:twisted: OK Maybe its the Snow this week got the “Spring Fever” thing going or I just want to “Raise” a Ruckus… When does the Fly turn into a “Lure”?(or Crankbait) Is it just because we use a Fly Rod that takes it out of the Lure Catagory?
Bill
All flies are ‘lures’, but many lures are not flies.
Other than that, it’s way to subjective a definition.
Good Luck!
Buddy
Flies officially become lures under five conditions:
-
More than four pairs of treble hooks.
-
Their weight makes them impossible to cast even with a #12 weight rod and matching Clouser line
-
They cause invading BASS anglers to back off their boats when you fling one in their direction.
-
Every fish in a two mile radius flees when the fly/lure hits the water
-
When every single member of FAOL agrees that it’s a lure
Hope this helps clarify the distinction. 8T 
A fly becomes a lure when it can be tied to conventional or spinning or baitcasting tackle and the fly casts the line.
I draw the line at propellers or lips.
What about a wolly bugger with a propeller???
What about the old fly rod lures??? They were to light to be cast from a spinning rod.
Weight can not be the guideline because you can always water load a real heavy fly.
I think we have blurred the line too much. We may want to change our out look to what type of rod we use to fish them.
As long as there is no bait I do not care much.
Joe Fox
The weight thing is too simple.
Take the time one of these days and see just how far you can cast some of our ‘weighted’ flies.
Traditional weighted Clousers can easily be cast ‘fishing distances’, with a light spinning rod. Some of those that are really ‘heavy’ I can cast with baitcasting tackle.
Many stomefly nymphs are also easily cast far enough to catch fish with spinning gear.
I can cast a #8 tungsten bead head wolly bugger over 30 feet with an ultra light spinning rod.
Two weighted nymphs with a couple of small ‘fly fishing’ size split shot and an indicator are easily castable with spinning gear (many every day ‘bait chuckers’ fish lighter rigs for bluegills).
With an ultra light spinning rod I can cast a #16 weighted GRHE far enough to catch fish in a small stream.
All flies are lures, not all lures are flies. The difference is ONLY in the mind of the individual fisherman.
Good Luck!
Buddy
Hi,
And here I was thinking it would be a debate on hook size! In New Zealand lure, with respect to flies, is used instead of the term “streamer”.
- Jeff
Bill;
Well, my good friend, you always manage to “Stir the Pot”!! Today it was olive flymph’s and reverse spiders that lured the trout to the hook!! I took 5 and Warren took 7 on the Duck River just below the dam. You and Jean come on down and I’ll show you how to do it!
Hello,
To illustrate the question, these flies made of rubber latex sheet and hand painted to look like minnows, no weight, are they flies or lures??
I fish them with a sinking line and at time are pretty effectives.
Thanks for your comments.
pechetruite,
They are on par with my 5yr old daughter’s drawing ability.
Hello,
sure, poor drawing but good fish catching!
pechetruite,
Izaak Walton, a guy who’s name comes up now and then in regards to fly fishing, used to use a similar pattern made with silk cloth.
So, there is no doubting its historical lineage nor effectiveness and the only comment I can make is that your artistic skills could benefit from some improvement 
Now, with my daughter, I would have said “Good girl! That’s a pretty fishie” but I have higher standards for FAOL members.
fishyfranky_redux,
Thanks for the info about Isaac Walton using similar flies, do you have any reference about it?
A lot of my skills need improvements: flytying, flycasting, flyfishing and just added flies (or lure) painting. From now on I’ll ask my 4 years grandson to do it. :lol:
pechetruite,
Here is a link to Chapter 5 of The Compleat Angler:http://anglicanhistory.org/walton/angler/chapter5.html
Search/find for “silk”. I think Izaak had more than fly tying in mind:
“…and it was made by a handsome Woman that had a fine hand, and a live Minnow lying by her…”
Here is a good case in point. This bug is bigger than an F-2 Flatfish which is commonly considered a fly rod lure in spite of its tiny size about 1 inch. For comparison here is the 1" F-2 next to a U-20:
The Wiggle Bug is built around a slice of foam shaped like the Flatfish. But it is tied on the hook along with some state of the art fly materials. I bet I could use the Wiggle Bug in “Flys Only” water while the F-2 is a No-No even with its single hook. IMHO the tying puts the bug into the fly category.
I just tied some EVA divers with Flashabou tails and no other materials besides nylon thread and Hard as Nails. Flies?
I have a book by Carl Richards, ‘PREY’, printed in 1995, where he explains in detail how to make ‘realisitic’ baitfish and crustaceon imitating flies using such things as liquid latex, ‘sharpie’ marking pens, and acrylic paint.
You get a picture orphotograph and ‘size’ it to the size of your fly, then use it as a template under a sheet of glass to duplicate it. Combined with some 'traditional materials for the heads these make great looking and natural moving/feeling tails claws, carapaces, and legs.
Awesome idea. He was a serious ‘match the forage’ for saltwater game fish, and found the use of such materials important in designing flies that would work to imitate ANY forage fish or crab/shrimp species. The book is full of both these types of ties, plus a lot of more traditional style flies (where he believed they did a good job of matching the natural).
He considered these all flies.
Buddy
Missouri Trout Parks have a fly only section and posts a fly as one tied on a hook with artificial material such as thread,feathers,foam etc. It includes spinners as long as it has the hackle and thread. BILL
IMHO it only matters if you are fishing in a state regulated fly only section of water. Then you have to go by the regulations.
Otherwise, if I can throw it with my fly rods and can “tie” the fly, then I’ll fish it. Tying may be a stretch as some flys like the gummy minnow are not tied but “made”. I am OK with that also, but I dont have any gummy minnows . . . I prefer deceivers and clousers. . . . . . To each their own!
wayne