There is probably nothing more complicated in fly fishing equipment than the artificial flies. Flies are the ones used to attract the fish’s attention and play a major role in catching a fish.
Although its purpose may be straightforward, there is nothing straightforward in picking the correct fly for the correct fish.
In the past, picking a fly is easy enough since you will find certain flies for a certain fish.
For instance, a trout fly is to be utilized exclusively on trout and a salmon fly on salmon. But inside the present, you will find more certain flies that cater to the varying diets of a particular fish.
So for instance, a trout does not only have a singular trout fly, but also has flies that imitate frogs, worms, etc.
One more source of confusion, at least for beginners, is that groups of US fly kinds are named differently than their British counterparts.
For instance, what are referred to as dry flies inside the United States are simply referred to as dries inside the UK.
But despite the difference in taxonomy, they normally have the same set of sub-categories. Again using the dry flies as an instance, the sub-category of mayflies could be found in both groups.
Aside from its different kinds , flies also differ in sizes. Normally, a fly’s size ranges from #2 to #22 with the former being the largest.
Not to worry though as the confusion could be resolved by a good advice from reputable and experienced fly fishing equipment vendors. It’s often a good idea to ask them when in doubt of which kind of fly to purchase when one goes fly fishing.
Probably the best way for fly fishing novices and experienced fisherman to improve their technique is through fly fishing books. There is a gigantic selection of books available online which teach great fly fishing technique along with other skills such as those found within fly tying books.