Fly fishing is an old pastime that comes from the art of fishing itself. Lightweight lures that imitate flies encourage fish to come to or near the surface of water and take a good bite of the bait. Fishing flies themselves have a long history and can be as diverse as the fish they are meant to catch.

Fishing flies have been dated throughout history and are written about as early as 200 A. D. In the fifteenth century, they made a brief appearance in one of the first books to talk about fishing as a sport. Along with instructions on how to make a rod, set a line and bait a hook, there were also chapters written about how to make a fly and when to use a certain type of fly throughout the different seasons of the year.

Fishing flies used to be made from real flies but that was in an age when people could afford to chase down Mayflies and other large bugs. Now, they are typically artificial in design and make. The materials used to make fishing flies include feathers and bits of fur. All flies are considered artificial nowadays.

Fishing with fishing flies requires knowing where a person will be fishing, what sort of fishing they want to do and for what sort of fish. Different fish have different habits. Some do not eat from the surface of the water they live in, while other fish types will leap right out of the water and into the air to catch the right bait. Some fish wait hungrily beneath the overhang of trees for bugs and worms to fall down to the water. Other fish actually eat berries or vegetation.

Because there are so many different types of prey that a fish can eat, it’s important to know what the fishing fly should be imitating. Does it need to look like a small crab or a shrimp? Or does it need to look like the larval stage of a fly? ‘Nymphing’ is the practice of using larvae imitation fishing flies to fish. ‘Emergers’ are another type of lure that imitate flies, but mimic the larval-to-adult stage and rest on the surface of the water, like a fly about to emerge from its larval husk for the first time.

Choosing fishing flies depends on where a person is going to fish, and what sort of fish can be expected there. For example, river fish might have a different set of prey or food needs than lake fish. Many fish spawn in rivers and choose the river to die in after spawning. Thus, some flies are called ‘flesh’ flies, as they imitate the rotting flesh of salmon that other fish feed on, for example. Some flies are going to imitate spawn or eggs themselves, which are a food source for some varieties of fish. In some parts of Europe this practice is frowned upon and called unsportsmanlike.

Dry fishing flies are meant to land on the surface of the water. The materials they are made from keep them buoyant and dry looking. A fisherman with a good amount of skill will be able to tap the water in one place many times with such a fly, convincing fish to lay in wait and then strike. Heavier fishing flies are meant to sink beneath the surface and look like worms, bugs or even berries that have been blown by the wind or knocked loose from a tree. These are imitation style flies. Many fishermen will say that it’s not imitation that works but colour, so their flies will have various patterns and styles of colour to them, rather than looking like something real.

People always say in various conversations that there are many fish in the sea. As many fish as there are in the world, there are also fishing flies to match. Creating fishing flies takes as much skill as fishing itself, which is not the passive hobby people think it might be. Sure, it’s nice to see fishermen at peace in their element, but always consider that the successful fisherman has a great degree of skill. Study his lures and it becomes very clear, especially if one looks at his flies.

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