One of the greatest joy in fly fishing is tying a fly that works. Well, the flies that work need not necessarily look good or real to the human eyes. Most importantly, they must look like a real yummy treat to the fish; afterall, the fish are what you are trying to attract. Some of the most popular flies in the world, especially saltwater flies, does not resemble anything like a baitfish. However they work really well. The clouser, crazy charlies etc… are some examples. They don’t even look good to the human eyes.

Recently I came across some flies designed to catch the “human eye” more so than fish. They are so intricately designed and painted they almost look good enough to eat. Do they catch fish. Oh yes, they do, and they do a good job of it as well. But they are so beautiful, you would not want one of these flies to be roughed up by a toothy creature. Yes, they are that beautiful! Some of these even have jointed bodies (like lures) and some have lips to make them wobble when “retrieved” (stripped is the right word to use for fly fishing as you practically strip the line with your bare hands!)

Salmon flies are some of the most colorful around. Gurglers, poppers, wobblers can be very attractive. Dalberg divers and crab patterns are some of the most beautiful and difficult to tie. The recent trend in fly tying is to create flies that, to the untrained eye, resemble lures, yet meet the definition of a fly.

What then defines a fly? Here are some characteristics of what defines a fly as compared to a lure!

1. Must be tied with natural or synthetic fly tying materials

2. Must be “tie-able” (if there is such a word) at your home typing bench

3. Must be so light that it cannot be used with a conventional spinning or baitcasting rod without the use of additional weight

4. Must be castable with a standard fly rod of a weight it is designed for. I mean, we don’t expect a trout outfit (5 or 6wt) to cast a fly designed for a sailfish (12 to 14wt)!

OK, the purist in you may argue some of these points, especially trout anglers. But when it comes to fly fishing, we need to get really creative with the materials that we have. Today, we have more synthetic materials than we had in the past and the possibility to create anything is left to the imagination!

This short article serves to share with you some of these beautiful flies and to give you an idea what some creativity can do for fly fishing. Some may choose to argue that these are not “flies” or do not fall into the purist definition of a “fly” for fly fishing. Fly Fishing is a “simple” sport and when kept simple, it is most enjoyable. They joy of tying a good fly and especially of catching that lunker with a fly tied by your own hands is difficult to describe in words. For me, as long as it meets the few definitions above, it’s a fly, especially if it catches fish!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites