Fly fishing is one of the oldest methods known of catching fish. It dates back to the days of the ancient Macedonians. Ancient people used flies made out of feathers, furs, and animal hairs to rudimentarily resemble the insects fish eat. Today’s fly fishing flies have come a long way since those days. Flies for fishing are still made out of some natural materials but are also mixed with rubber, Mylar, and other synthetic fibers.
Most fly fisherman will go after trout or salmon. These species are in abundance in Alaska’s waters making it a prime location for fly fishing. However, bass and some other species can also be caught using fly fishing techniques. There are four major types of flies used in fly fishing. They are wet flies, dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. Each is supposed to resemble a different set of insects or fish and requires different fishing techniques for the fish to be fooled into thinking that it would make a good meal.
Wet Flies
Fishing with wet flies is the oldest method of fly fishing. This is the same method that the ancient Macedonians used, albeit with much more rudimentary equipment. Unfortunately, with the growing popularity of nymphs and other flies wet fly fishing is becoming less and less popular.
These flies are fished in the water and are meant to represent swimming insects or sometimes even small fish. The fishing technique with these involves using a sinking line and then retrieving the fly as it sinks to the bottom. Fish think they are drowned insects, aquatic insect, or nymphs. But, they aren’t meant to imitate a specific fish or insect, their movement is only meant to imitate that of an insect in motion. This means that you do not need perfect technique or background knowledge of the insects in an area to correctly present the fly and makes it a great fishing technique for beginners.
Dry Flies
Fly Fishing in the Andes
If you talk to fly fishing purists, they will tell you that fishing with dry flies is the only real type of fly fishing. These flies are meant to resemble a nymph flying above the water or that has just hatched on the surface. They best times for this are on warm summer nights when fish are gorging themselves on real hatchlings. To accurately resemble this, an angler has to cast the fly over the surface of the water.
This method takes a considerable amount of skill. The fly must be made to dance across the surface of the water as the fish are feeding. If the fly moves even slightly against the current, the fish will sense something is wrong and not want to touch the bait. If this weren’t enough, you also need background knowledge of the area and which insects will be hatching or falling into the water. What works as a fly in one area will not work in another because those insect do not live in that lake. This has given rise to many angler tying specific flies for specific lakes and bodies of water.
Nymphs
Nymphs are a type of fly that is used below the surface. They can also be called larvae, but the nymph flies look slightly closer to the flies they hatch into than the larvae do. These flies attempt to imitate young insects that are floating downstream after being dislodged or floating to the surface to hatch. Trout feed on these insect heavily because they are an easy food that takes very little effort to catch.
Streamers
The final type of fly fishing fly is a streamer. These are bigger than all the other classes of flies and are meant to be fished underwater to resemble small baitfish. These flies are longer, larger, and appear much bushier than regular flies. To fish these effectively, anglers will cast them out, allow them to sink near to the bottom of a body of water and then retrieve them.
The skill in fishing these comes in the retrieval. Most bites will come on the retrieval of a streamer because to a trout it will look like a fleeing piece of prey. Bright colors on these flies also help attract the fish. They are a very popular and effective option for fly fishing at night.
Selecting the Right Flies for Salmon
When you are trying to select flies for salmon fishing, the major consideration is the temperature of the water. This will dictate the size, speed, and color of the fly that can be used. Colder water tends to be the best environment for large flies that move slow. As water warms up, salmon will bite more on smaller, faster moving flies. Effective colors also change with the temperature of the water. Yellow is most effective in cold waters, while gold, silver, or simple black flies do the best in warm waters. In between the two temperatures, orange and green are effective.
Water temperature also plays a role in where you cast out your line to catch salmon. In cold waters, salmon do not move as far to strike at prey. This means that you will have to cast your line in within a few feet of a waiting salmon if you want a hope of a bite.
Choosing Flies for Trout Fishing
In selecting the flies you want to use for trout fishing, the species of the trout and the size of fish you can expect to catch play the biggest role in your selection of flies. Bigger flies will do better if the fish where you are fishing are bigger. The area you are fishing also plays a big role as the fly must resemble the natural insects the trout is used to eating. This will be dependant on the season and sometimes the area the lake or river you are fishing is in as well. For example, in forested areas you can fish with flies that resemble drowned ants that regularly fall off the trees into the water. However, if an area is clear of trees, the fish won’t recognize this as bait and it will not be effective.
Caring for Your Fly Fishing Flies
Flies are very delicate and must be treated with the utmost care if you want to extend their life span. Be careful not to crush them to get them tangled with other flies. If you do crush them, one method to have them return to their original shape is to try holding them over stream from a boiling pot of water. If this doesn’t work, you may simply just have to buy a new fly.
When you are through fishing, make sure that all your flies are completely dry. A simple way of doing this is just to find somewhere to hang them so that they will air dry. If you neglect to dry your flies, they can become misshapen or the hooks can even rust. Finally, make sure to store your flies in a fly box when they are not in use. This will ensure they stay where they should, stay in good working order, and don’t get crushed or otherwise misshapen.
Finding the right fly fishing flies can depend on both local knowledge and a finely tuned ability developed over years of fly fishing. This may seem very intimidating to a newcomer, but there really is only one way to develop this knowledge, get out there and try it! The temporary confusion is more than worth the long term ability to go out to a pristine area of Alaska and fish with flies and catch boatloads of trout.
Fly fishing is one of the oldest methods known of catching fish. It dates back to the days of the ancient Macedonians. Ancient people used flies made out of feathers, furs, and animal hairs to rudimentarily resemble the insects fish eat. Today’s fly fishing flies have come a long way since those days. Flies for fishing are still made out of some natural materials but are also mixed with rubber, Mylar, and other synthetic fibers.
Most fly fisherman will go after trout or salmon. These species are in abundance in Alaska’s waters making it a prime location for fly fishing. However, bass and some other species can also be caught using fly fishing techniques. There are four major types of flies used in fly fishing. They are wet flies, dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. Each is supposed to resemble a different set of insects or fish and requires different fishing techniques for the fish to be fooled into thinking that it would make a good meal.
Wet Flies
Fishing with wet flies is the oldest method of fly fishing. This is the same method that the ancient Macedonians used, albeit with much more rudimentary equipment. Unfortunately, with the growing popularity of nymphs and other flies wet fly fishing is becoming less and less popular.
These flies are fished in the water and are meant to represent swimming insects or sometimes even small fish. The fishing technique with these involves using a sinking line and then retrieving the fly as it sinks to the bottom. Fish think they are drowned insects, aquatic insect, or nymphs. But, they aren’t meant to imitate a specific fish or insect, their movement is only meant to imitate that of an insect in motion. This means that you do not need perfect technique or background knowledge of the insects in an area to correctly present the fly and makes it a great fishing technique for beginners.
Dry Flies
If you talk to fly fishing purists, they will tell you that fishing with dry flies is the only real type of fly fishing. These flies are meant to resemble a nymph flying above the water or that has just hatched on the surface. They best times for this are on warm summer nights when fish are gorging themselves on real hatchlings. To accurately resemble this, an angler has to cast the fly over the surface of the water.
This method takes a considerable amount of skill. The fly must be made to dance across the surface of the water as the fish are feeding. If the fly moves even slightly against the current, the fish will sense something is wrong and not want to touch the bait. If this weren’t enough, you also need background knowledge of the area and which insects will be hatching or falling into the water. What works as a fly in one area will not work in another because those insect do not live in that lake. This has given rise to many angler tying specific flies for specific lakes and bodies of water.
Nymphs
Nymphs are a type of fly that is used below the surface. They can also be called larvae, but the nymph flies look slightly closer to the flies they hatch into than the larvae do. These flies attempt to imitate young insects that are floating downstream after being dislodged or floating to the surface to hatch. Trout feed on these insect heavily because they are an easy food that takes very little effort to catch.
Streamers
The final type of fly fishing fly is a streamer. These are bigger than all the other classes of flies and are meant to be fished underwater to resemble small baitfish. These flies are longer, larger, and appear much bushier than regular flies. To fish these effectively, anglers will cast them out, allow them to sink near to the bottom of a body of water and then retrieve them.
The skill in fishing these comes in the retrieval. Most bites will come on the retrieval of a streamer because to a trout it will look like a fleeing piece of prey. Bright colors on these flies also help attract the fish. They are a very popular and effective option for fly fishing at night.
Selecting the Right Flies for Salmon
When you are trying to select flies for salmon fishing, the major consideration is the temperature of the water. This will dictate the size, speed, and color of the fly that can be used. Colder water tends to be the best environment for large flies that move slow. As water warms up, salmon will bite more on smaller, faster moving flies. Effective colors also change with the temperature of the water. Yellow is most effective in cold waters, while gold, silver, or simple black flies do the best in warm waters. In between the two temperatures, orange and green are effective.
Water temperature also plays a role in where you cast out your line to catch salmon. In cold waters, salmon do not move as far to strike at prey. This means that you will have to cast your line in within a few feet of a waiting salmon if you want a hope of a bite.
Choosing Flies for Trout Fishing
In selecting the flies you want to use for trout fishing, the species of the trout and the size of fish you can expect to catch play the biggest role in your selection of flies. Bigger flies will do better if the fish where you are fishing are bigger. The area you are fishing also plays a big role as the fly must resemble the natural insects the trout is used to eating. This will be dependant on the season and sometimes the area the lake or river you are fishing is in as well. For example, in forested areas you can fish with flies that resemble drowned ants that regularly fall off the trees into the water. However, if an area is clear of trees, the fish won’t recognize this as bait and it will not be effective.
Caring for Your Fly Fishing Flies
Flies are very delicate and must be treated with the utmost care if you want to extend their life span. Be careful not to crush them to get them tangled with other flies. If you do crush them, one method to have them return to their original shape is to try holding them over stream from a boiling pot of water. If this doesn’t work, you may simply just have to buy a new fly.
When you are through fishing, make sure that all your flies are completely dry. A simple way of doing this is just to find somewhere to hang them so that they will air dry. If you neglect to dry your flies, they can become misshapen or the hooks can even rust. Finally, make sure to store your flies in a fly box when they are not in use. This will ensure they stay where they should, stay in good working order, and don’t get crushed or otherwise misshapen.
Finding the right fly fishing flies can depend on both local knowledge and a finely tuned ability developed over years of fly fishing. This may seem very intimidating to a newcomer, but there really is only one way to develop this knowledge, get out there and try it! The temporary confusion is more than worth the long term ability to go out to a pristine area of Alaska and fish with flies and catch boatloads of trout.
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