Copy of `Hooked on Flies - Flyfishing terms`

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Hooked on Flies - Flyfishing terms Category: Hobbies and Crafts > Flyfishing Date & country: 29/01/2014, UK Words: 205

Kevlar
a man made material, ideal for leaders/tippets for fish with sharp teeth, hard to cut.

Keeper
a loop of thin wire built into the shaft of the fly rod (near the grip) the fly can be attached while still connected to the tippet and line. This allows the fly fisher freedom to walk and climb without concern about hooking trees, grass or himself.

Improved clinch knot
an popular knot to tie a monofilament tippet to the eye of a hook. Also called the Trilene knot, after substantial publicity by the folks at Berkely. If the tippet is run through the loop twice it is even stronger.

Hook size
to a degree hooks are standardized based upon the gap (or gape) which is defined as the distance between the hook shank and the hook point.

Imitator
a fly to imitate the real insect Imitative Flies- flies tied to more closely match specific insects (for instance a BWO Comparadun). Imitative flies are most effective in slow-moving, clear water, with finicky trout in fertile streams with large populations of aquatic insects.

Impressionistic Flies
flies tied to loosely suggest a variety of insects or insect families. For instance, a Hare's Ear nymph in sizes 12-16 can be used as both a mayfly and a caddis fly imitation and in larger sizes as a stonefly imitation. Impressionistic flies are usually most effective in medium to fast water, in streams with sparser populations of aquatic insects.

Hook
the object upon which the fly is tied; can be any size from tiny to huge; made from steel wire, and either bronzed, cadmium coated, or stainless. Hook designs are variable; style used depends upon the type of fly being tied.

Hen Hackle
hackle feathers from a hen chicken characterized by soft, wide feathers

Herl Feathers
used for tying with long individual barbules each having short dense fibers. Used as tails and to make fly bodies, usually from Peacock and Ostrich

Hollow Hair
hair from some animals is mostly hollow, thus holding air and making these hairs float. Ideal for tying dry flies and bass bugs. Antelope, deer, and elk all have hollow hair.

Headwaters
upstream section of the river before the main tributaries join it. This section is typically much smaller in width and flow than the main section of the river.

Hare's Ear
nymph in sizes 12-16 can be used as both a mayfly and a caddis fly imitation and in larger sizes as a stonefly imitation. Impressionistic flies are usually most effective in medium to fast water, in streams with lesser populations of aquatic insects

Hatch
a large number of flies of the same species

Haul
a pull on the fly line with the non-casting hand to increase the line speed and get greater distance. This is done effectively during line pickup.

Hair stacker
small tube which is used to level a bunch of hair, usually deer hair.

Hackle pliers
fly-tyer's tool for wrapping the hackle feather around the hook.

Hackle
a feather, usually from the neck area of a chicken, can be any color (dyed or natural). Hackle quality, such as the stiffness of the individual fibers and amount of web, determines the type of fly tied with the hackle. Many hackles are grown specifically for fly tying.

Hackle gauge
a ruler-like device to make sure the length of hackle used is appropriate for the size of hook. Particularly, hackle feather fibers (barbules) on a classic dry fly should be the same length as the hook gap.

Grip
the cork handle of a fly rod, generally made of cork rings shaped in several different ways, including a cigar grip, full-wells grip, half-wells grip, superfine grip.

Gel-spun polyethylene
a synthetic fiber that is extremely thin, supple, slippery, very abrasion resistant, and strong. It is stronger than steel for its size. It is often used as a braided fly line backing where large amounts of backing are needed and space on the reel is limited.

Graphite
the most popular rod-building material in use today; offers the best weight, strength, and flex ratio of any rod building material currently available.

Gaiters
commonly a neoprene anklet or legging put over the top of wading shoes and to keep gravel from getting into the shoe and abrading the stocking foot of the wader. These are also called gravel guards.

Forward Cast
the front portion of the false cast or pick-up and lay-down, and a mirror image of the back cast.

Forward Taper
see weight forward.

Foul hook
to hook a fish anywhere but in the mouth.

Fry
the first stage of a fish after hatching from an egg.

Forceps
hand operated medical instrument widely used in fly-fishing to remove flies from the jaws of a hooked fish. Have plier-like jaws with locking clips so that once they are clamped to the hook, they stay there until you release them.

Fly Tying
the process of building fishing flies using thread and various materials.

Fly Rod
a type of fishing rod especially designed to cast a fly line. Fly rods differ from other types of rods in that the reel attaches at the butt of the rod with the rod handle always above the reel; fly rods usually have more line guides than other types of rods of the same length. Fly rod lengths vary, with common lengths being between 7 and 9 feet.

Fly Line
key ingredient to fly fishing; made of a tapered plastic coating over a braided dacron or nylon core; available in several tapers and in floating, sinking, and sink-tip styles (see double taper, shooting head, weight forward, sink-tip, and floating fly line).

Fly Pattern
recipe used for tying a specific fly.

Fly Reel
fishing reel used in fly fishing to hold the fly line. There are three basic types: single action, multiplier, and automatic. 1.)Single action is the most common and the most popular. Single action means that one turn of the handle equals one turn of the spool. 2.) Multiplying reels use a gear system to increase this ratio (usually, 2-to-1). With a 2-to-1 ratio, each turn of the handle equals 2 revolutions of the spool. 3.) Automatic fly reels are the least practical for most people; they operate by a manually wound spring which is activated by a lever; automatic reels are heavy and tend to malfunction.

Fly
an artificial lure hand tied with different natural and synthetic materials tied on hooks.

Floss
multi-strand silk or synthetic substitute Material for tying flies.

Fluorocarbon
tippet or leader material, correct name for the material is made of PVDF-polyvinylidenfluoride.

Floatant
a water-proofing (usually oily) salve or cream that is used to help flies, leaders and fly lines float.

Floating Fly Line (F)
a fly line where the entire line floats; best all round fly line (see double taper, level, shooting head, weight forward).

Float tube
originally using a tractor or truck inner tube, this is a one-person craft with a seat across the bottom on which the fly fisher sits. Feet are in the water and scuba fins are used to move the tube around. This type of fishing boat is very popular with warm water fly fishers and with individuals who fish high mountain lakes.

Flashback
a nymph pattern that has a flashy material substituted for the wing case, such as reflective mylar. Have a look at out Pheasant tail range.

Ferrule
a collar that is found at the point where sections of a fly rod are joined. The end of one section fits inside the end of another, in an overlapping fashion at the ferrule.

Fingerling
a small, immature fish, such as a juvenile trout.

Fish ladder
a series of interconnected pools created up the side of a river obstruction, such as a weir, to allow salmon and other fish to pass upstream.

Flashabou
commercial name for a colorful synthetic filament material used in fly tying for adding flash to streamers as well as other patterns.

False Cast
standard fly fishing cast; used to lengthen and shorten line, to change direction, and to dry off the fly; frequently overused. In false casting, the line is kept moving backwards and forwards without being allowed to touch the surface of the water or the ground (see casting arc, back cast, and forward cast).

Federation of Fly Fishers
a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching the sport of fly fishing and the improvement of fisheries.

Eddy
a section of water that is less disturbed than the surrounding water, found for example on the edge of a current or where two streams converge.

Elk Hair
hair from elk which is used in many fly patterns to supply body and floatation.

Emerger
pertaining to aquatic insects, the name used to describe that time frame when the nymph reaches the surface and the adult hatches out; the emerging nymph may well be the single most important nymph phase for the fly fishers to imitate.

Duncan's loop
a monofilament knot used most often to tie a tippet to the eye of a hook. Also called a uni-knot.

Dry Fly Floatant
chemical preparation that is applied to a dry fly (before using the fly) to waterproof it; may be a paste, liquid, or aerosol.

Dun
(1) first stage in the adult mayfly's life cycle; usually of short duration (1 to 24 hours); this is the stage most often imitated by the dry fly; (2) a darkish gray-blue color that is very desirable in some fly tying materials.

Dubbing
material used to create a body on the fly.

Dubbing needle
a fine needle used to pick fibers out of the dubbed body. Also referred to by some as a bodkin.

Dropper
a practice of fishing two flies at the same time, often one on the surface and a second underwater. This increases the chances of getting a successful fly in front of a fish.

Dry Fly
any fly fished upon the surface of the water; usually constructed of non-water-absorbent materials; most commonly used to imitate the adult stage of aquatic insects.

Double haul
the term for the cast where the caster quickly pulls and releases the line on both the back cast and the forward cast. It is used to create greater line speed, enabling the caster to reach farther or cut through wind.

Drag
(1) term used to describe an unnatural motion of the fly caused by the effect of the current on line and leader. Drag is usually detrimental, though at times useful (such as imitating the actions of the adult caddis). (2) Resistance applied to the reel spool to prevent it from turning faster than the line leaving the spool (used in playing larger fish).

Dorsal fin
the fin on the back of a fish, sometimes divided into two or three partly or entirely separate sections. Drainage A drainage basin or a drainage system; the process of draining.

Deer Hair
most commonly used of the hollow hairs for fly tying; used for the Humpy and the Muddler Minnow styles of flies.

Delivery
an alternative term to 'covering' the term used to describe the action of casting the fly to a fish or into a promising-looking area of water.

Disk drag
a mechanical system on more expensive fly reels whereby resistance is created to the line as a fish pulls it out. This resistance is intended to slow the fish and tire it. The resistance proper is created by applying pressure between two disks. Different from the click drag, the disk drag is smoother and less likely to create a sudden force that will break the line.

Damselfly
an important stillwater aquatic insect most commonly imitated in the nymphal form; usually hatches in early to mid-summer. Adult looks like a dragonfly, but folds its wings along its back when at rest.

Damping
reducing excess vibrations in the rod blank when unloading the rod during a cast. This causes fewer waves in your fly line resulting in more power & distance for less effort.

Crystal Flash
the trade name for a synthetic stringy material used in many streamer patterns to add flash and color.

Cone Head
same as a bead head but the bead is cone shaped.

Co-Polymers
mixtures of various nylons and plastics along with anti-UV chemicals that have resulted in the exceptionally high breaking strength of modern tippet material. This is certainly one of the biggest advancements in fly fishing in the last 50 years. It allows us to use very fine tippets with breaking strengths two to four times as strong as regular nylon monofilament. Co-polymers are not as abrasion resistant as regular nylon monofilament.

Comparadun
series of no-hackle dry flies developed by Caucci & Nastasi in 1970's using a hair wing tied in a 180

Collar
a ring of feathers or hair placed immediately behind the head of the fly.

Clinch Knot
universally used knot for attaching a hook, lure, swivel, or fly to the leader or line; a slight variation results in the improved clinch knot, which is an even stronger knot for the above uses.

Chenille
a furry rope-like material for making the bodies of artificial flies. The bodies end up looking like a pipe cleaner (with thread in place of the stiff wire). Can be found in many colors and materials, and is a critical component of the Wooly Worm and Wooly Buggers patterns.

Chironomid
scientific name for the members of the Diptera family of insects commonly known as Midges. In the pupae stage they typically appear to be small aquatic worms.

Click drag
a mechanical system on many inexpensive fly reels used to slow down or resist the pulling efforts of a fish, so as to slow the fish down and tire it to the point where it can be landed. Basically a clicking sound is created by a triangular steel ratchet snaps over the teeth of the gear in the reel spool. The term singing reels refers to the high frequency clicking associated with a big fish pulling out line.

Cape
part of a bird skin used for fly tying flies.

Cast
the action of the line as it is pushed by the rod

Casting Arc
the path that the fly rod follows during a complete cast, usually related to the face of a clock.

Catch and release
a practice originating in the late 1930s to conserve fish populations by unhooking and returning a caught fish to the water in which it was caught. This is a highly successful practice in many warm water, cold water and saltwater settings.

Caddis
one of the three most important aquatic insects imitated by fly fishermen; found world wide in all freshwater habitats; adult resembles a moth when in flight; at rest the wings are folded in a tent shape down the back; the most important aquatic state of the caddis is the pupa, which is its emerging stage (also see larva, pupa and emerger).

Butt section
the thicker end of a tapered leader that is tied to the fly line.

Body
the main part of the fly, that covers the shank.

Breaking Strength
amount of effort required to break a single strand of unknotted monofilament or braided line, usually stated in pounds (example: 6 lb. test).

Breakoff
a term of defeat and excitement for a fly angler describing the event of a hooked fish breaking your tippet or leader. Usually a break off results from an unusually strong or big fish, an undersized tippet or leader, or a poorly tied knot.

Bucktail
(1) the hair found on the tail of the Eastern whitetail deer, used in the tying of many types of flies; can be dyed any color, or used natural, (2) a type of minnow simulating fly, usually constructed of bucktail.

Blood Knot
the most widely used knot for tying two pieces of monofilament with similar diameters together; the best knot for construction of a knotted tapered leader; also called the barrel knot.

Blue Dun Hackle
a slate-blue or gray hackle.

Bobbin
a tyer's tool for holding thread.

Bodkin
a bodkin is a tool best described as a needle with a handle. It can be easily made from a piece of wooden dowling and a needle. It is used in fly tying used to deposit cement or lacquer to a fly.

Biot
the short thick barbs from the leading edge of the first flight feather typically from a goose or a duck Used to simulate tails, legs, antennae and other parts

Bi-visible
a fly with both light and dark colored hackles to give good visibility in both light and shaded water.

Blank
fiberglass and graphic fly rods (which also usually contain fiberglass) are produced by wrapping sheets of graphite and fiberglass around a carefully tapered steel rod (called a mandrel). The hollow rod that results from this process is called a blank. It has no guides, ferrules or reel seat.

Bimini Twist
a series of knots and twists in a leader which acts as a springy shock absorber in the line. Used mostly in saltwater fly fishing say for tarpon. It has a loop and a double line section making it especially strong.

Beadhead
usually but not always a fly with a bead immediately behind the hook eye. Beads come in many materials, from brass to nickel brass to ceramic. Some beads help a fly sink, but others are floaters.

Barb
the backward facing projection cut into a hook near the point to reduce the chances of hooked fish escaping.

Barbless
barbless hooks are either manufactured without a barb or the barb is squeezed down. This feature makes it easier to remove a hook and minimizes the handling and potential damage of a fish you may want to release.

Barrel Knot
same as blood knot (see blood knot).

Baetis
widely distributed genus of mayflies typically found in sizes 16 to 22.

Bamboo
oldest rod building material still in use; the classical fly rod material

Arbor
the center part of a fly reel where line and backing (first) is wound.

Arbor knot
a knot used for tying backing to the arbor of the fly reel.

Attractor
a fly pattern tied to stimulate a strike.

Back cast
that portion of any fly cast that extends behind the caster (as in false casting).