No two species of fish are the same, which is why selecting the right type of fly for fly fishing is essential to coming home with a string of trophy fish rather than a bunch of tall tales. Different flies are designed to mimic different types of food that fish enjoy eating.
Dry Flies
One of the most common types of flies, dry flies are designed to dance and skip on the water's surface, just as a real fly or similar insect does. Fish are attracted to and will frequently come to the water's surface to eat these insects, so dry flies are used to lure fish to the top. Depending on the type of fish you're going after, dry flies may look like different species of insects, such as mayflies, or small dragonflies.
Wet Flies
Wet flies are designed to go below the water's surface in order to mimic species of insects that do the same, such as caddisflies or stoneflies. Wet flies usually hit the water and are made to sink several inches, mimicking an insect that is laying eggs, or even dead and floating at the top of the water. This type of fly makes it a bit more difficult for the angler to see the strike of a fish, requiring a keen sense of the fish biting in order to set the hook.
Nymphs
Bugs in the water at their larvae stage and those that live toward the bottom of rivers and streams are a favorite food of fish like trout and salmon. Nymph flies are made to resemble these larvae, bugs and worms, and have even more sink to them than wet flies. Nymphs require a different technique than top-of-the-water fly fishing, since the nymph must be allowed to sink toward the bottom of the river in order to get the full effect and attract a fish.
Streamers
While most other flies are made to represent insects, most streamers resemble small fish zipping through the water as a fish's next meal. Streamers, as their name implies, are more streamlined and are popular for catching species like pike and striped bass. Streamers can also resemble grubs or worms in the water depending on their design.
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