How To Use Flies For Fly Fishing

Learning how to use flies for fly fishing is first knowing what artificial flies are intended to do. Flies for fly fishing  come in all patterns, colors and sizes and are meant to imitate terrestrial and aquatic insects such as mayflies, caddis, nymphs, leeches and baitfish. The three basic types of flies are dry flies, wet flies, which include nymphs,  and streamers.  Each is intended to represent specific  insects or baitfish and are fished in a specific way. The following guide will explain each type and how to use flies for fly fishing.

1. Use a dry fly when you are trying to imitate the adult mayfly or caddis fly.  Dry flies are meant to float on the water of a stream or lake. When fishing on a stream, dry flies are usually fished upstream with a floating fly line  and the fly is allowed to drift down with the current. Care must be taken not to cause the fly to drag on the water as it floats as this will signal to fish it is not natural.  Some popular dry fly patterns are the Adams, Royal Coachman and Quill Gordon flies in sizes from twelve to sixteen.
2. Tie on a wet fly or nymph pattern when trying to imitate the larval or emerging stage of a mayfly or caddis. Wet flies are usually fished with a sinking fly line that is cast across and downstream, allowing the fly to drift underwater with the current. Popular wet fly patterns are the Light Cahill, March Brown, Royal Coachman and Gray Hackle. Popular nymph patterns are the Hare's Ear,  Pheasant Tail, Sulfur and Green Caddis Emerger. Wet flies and nymphs are usually fished in sizes from twelve to sixteen.
3. Fish with streamers using a sinking fly line when you want to use a fly that represents minnows, bait fish, leeches, and crayfish.  They are meant to sink below the surface of the water and retrieved in short, jerking motions imitating the swimming motion of natural prey.  Popular streamer patterns are the Gray Ghost, Muddler Minnow and Mickey Finn. Streamers are usually fished in sizes from a small ten to a large twenty.

When learning how to use flies for fly fishing, use basic patterns and techniques at first until you have become proficient and have had some success in catching fish. Later, you can expand your inventory of flies and experiment with different patterns. Remember, even the most popular and successful fly patterns may not catch fish every time.