Stepping into a fly shop or browsing online fly selections for the first time can feel like entering a new world. Thousands of flies in countless shapes, sizes, and colors can be overwhelming. You might hear terms like "matching the hatch" or anglers discussing patterns with names that sound like a secret code.
But here's the good news: understanding the fundamental types of fly fishing flies isn't as complicated as it seems. Fish aren't fly fishing snobs; they're looking for a convincing meal. This guide will demystify fly selection, helping you understand what each type of fly imitates, when to use it, and how to start building a versatile fly box that catches fish.
Whether you're just starting out with a beginner fly rod outfit or looking to refine your strategy, knowing your flies is key.
Why Understanding Fly Types is Crucial
Fly fishing is all about imitation. The flies we use are designed to mimic the various food sources fish prey on. These can range from aquatic insects in different life stages to baitfish, leeches, and even terrestrial insects like ants and grasshoppers that accidentally fall into the water.
By understanding the main categories of flies, you can:
- Effectively "Match the Hatch": Present a fly that closely resembles what fish are actively feeding on. Learn more about this in our How to Match the Hatch in Fly Fishing guide.
- Adapt to Different Conditions: Choose flies that perform best at various depths and water types.
- Target Specific Species: While many flies are universal, some are particularly effective for species like bull trout or when targeting fish in lakes.
- Fish All Levels of the Water Column: From the surface to the riverbed, there's a fly for every zone.
Let's dive into the primary types of fly fishing flies every angler should know.
The Core Four (and a Half) Types of Fly Fishing Flies
Most fly patterns can be categorized into these main groups, each designed to imitate a specific type of food or a particular stage in an insect's life cycle.
1. Dry Flies: Riding High on the Surface
What they are: Dry flies are designed to float on the water's surface, imitating adult aquatic insects (like mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, midges) or terrestrial insects (ants, beetles, grasshoppers) that have landed on the water.
Key Characteristics: Typically tied with buoyant materials like deer or elk hair, hackle feathers (often from fly tying feathers like Indian Saddle), and lightweight hooks. Many anglers use a floatant to help them stay dry and visible.
How to Fish Them: Generally fished "dead-drift" – meaning they float naturally with the current, without any added movement from the angler. This often involves a careful cast and presentation using appropriate leaders and tippets.
When to Use Them: During an active insect hatch when fish are visibly rising to feed on the surface. Also effective when terrestrials are active, especially on warm, windy days. For a deeper dive, check out What is Dry Fly Fishing?.
Classic Examples:
- Adams Parachute (a great all-around mayfly imitation)
- Elk Hair Caddis (imitates adult caddisflies)
- Chubby Chernobyl (excellent for stoneflies and as a large attractor or hopper pattern)
- Griffith's Gnat (imitates clusters of midges)
2. Nymphs: The Subsurface Workhorses
What they are: Nymphs imitate the immature, underwater stage of aquatic insects. Since trout spend the vast majority of their time feeding subsurface, nymphs are arguably the most consistently productive type of fly.
Key Characteristics: Designed to sink. Often tied with heavier hooks, tungsten beads, or added lead wire to get them down to the fish's feeding zone. They can be realistic or more suggestive.
How to Fish Them: Most commonly fished dead-drift near the river bottom, often under a strike indicator to detect subtle takes. Euro-nymphing techniques with specialized Euro Nymphing rods are also highly effective. Learn more in our guide to Fly Fishing with Nymphs.
When to Use Them: Year-round, but especially effective when there's no visible surface activity. Indispensable for getting deep where fish hold.
Classic Examples:
- Pheasant Tail Nymph (a versatile mayfly nymph imitation)
- Hare's Ear Nymph (a buggy, all-purpose nymph)
- Prince Nymph (an attractor nymph that doesn't imitate one specific thing but fish love it)
- San Juan Worm (imitates aquatic worms, especially effective after rain)
3. Wet Flies: The Traditional Swing
What they are: Wet flies are a traditional category of subsurface flies. They can imitate drowned adult insects, emerging insects struggling in the water column, or even tiny baitfish. They are fished subsurface, typically sinking slower than heavily weighted nymphs.
Key Characteristics: Often have soft, flowing hackles (like soft hackle from hen saddles) that create movement in the current. They may or may not have added weight.
How to Fish Them: Classically fished "on the swing" – cast across the current and allowed to sweep downstream and across, often with a slight imparted action. They can also be drifted or slowly retrieved.
When to Use Them: Effective during hatches when insects are emerging or getting swept under. Also good as searching patterns when fish aren't specifically keyed on one thing.
Classic Examples:
- Soft Hackle Peacock (a buggy, general emerger or drowned insect)
- Leadwing Coachman (a traditional pattern with a dark wing)
- Many older, traditional trout patterns fall into this category.
4. Streamers: Big Bites for Big Fish
What they are: Streamers are larger flies designed to imitate baitfish (minnows, sculpins), leeches, crayfish, or other substantial prey. They are often the go-to choice when targeting larger, predatory fish.
Key Characteristics: Larger in size, often tied with materials like marabou, rabbit fur strips (zonkers), and flashy synthetics like Semperflash to create movement and attract attention. They can be weighted or unweighted, designed to be fished at various depths.
How to Fish Them: Actively retrieved with strips, jerks, or pauses to impart lifelike action. Casting heavier streamers might require a more powerful fly rod (e.g., a 6wt or 7wt) and specialized fly lines like the Orvis PRO Depth Charge.
When to Use Them: When targeting larger fish, in off-color water, or when you want to cover a lot of water searching for aggressive feeders. Great for imitating baitfish movements.
Classic Examples:
- Woolly Bugger (perhaps the most versatile streamer, imitates leeches, baitfish, large nymphs)
- Clouser Minnow (like the Bow River Clouser) (excellent baitfish imitation)
- Galloup's Dungeon (an articulated streamer for big, predatory trout)
- MFC Articulated Sparkle Yummy Sculpin (imitates bottom-dwelling sculpin)
5. Emergers: The In-Between Stage
What they are: Emergers imitate aquatic insects (mayflies, caddisflies, midges) as they transition from their nymphal/pupal stage to winged adults, specifically as they ascend through the water column and struggle to break through the surface film. This is an incredibly vulnerable stage for insects, making emergers highly effective.
Key Characteristics: Designed to be fished in or just below the surface film. Often incorporate materials that suggest a trailing shuck (the shed nymphal skin), partially formed wings, or an air bubble. Examples include the CDC Green Drake Emerger.
How to Fish Them: Fished just under the surface, in the film, or as part of a "dry-dropper" rig (an emerger pattern trailed behind a buoyant dry fly). They can be dead-drifted or given a slight twitch to imitate struggling.
When to Use Them: During a hatch, especially if you see fish rising but they are refusing your dry flies. This often indicates they are feeding on emergers just below the surface.
Classic Examples:
- Klinkhammer (like the CDC Flash Klinkhammer) (hangs vertically in the film, imitating an emerging caddis or mayfly)
- RS2 (Reiser's Sparkle Dun) (a simple, effective mayfly emerger)
- Barr's Emerger
- Church's Emerger Sulphur
Beyond the Core Types: Strategic Fly Categories
While the above are the main physical types, flies can also be categorized by their imitative strategy:
- Impressionistic Flies: These patterns don't mimic one specific insect perfectly but rather suggest a range of food items. They are generalists, like a well-tied Hare's Ear Nymph or a Parachute Adams, which could be mistaken for various mayflies. They are great for searching water or when you're unsure of the exact hatch.
- Imitative Flies: These are designed to be very close copies of a specific insect at a particular life stage, in terms of size, shape, and color (e.g., a size #18 Blue Wing Olive dry fly during a BWO hatch). Essential when fish are being selective.
- Attractor Flies: Bright, flashy, or unusually shaped flies designed to grab a fish's attention and provoke a reaction strike, rather than perfectly imitating a natural food source. Examples include the Psycho Prince Nymph or some brightly colored Chubby Chernobyls. Often effective in faster or slightly off-color water.
- Searching Flies: Similar to impressionistic flies, these are patterns you use when you're unsure what fish are eating and are trying to "search" out active fish. A Woolly Bugger is a classic searching streamer.
Connecting Flies to Food: Basic Fly Fishing Entomology
A basic understanding of the common aquatic insects helps immensely in choosing the right fly type. You don't need to be an entomologist, but recognizing the main groups and their life stages is key. On the Bow River and other Alberta trout streams, common insects include:
- Mayflies: Nymph (underwater) -> Emerger (hatching) -> Dun (adult on surface) -> Spinner (egg-laying adult on surface). Dry flies and nymphs like the Pheasant Tail imitate these.
- Caddisflies: Larva (underwater, some build cases) -> Pupa (ascending to surface) -> Adult (on surface, often skittering). Dry flies like the Elk Hair Caddis and caddis pupa nymphs are key.
- Stoneflies: Nymph (large, crawling underwater) -> Adult (on surface or banks, often large). Large dry flies like the Fluttering Stone Golden and robust nymphs like Pat's Rubber Legs imitate these.
- Midges: Larva (tiny, underwater) -> Pupa (ascending) -> Adult (tiny, on surface, often in clusters). Small nymph patterns and dry flies like the Griffith's Gnat are essential.
- Terrestrials: Insects like ants, beetles, and grasshoppers that live on land but fall into the water. Imitated by terrestrial dry fly patterns like foam ants or Morrish Hoppers.
A Bow River Hatch Chart can be invaluable for knowing what to expect.
How to Choose the Right Fly on the Water
- Observe: Look for insects in the air, on the water, or under rocks. Note their size, shape, and color.
- Watch the Fish: Are fish rising? If so, how? Gentle sips might mean midges or spinners. Splashy rises could be caddis or actively feeding fish. No rises? Fish are likely feeding subsurface.
- Start General, Get Specific: If unsure, start with an impressionistic or searching pattern (e.g., Hare's Ear nymph, Adams dry fly). If you identify a specific hatch or fish are selective, switch to a more imitative pattern.
- Consider Depth: If fish are deep, you'll need weighted nymphs or streamers. If they're in the film, emergers are key. Surface action calls for dry flies.
- Don't Be Afraid to Change: If a fly isn't working after a reasonable time, switch patterns or even types of flies. Sometimes changing size or color is all it takes.
Building Your Essential Fly Box
For a beginner, a good starting point is a selection that covers the main types and common insect life stages. Consider including:
- Dry Flies: Adams (various sizes), Elk Hair Caddis (various sizes/colors), a few terrestrial patterns (ants, beetles, hoppers like the MFC More or Less Hopper).
- Nymphs: Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ears, Prince Nymphs, Copper Johns, San Juan Worms – all in various sizes and some with beads. Jig nymphs like the FM Duracell Jig are great for getting down.
- Streamers: Woolly Buggers (olive, black, brown), a couple of Clouser Minnow variations.
- Emergers: Klinkhammers, RS2s, or soft hackles.
- Keep your flies organized in a good fly box or even a boat box if you have many.
Don't forget essential accessories like tippet, leaders, floatant, and nippers.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the different types of fly fishing flies transforms you from a hopeful caster into a strategic angler. It’s a lifelong learning process, but by grasping these fundamentals, you'll be well-equipped to make informed decisions on the water, leading to more hookups and a deeper appreciation for the art of fly fishing.
Ready to stock your box or learn more on the water?
- Shop our full selection of Fly Fishing Flies.
- Consider a Guided Fly Fishing Trip with River People Guides to get hands-on experience.
- Explore our Fly Tying section if you're interested in creating your own patterns.
Happy fishing!