Fly fishing consists of using a specialized rod and reel to cast a bait--commonly referred to as a fly--to a desired location to attract a nearby fish. Proper bait selection and presentation are essential for successful fly fishing. Bait comes in two basic forms: surface and sub-surface. Surface bait is designed to stay on top of the water while sub-surface bait will provide a bait presentation under the surface of the water.
Wet Flies
Wet flies date back to the 16th century, according to the Fly Fishing 101 website, and are one of the most common bait types for fly fishing. Designed to represent real insects, wet flies are sub-surface baits that can be fished one to two feet below the water's surface. Some of the most popular wet flies include brown hackle peacock, gray hackle yellow, brown woolly worm, hare's ear and black ant. Choose one of the wet flies between the sizes of 8 and 16 to match the fishing conditions. Other wet flies can represent leeches or small crayfish.
Dry Flies
Unlike wet flies, dry flies are designed as surface baits and will float on top of the water. When the dry flies hit the water, the animal hairs on the fly resemble insects such as mosquitoes, gnats and flies. Using dry flies requires precision casting but can be effective when fish are feeding on the top surface. The most common dry flies include wooly booger, Adams, light cahill, dark cahill and the caddis. You can dip the dry flies to remove moisture and then apply fly float to help the dry fly stay on the water's surface.
Nymphs
According to the Fly Fishing Gear website, nymph fly fishing can be one of the most challenging and most effective fly fishing techniques. Nymphs resemble sub-surface insects and larvae from grasshoppers and may flies. For beginning anglers, it can be challenging to keep the nymph at the proper depth to prevent bumping rocks and becoming snagged. To use nymphs, cast the bait across the stream and let the nymph float downstream while you keep the line tight. When the nymph reaches a point where it's directly downstream, slowly raise the tip of the fly rod to bring the nymph upstream and prepare for a strike.
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