Fly Tying is the art and science of creating flies, or fly lures, used in fly fishing. There are many types of patterns, some imitate aquatic insects while others are not meant to represent any particular creature. However, each may be used to catch a wide variety of fish.

With feathers, fur, hooks, and thread many tiers create very realistic imitations of aquatic insects. There are many different parts of fly tying that make it a very challenging and rewarding hobby. To create flies a tyer needs to be familiar with tools, materials, and the numerous creatures that inhabit the stream.

Equipment

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Tools

Because flies are typically very small certain tools are needed for such intricate work. According to Skip Morris there are several tools essential in creation of flies. He lists essential tools as being: a vice, bobbins, hackle pliers, hackle gauges, lights, hair stackers, and scissors. Other optional tools are pliers, toothpicks, bodkins, dubbing twisters, blenders, floss bobbins, whip finishers, wing burners, and bobbin threaders. By using these tools tiers can create flies smaller than size of an average human finger nail.

Materials

In fly tying materials can be almost anything. According to Skip Morris a material is basically anything that is placed on a fly. There are no limitations to the materials that a tier can use. Many tiers use whatever they find necessesary to complete a fly. A few more common materials are feathers, fur, threads, wire, yarns, chenille, flosses, tinsels, and a wide variety of synthetic materials.

Hooks

The hook determines the basic size and shape of each fly. Hooks come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and weights, the hook must be selected to compliment the pattern being tied. Additionally, if the fly will be used in salt water a corrosion resistant material should be selected to prevent it rusting prematurely.

Flies

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Since the existence of fly tying many different patterns have been created. The Professional Fly Tying manual classifies flies into five main groups. Flies are usually classified as being wet, dry, streamer, or nymph.

Dry Flies

Dry flies float on the surface film of the water. They can imitate aquatic insects that have just emerged, insects that dapping on the surface of the water and depositing eggs, or those that have expired and fallen back into the water. In addition to these, dry flies can immmitate terrestrial insects, such as grasshoppers, beetles, spidere, etc, which have fallen onto the surface of the water.

Emergers

The term Emerger refers to a fly that immitates an aquatic insect as it is breaking though the surface film and emerging from its nymphal shuck. They typically have small vertical wings, with a tail that trails down into the water.

Nymphs

The term nymph applies a fly that immitates the immature form of an aquatic insects, such as mayflies, damsel flies and dragon flies. Nymphs comprise the a major part of the diet of trout and salmon, and are a must have in any flyfishers collection. These flies can be tied in a wide range of weights, ranging from unweighted ones which sit just under, or in, the surface film, to those weighted with tungsten, enabling them to reach the bottom in fast flowing streams.

Wet Flies

Wet flies are flies that sink below the surface. They usually imitate the nymphal form of mobile aquatic insects, as well as small bait fish and tadpoles. Wet flies come in a vast array of shapes and sizes, ranging from small north country spiders, to larger patterns which verge on being Streamers.

Streamers

A streamer fly is a fly that is typically longer than the others. It can represent various creatures, however the majority are tied to represent bait fish. Consequently, they tend to be fished in a more active fashion. Some are very beautiful such as salmon or steelhead streamers and many of these are never fished and are considered art.

Others

There are many other types of flies which can be used, limited only by the imagination and skill of the individual tier. Bass Bugs and poppers are surface lures, often made of cork, foam or deer hair. They are designed to imitate frogs, mice, or injured baitfish. Salt water "flies" are often created to imitate a crab or yabby

Common Patterns

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There are many fly patterns in the world but some of the more classic and common patterns are listed below.

Dry Flies

Humpy

Royal Wulff

Adams

Hendrickson

Royal Coachman

Blue Dun

Cahill

Stimulator

Black Spinner

Emergers

Klinkhammer

DHE

Shaving Brush

Nymphs

Hare and Copper

Pheasant Tail Nymph

Montana Nymph

Flash Back Nymph

Wets

March Brown

Muddler Minnow

Woolly Bugger

Woolly Worm

Mrs Simpson

Streamers

Matuka

Zonker

Lefty's Deceiver

Others

Gurgler

Slider

Crazy Charlie

Bass Bug

Merkin Crab

Deer Hair Mouse

Sources

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Morris, Skip.Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple. Portland, OR: Frank Amato Publications. 1992

Spittler, Marvin Peter, ed. Professional Fly Tying Manual. Waseca, Minn: Brown Publishing Company. 1941

Bates, Joseph D., Streamer Fly Tying & Fishing. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books. 1966