Understanding Different Types of Flies

The most important thing about fly fishing is knowing what bugs are landing on a water at a particular time. Matching the hatch is the base of fly fishing: if you cannot correctly match the hatch, then you will find little luck. Different bugs emerge at various times, depending on weather conditions and the time of year. There are two main stages of a bug's life: however, a nymph and dry fly stage. A nymph imitates the larva stage of a fly. This is before the bug hatches and begins to float on the water. It is a good idea, often to fish nymphs during warmer times, as fish will be more lethargic and less likely to eat on the top water where dry flies are present. Dry fly fishing on the other hand, is far more popular than nymphing as the strikes (eats) are far cooler due to the nature of being able to see the fish eat. There are four main dry fly patterns: the mayfly, caddis, stonefly, and terrestrial. Mayflies are often represented by popular patterns such as the Adams fly, as seen below.

Caddis flies are one of the more popular patterns and is most famously represented by the elk hair caddis. It is named this because the artificial fly is made out of elk hair. The elk hair caddis can be very productive when a caddis hatch is occurring.

Stoneflies can also be a very popular pattern of fly. However, these flies are much more situational and are not nearly as diverse. A popular pattern of this fly is the Stimulator.

Lastly terrestials. Terrestrials portray different insects found on land, such as grasshoppers, ants, and beetles. These bugs often find their way onto the water due to the wind. So, during a hot, windy day, it is wise to use one of these flies.