are stainless to prevent corrosion and rusting. Also, very few freshwater insect imitations will cross over into both worlds but there are plenty of streamers that can transition between various fisheries.
Fly Size and Color Matters
Knowing the food source and fly categories will cover a good bit of ground. The last really important step for any fly is choosing the size and color. You want to come close to the natural food sources whenever possible. Every now and again, it helps to go a size larger but you generally want a close match.
For example, a PMD mayfly is yellow and they’re often sized at #14–18. If you carry a yellow parachute-style dry fly in these colors, you can quickly match that hatch. As a bonus, yellow sallies (small stoneflies) often overlap with PMD hatches and your single fly can cover both species!
This same principle applies to streamers and every other fly you’ll choose. I’ve seen Roosterfish in Mexico actually reject patterns that aren’t close to the available food. Always observe the food sources in the moment and try to match them closely.
What is a general attractor fly pattern?
We’ve covered some very specific food sources and you’ll find flies to imitate each of them. That being said, there are also a ton of great attractor patterns. These aren’t designed to imitate anything in particular but they play on the instincts of a fish to strike. A Royal Wulff dry fly is a great example of a general attractor.
A wooly bugger streamer is another that can imitate many things or nothing at all. Regardless, fish like to eat them! When you don’t know what the fish want, go for a general fly and see what happens.
What type of fly fishing flies will you try?
The world of fly fishing flies is immense but you only need a few to get the job done. Learn about your environment to narrow down the list of food sources and find patterns to match them. Discovering, testing, and refining your fly box is an ongoing and never-ending process. I’m sure you’ll find that winning combo pretty soon!
What are your favorite fly fishing flies? Any questions you’d like answered? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
The post Fly Fishing Flies: A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on FishingBooker Blog.
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