FLY FISHING IS ABOUT THE FLIES!

July 12, 2010

Everyone is always interest in hot new flies. Sometimes the names don’t indicated at all what the fly represents if anything.

Names like The Double Bunny, Convertible, High Rider, Camp Dog and Greeno may be very successful flies - but the names aren’t much help to the beginning, intermediate or advanced fly angler either. The only rule seems to be if they float or sink or have enough flash which might attract fish.

It really is helpful to know the insects which fish eat and it is easy. Really.

The star of the insect world is the mayflies that have wings up and they float along like little sailboats.

 

One of the most numerous insects across the country is a caddis. The tent-shaped wings give them away.

Stoneflies are the superstars, and they include bugs you’ve probably heard about, Salmon Flies and Golden Stones. In nature they appear with wings folded flat on their back.

These are the three major aquatic trout foods. You can recognize these. Take the time to get to know them. Knowing them and being able to match them with flies in your fly box with improve your catching. Almost like magic. If you can find an old copy of Matching the Hatch by the late Ernie Schwiebert buy it (paperbacks are available) promise yourself you will read just a few pages at a time so you can soak it up. It will make sense to you.

The largest number of insects however falls under True Flies, which range in size from very tiny to housefly size. All have two wings and most are too small for most folks to mess with. They are commonly called Midges and are Diptera/True flies and if you are around water anywhere you have seen them.

Are there other things which fish eat? Sure, including ants, grasshoppers, damsel flies - and those things are insects you can recognize. The ones underwater you don’t see - scuds.

It doesn’t matter if you fish for trout - or bluegills. There are an infinite number of insects in the world. Trout eat them. All fish eat them.

Want to improve your catching? Learn what they eat. And then?

Match the flies to what the fish eat.

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