Like in any other sports, fly fishing has its own set of terms and jargon to talk about everything related to this activity.
While it makes communicating with other fly fishing enthusiasts easier, it can be confusing to the average person, much less to those who are just starting out with fly fishing.
To help out beginners, below are some fly fishing terms which will let newbies get the hang of them and let them understand what other more-experienced fly fishers are talking about.
Back-cast - is the act of casting the line by first throwing it backwards, letting it unfurl, then casting it forward.
Buzzer - a term that refers to flies or any other insect that flies over the water.
Cover - the act of casting a fly to an area with a good number of fish.
Fly - an artificial lure which attracts fish by imitating a natural lure or by getting its attention with the lure’s bright colors.
Fly Line - the line usually made of synthetic material to which the hook is attached.
Fly Reel - the object which holds the line. It comes in several types depending on several factors which include the materials used and function.
Fly Rod - the rod used specifically for fly fishing. It is usually made of bamboo, fiberglass and graphite.
Jig - a small and metal-headed artificial lure which usually has feathers on it.
What is listed above is only the most common terms used in fly fishing. However, they are enough to let beginners get by in conversations about the activity.
There are others more out there that beginners can pick up as one gains experience in this angling method.
In the world of fly fishing there are many words that are important to know. Many of these words are unusual or have a different meaning when used in reference to fly fishing. The following list includes some of the more unusual and double meaning words used by fly fishermen.
Action: a general term often used to try to describe the feel of the rod - such as sft, hard, slow, or fast
Attractor: usually a bright colored fly that is not usually tied so that it imitates a particular type of food
Belly: the sagging portion of a fly fishing line
Blank: a rod without a handle, reel seat, or guides
Blood Knot: the common name for a barrel knot
Chalk Stream: a stream, usually found in valleys, that is spring fed and slow moving with a lot of vegetation
Complex Hatch: the simultaneous hatching of several types of species of insects
Compound Hatch: the masking, or hiding, of a hatch of smaller insects by a hatch of larger insects that occurs on the same day
Cutthroat Trout: a true trout that is found mostly in the western part of the United States
Dapping: a fly fishing technique in which the fly is repeatedly bounced on and off of the surface of the water
Down Eye Hook: a hook that has the eye bent below the shaft
Dropper: the secondary fly that is attached to the leader in a cast of flies
Emerger: a term that is used to describe any insect that moves up towards the water's surface preparing to hatch into the adult stage
Feeding Lie: where a trout goes in order to actively feed
Flat-butt Leader: a fly used in fly fishing where the butt section is formed into a ribbon shape
Freestone Streams: fast moving, tumbling streams with rock covered bottoms
French Snap: a small clamp, often used by a fly fisherman to attach his net to his vest
Holding Lie: where a trout generally remains when not actively feeding
Leisenring Lift: a technique used in nymph fly fishing where the line is lifted, causing the imitation fly to move upwards, right in front of the trout's suspected lie
Midge Rod: a short, light weight rod
Natural - a living insect, as opposed to an artificial, or man-made, insect or fly
Nymphing: any oaf the various fishing techniques in which the fly fisherman presents an imitation of the underwater stage of an insect
Presentation: the method of placing a fly where the fish is most likely to see it; includes the manner in which the cast in completed and the method in which the fly is fished
Rise: the act of the fish taking an insect from the water's surface
Run: a term used to describe a particular stretch of moving water
Shooting: a casting technique
Spate: high water
Stripping: quickly retrieving line or pulling line from the reel
Terrestrial: of or relating to an insect whose life cycle is completely spent on land or in plants
Waders staff: a sturdy rod about as high as the armpit of the person fly fishing used for support in heavy water
There are many words and terms that are unfamiliar to most people but not to those who enjoy fly fishing.
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