Fishing Flies Are Alluring, Cunning And Individually Chosen

The art of fishing as a sport or a pastime or hobby is very old. So too is the art of fly fishing, where a lightweight lure was used as a replica of a fly and touched on or near the surface water to tempt fish into biting. Fishing flies are an art unto themselves, and come in as many varieties as there are fish.

As far back as 200 A. D., fly fishing was recorded as a sport among men. In one of the first books about fishing, written in the fifteen hundreds, there were instructions on how to make fishing flies. Along with how to make a rod were useful tips on when to use a certain type of fly, depending on the season or the time of year.

Fishing flies used to be called artificial flies. Of course, now they are more commonly just called flies. This is because real flies are rarely used and the 'flies' used in fly fishing are always artificial in make. Once upon a time bugs such as Mayflies were used to bait fish. Now, craft supplies including feathers and fur can be used in different degrees and methods to 'tie' a fishing fly.

Before choosing a fishing fly, it's important to know where one is going to be fishing, and what the target type of fish is. Fish eat in different ways and eat different types of prey or food. Some fish don't eat bugs at all but choose vegetation as their diet. Knowing if the fish in question is a jumper that will leap out of the water to get a fly or is a lurker waiting beneath overhanging trees makes all the difference when choosing the right fishing flies.

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.

River fish have different feeding habits and prey styles than lake or ocean fish. In a river, there might still be crustaceans and crabs and the like. However, river fish also enjoy the monopoly presented by spawning fish. A large majority of fish return to the rivers they were born in to mate and lay their spawn. So, many fish consider eggs a part of their diet. In Europe, using fishing flies that look like eggs is frowned up and considered unsportsmanlike. Some fishing flies will imitate the rotting flesh of dead fish instead, since so many species perish after they have lain their eggs.

Dry fishing flies stay on top of water and are made from lighter weight materials than those intended to sink. Fishermen using dry flies will tap the same area with the lure several times. Fish watching from beneath will think that a fly is laying eggs or larvae and will eventually strike at the lure. Other heavier flies imitate worms, berries or other bugs that fall or are blown into the water by the wind. Many fishing enthusiasts say it is not about imitation when it comes to flies but about colour and pattern. Fish will strike at things that are colourful and certain fish can apparently be lured into biting by distinct displays of strikes and colour.

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.