Terms used in fly fishing &
tying
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I am
sure I missed a few so let me know Some of these will seem pretty obvious but I assume
nothing and have come up with as many as I can. I you think I have missed one
or question the meaning(s) I have given send me an email please. _____________________________ Action: An elusive, but important characteristic of fly
rods. Rods are said to have fast or slow action. Fast action rods are
generally stiffer overall, but bend more at the tip, generating higher line
speeds longer casts, especially into the wind. Slow action rods appear to
flex their entire length, giving the sense of a more compliant feel. Albright knot: A common knot used for tying the backing
to fly line. Anadromous: A term to
describe fish that travel from the sea upriver to spawn in fresh water like
salmon. Fish that migrate from freshwater to the sea for spawning are catadromous. Angler: One who seeks to catch fish with a hook (an
"angle"), usually fixed to the end of a line. Anti-Reverse: A feature of fly reels where the spool
handle does not turn as line is pulled out from the reel. Attractor: A style or variety of fly that is effective in
eliciting strikes, but has few apparent characteristics of a natural food
item. Often an attractor is flashy and bigger than life. 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. Back cast: The casting of line in a direction opposite to the
direction the fly is intended to go. The backward counterpart of the forward
cast which acts to create a bending action on the fly rod, setting up the
conditions to generate the forward cast and present the fly. Backing: The first segment of line on a reel usually braided
and used to build up the arbor and to offer additional distance for a strong
fish to pull out line. An unusually strong fish will take you "into your
backing". Badger: A feather of a specially bred or chosen chicken that
has colors which change from brown--black to black at the center of the quill
to ginger or white on the outer edges. 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. All hooks used for fishing in Barrel knot: See blood knot (2 bloods tied to each
other) 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. Belly: A tapered fly line has several components, with a
fairly sharply tapered tip (at the fly end). The middle portion of the line
is called the belly. Belly boat: 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. Also called a belly boat. See
kick boat. Bimini Twist: A knot used in saltwater or
pike fly fishing. It has a loop and a double line section making it
especially strong. Blank: Fiber glass and graphic fly rods (which also have
fiber glass) are produced by wrapping sheets of graphite and fiber glass
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. Blood knot: (aka clinch knot) A best
known for its strength in tying monofilaments of different diameter and
material together. It is rather difficult to tie on the water and
commercially-made blood knot tyers are available to
make the job easier. A blood knot is often used to make a fly leader of
several different diameter monofilament segments. Also known as a half barrel
knot. Bobbin: A fly tying tool and term borrowed from
seamstresses. A bobbin holds the tying 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 doweling and a needle.
It is used in fly tying used to deposit cement or lacquer to a fly. Braided loop connector: A way of putting an in-line loop at the
end of your fly line so as to use the loop on the leader to do a loop-to-loop
connection between the leader and the fly line. The braided loop connector
works like the so-called Chinese finger trap. Break off: 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. Bucktail: A streamer fly tied to imitate a fish. This fly
usually features a long segment of hair, laid back from the eye to the bend
of the hook. That hair often is from a deer's tail. Butt section: The thicker end of a tapered leader that
is tied to the fly line. Caddis: A common aquatic insect found in many streams and
rivers. They are a favorite food of trout and other fish. They have a number
of distinct stages, including an underwater pupa and an above the water
surface adult. Caddis have tent shaped wings and are known in both lakes and
rivers to fly down upon he water to deposit their eggs. 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. Caudal fin: Caudal is an anatomical term meaning "the
back". The caudal fin is the tail fin or tail of a fish. Char: A species of fish that is related to trout that prefers cold
water and is found many places in the world. Examples of char are brook
trout, lake trout, arctic char and Dolly Varden. 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. Clinch knot: A very popular knot for tying the tippet
to the fly. It has the advantage of being very easy to tie and not using much
line. See improved clinch. Collar: A ring of feathers or hair placed immediately behind
the head of the fly. Curve cast: A casting technique that allows an angler to cast a
fly around an obstacle. It is also used to minimize the influence of water
current or wind on the fly or the fly line. Dapping: A relatively ancient technique of; presenting a fly
on the surface of the water and where the fly is connected to a short piece
of line on a long rod. The fly is then touched on the surface of the water,
immediately over a place where a fish might lie. Dead drift: A term applied to the way that artificial flies must
drift with the current to appear natural. This requires that the fly line,
leader and tippet move with the fly and cause unnatural drag or a
"v" that will result in most fish refusing the fly. 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 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. Double taper: DT or double taper refers to a fly line
that is reduced in diameter on both ends. When one end of a DT fly line wears
out, you can take it off the reel, turn it around and use the other end. Drag: This term has two meanings in fly fishing: (1) An unnatural
pulling of a floating or submerged fly such that it moves at a different rate
than the current, often (at least on the surface) creating a "V" in
the water-fish are commonly put off by drag. (2) A mechanical system that is
part of a fly reel to resist and slow the speed at which line is pulled off
the reel by a hooked fish 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: A fly constructed of water resistant, lightweight
and buoyant materials so as to imitate a insect that
alights or floats on the surface of the water. Dubbing: Fly tying material, (usually strands or fibrous,
including fur, yarn, wool, or synthetic fibers) that are wrapped onto a
thread (commonly using wax) and wrapped around the shank of the hook to
imitate the abdomen and/or thorax of an artificial fly. Dun: This word has two related uses in fly fishing: (1) a grayish
or grayish blue (dull) color often seen in the wings of mayfly adults, (2) an
aquatic insect in a life stage just as it has emerged from the water and can
fly. Emerger: A term for an aquatic insect at the stage when it
swims to the surface or just below the surface to hatch or change from a
nymph or pupa to a winged adult. False cast: Casting the fly line forward and back in the air as
a means to lengthen the amount of line that extends out from the rod, to dry
the fly or to modify the path of the line. In a false cast, the fly is not
allowed to drop onto the water until you are ready to fish it. 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. Flat: An expansive area of water with a relatively unchanging
(flat) depth, often over a sand or grass bottom. A common
water topography for certain species of fish, like bonefish. Floatant: A water-proofing (usually oily) salve or cream that
is used to help flies, leaders and fly lines float. 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. See kick boat. Fly: An imitation of a fish food item, traditionally very light
and made of hair, feathers and thread tied to a hook. Modern flies have many
synthetic materials and often include lead to help them sink. Fly fishing: A technique for fishing where the weight
of the line is used to cast a very light weight fly that would not be heavy
enough to be cast with a conventional spinning or casting rod. Fly line: A line for fly fishing, originally of silk but
currently made of a plastic coating over a braided line core. Fly lines are
commonly 1.5 to 2 mm in diameter. The plastic coating gives the line weight
and is commonly distributed unevenly to make the line easier to cast. A
weight forward line, for example, has a greater plastic thickness near the
forward (or fly) end of the line. Fly lines are not particularly long,
generally not exceeding 105 feet. See taper, weight forward, double taper.
Fly lines are rated in different weights, from 1 to 11, referring to the
weight of the first 30 feet of the fly line. Fly reel: A special fishing reel with fairly simple mechanics
(compared to spinning or bait casting reels) designed to hold large diameter
fly line. A fly reel is relatively light and attaches below the handle on a
fly rod. More sophisticated (and expensive) fly reels have a drag system that
creates resistance to the rapid pulling off of line by a fish. See drag,
click drag, disk drag. Fly rod: The special fishing rod constructed so as to cast a
fly line. Fly rods are generally longer and thinner than spinning or casting
rods. The special design involves careful attention to the way the fly rod
bends because that bending action determines how well it can help cast a fly
line. Fly rods were originally split cane bamboo. In the last 60 years, other
materials, especially fiberglass and fiberglass with embedded graphite fibers
are used. Fly rods are rated in their stiffness to match fly lines of
different weights. (a number 6 fly rod should be
used with a number six fly line). See fly lines Freestone stream: A creek or river, that
gets most of its water flow from rainfall or snow/glacier melt and has a
bottom of rocks and gravel. Freestone streams are most common in mountainous
regions. The name freestone refers to the fact that typical freestone streams
have a bottom of stones or gravel. Fry: The first stage of a fish after hatching from an egg. Forceps: A special medical pliers with a ratchet-locking
action that are useful in removing a hook from a
fish. These slim-nosed pliers are readily available in a number of lengths
and sizes. Check a local medical supply. Furnace: The coloration of feathers from a specially-bred
chicken that dark brown-to-black along the center changing to light browns on
edge. 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. Graphite: A common material which if formed into fibers and
molded into the blank that makes a fly rod. It makes the rod relatively stiff
with little increase in weight as compared to fiber glass. Grilse: An young, not-sexually mature Atlantic salmon on the
west coast immature salmon are called 'Jacks' 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. Grizzly: The
coloration pattern from a specially bred chicken with barred black and white
"V" pattern. Very popular for many flies because it may create the
illusion of motion. Guide: Metal rings, usually bent pieces of wire along the
length of the fly rod to ease the release of line during casting and to
distribute the stress of a fish along the entire length of the rod. Hackle: Feathers from the neck or back of a
specially bred chicken that are wrapped around the hook or other wise
attached to a fly to imitate parts of an insect, such as legs or segments of
the body. Hackle tips are used also for the wings on certain flies. 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. Hackle pliers: Pliers used to hold feathers while they
are being wound around a hook. Generally hackle pliers are spring loaded and
often have a rubber disk to hold the slippery feathers. Hairbug: A fly
constructed through a special technique called hair spinning whereby buoyant
(hollow), deer, elk,
antelope or caribou hair is made to flare and form a solid shape. This hair
can be further trimmed to shapes like frog bodies. Hairbugs
are commonly used for warm water fish, but a mouse imitation hairbug is excellent for big brown trout on certain
waters. Hair stacker: A cylinder with one end blocked that is
used to get tips of animal hair lined up for wings, tails and other parts of
a fly. A spent rifle cartridge is suitable for small bunches of hair. Hatch: Generally refers to a stage of aquatic insect change
when there is a transformation from a swimming to a fly stage and from an
underwater to a surface stage. Insects in the early part of this transition are also referred to
as emergers. Haul: A pull on the fly line with the non-casting hand to increase
the line speed and achieve greater distance. This is done effectively during
line pickup. An action associated with fly casting whereby the line speed is
increased with an extra pull during line pickup, or back casting. Also see
double haul. 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. Improved clinch knot: A popular knot to tie a monofilament
tippet to the eye of a hook. If the tippet is run through the loop twice it
is even stronger. (also know as a trilene knot
thanks to 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. Kype: A male spawning trout or salmon develops a hook like
protrusion on the mandible. The kype is particularly striking in salmon. Leader: A single piece of tapered monofilament or multiple
segments of monofilament stepped down from large where it is attached to the
fly line to small where it is attached to the tippet. The butt end is usually
fairly large and stiff (say 0.023 inches diameter) with the tippet end around
3X or 4X (.008-.007 inches). The section near the fly may include a tippet. Lie: Areas in a river or lake where fish hang out, commonly
well-located because they are out of the main current, present cover from
predators or provide a good source of insects and other food. Line dressing: An old term carried over from the days
of silk fly lines referring to the oily substances applied to clean and
increase buoyancy. Modern fly lines generally only need to be cleaned with
warm water and soap. Line weight: The weight of the first 30 feet of a fly
line, used as a way to standardize fly lines in matching them to fly rods of
differing stiffness. Line weighting is not a linear numbering system; the
first 30 feet of a #6 weight line 160 grains while the first 30 feet of a #3
weight line is 100 grains. Loading: A term used to describe the effect of the weight of
the line and the momentum of the cast upon the rod. A loaded rod is bent or
loaded more with a greater casting force and a heavier line. Marabou: Fluffy and soft down or under feathers from most
birds, but particularly for fly tying, marabou comes from chickens, turkeys
or other domestic fowl. Matching the hatch: An attempt by a fly angler to select an
artificial fly that imitates the color, size, shape and behavior of natural
insects that fish are feeding on at a particular time. Often when a hatch is
happening, fish become very selective and refuse insects that are not the
most abundant. Mayfly: An aquatic insect found throughout the world, in
both still water and rivers. It is most easily identified by its sail-like
upright wings and long graceful tails. Many classic trout flies imitate
mayflies. Mayflies vary in size from the 3 mm tricos to the 30 mm hexagenia. Mend: Throwing an upstream curve into your fly line as it floats
down the stream to avoid having water currents pull on it and cause unnatural
movement of your fly (unnatural drift or line drag). Fish and especially
trout are exquisitely sensitive to (and turned off by) movement of a insect that moves at a different rate or in a different
direction than the current. Midge: A very small (non-biting), two-winged insect,
related to deer flies, mosquitoes and craneflies. Monofilament: A single filament or strand of nylon,
primarily used for tippet material or if tapered for leaders. Nail knot: A knot tied with a nail as a prop and often used to
attach the fly line to the backing. Also used less commonly to tie the leader
to the fly line. Also called a tube knot. Nymph: An underwater stage of aquatic insect. It is an
important source for all varieties of warm water and coldwater fish. Palmered: A term used to describe feathers wound perpendicular
to the shank of the hook and apparently based upon appearance of pilgrims
bearing palms. Parachute style fly: A dry fly with the dry fly hackle
wrapped horizontally under the hook or at the base of the wings, providing a
type of outrigger flotation. Parr: A young trout, salmon or char, usually in the so-called
fingerling stage. Perfection loop: This is a knot often used to create a
loop in a piece of monofilament, frequently at the butt end of a leader for
the loop to loop connection. Polarized sun glasses: Sunglasses with iodized lenses that
block incident light (glare) and thus allow anglers to better see beneath the
surface glare of water. Kick boat: A personalized, one-person fishing boat, usually
with a seat between two pontoons at a level that allows the anglers feet to
be in the water. It is propelled by swim fins, oars, or a
even a small electric motor. Also called a kick boat. Pool: A reach or segment of a river or stream with greater depth
and slower current, making it safer from predatory birds and animals and
where swimming against the current is reduced. Popper: A top water lure made of painted balsa wood or deer
hair, with a flat face that causes it to make a popping sound when retrieved.
It is commonly used for warm water panfish, bass and some saltwater species. Presentation: A term referring to the placing of a fly
to the feeding region of a fish. While appears to be a pretentious term, it
reflects the precision and elegance of casting a fly in a manner that it
perfectly imitates a natural insect. Pupa: An intermediate stage of certain insects, generally the
stage between the larva and adult form of caddis flies or midges. Also refers
to the fly imitation of these insects. Reach cast: A cast used for adding extra slack in the line, or
when fishing downstream, in order to provide a more natural float. Reel seat: The section of a fly rod below the grip where the
fly reel is attached. Reel seats often are constructed of attractive wood, including
many exotic woods. Redd: The hollowed out
nest in a streambed where a fish deposits its eggs, a behavior typical to
most salmonids. Reel seat: The part of the fly rod - made of aluminum, wood, or
graphite and located just behind the grip - where the fly reel is attached. Retrieve: The method of stripping in the fly line that gives
the fly action. Also, a term used in describing fly reels, as to whether they
are left hand or right hand retrieve. Rise: The action of a fish as it comes to the surface of the water
to feed. Different kinds of rises (splashy, dimpled, etc.) suggest different
kinds of feeding and may suggest different kinds of insects. Roll cast: This is a casting technique that is used when a back
cast is not possible. The line is made to loop in front of the angler and if
properly executed it "rolls" out to present the fly. Run: This term has two meanings in fly fishing: (1) A section of
stream where relatively shallow water goes over a rough or gravel bottom and
then into a pool. (2) The pulling out of line a hooked fish makes in trying
to escape. Running line: A thin line made of
monofilament, Dacron braid or thin fly line that connects on one end
to a shooting head and on the other end to the backing and indirectly the
reel. Scud: A small freshwater scrimp-like crustacean that is present in
most trout waters and serves as a food source for trout. Sea-run: A term describing brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout
that hatch in fresh water, migrate to the sea to mature, and return to fresh
water to spawn. Rainbow trout (in the Setting the hook: To make sure the hook penetrates the
fish's mouth, an angler must apply an upward motion of the fly rod or some
sort of quick tension on the fly line. When fishing with artificial lures and
flies, fish often do not hook themselves because very soon after they
"mouth" the fly, they are aware that it does not feel, taste or smell like it should. They will spit it out!
This puts a premium on setting the hook a the right
time! Shooting head: Part of a special fly line used for long
distance casting. The shooting head is a heavy section of line attached to a
thin running line (made of monofilament, Dacron or fine fly line). The
Shooting head has almost all of the weight of a normal line, but obviously is
it almost totally concentrated in that first 30 feet. Shooting heads are used
for making long casts in fishing saltwater, warm water and steelhead. Shooting line: The process of extending the length of
your fly cast by releasing an extra length of fly line, usually held in your
non-casting hand, during the forward/presentation part of the cast. This
technique allows a fly angler to false cast a shorter segment of line and
then only at the time of the final forward cast to bring a longer segment of
line into play. Single action: The typical fly reel wherein a single
turn of the handle causes one turn of the reel spool. This is distinguished
from the multiplier reel where a single turn of the handle causes multiple
turns of the spool and makes it easier to retrieve line. Almost all high
quality fly reels are single action. Sink Tip: A fly line that has both a floating segment (say the
first 95 feet) and a sinking section (the last 10 feet). This style of line
is used for underwater presentation of flies in fast water or in some still
water fishing situations. Spawn: The behavior of fish where females deposit eggs
(also called spawn) on various surfaces (varying with species) and the male
produces necessary milt to ultimately turn the eggs into fry. Spey: A particular casting technique using special two-handed rods
and a modified roll cast. It is named after a river in Spinner: The last stage of a mayfly, based upon the fact that
the wings are spread horizontally as it falls to water surface after mating.
The spinner is of significance because the spinner is an easy target for
feeding fish. Spinner fall: When mayfly of a particular sub-species
go into the spinner stage they do so over a relatively short period of time,
sometimes creating a feeding frenzy during what is called a spinner fall. Spring creek: A creek or stream that gets its water
from a ground flow or spring sources, rather than glacier/snow melt or
surface run off. Spring creeks are generally at a temperature of the average
rainfall temperature over the course of the year (the source of most ground
water) and hence usually do not warm significantly in the summer nor freeze
in the winter. S-cast: (aka A wiggle cast) An
"S" pattern of the fly line on the water created by side-to-side
movement of the fly rod during the forward cast. This cast is used to put
slack in the fly line and hence to reduce the influence of the current on the
fly line and thus to minimize drag. Stonefly: An aquatic insect found throughout Streamer: A fly classically made of long soft feathers or
animal hair (like bucktail) to imitate a bait fish,
leech or other non-insect. Modern streamers are made of many synthetic
materials, including metallic film and even epoxy. Strike: The action of a fish in trying to eat a fly. This
term also refers to the movement of the rod a fly angler makes to set the
hook. Stripping guide: The guide nearest the reel on a fly rod,
usually more substantial and larger in diameter than the snake guides nearer
the tip. It is called a stripping guide because in bringing in the fly, the
line is pulled over this guide with a fair amount a force. Some rods have two
stripping guides, with the larger being nearer the reel. Surgeon's knot: A common and strong knot for tying
tippet material to the leader or one segment of tippet material to another. A
surgeon's knot is stronger than a blood knot, especially for connection
materials of unlike size and material. The blood knot has the advantage of
being smoother and less likely to catch algae or cause tangles. Steelhead: A variety of rainbow trout that spawns and lives
part of its life in freshwater streams and other parts in oceans. While
native to the Stripping: Bringing in a fly line with in a series of short or
varied pulls so as to simulate a living insect or bait fish. Often also
involves movements of the rod tip. Tail out: The lower end of a pool where it becomes shallow
again. Tailing: This term refers to the behavior of fish in shallow
water where it is possible to see the caudal fins as they feed. Tailing fish
are an exciting discovery and generally signal the possibility of getting
strikes by the proper presentation of the right fly. Tailing Tailwater: The downstream section of a river or stream found
below a large man-made dam. The most famous and productive tailwaters are
from bottom-discharge dams, making the water relatively cold and constant in
temperature. Terrestrial insect: As the name implies, these are
land-dwelling (or tree/plant-dwelling) insects that breathe air, including
grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles and leaf worms. Tinsel: A thin silver, gold or brass-colored ribbon used in
adding shine ton flies, often as ribbing or for fly bodies. Tippet: The terminal segment of monofilament tied on the end
of a leader and connected to the fly. Tip section: The top section of a fly rod, smallest
in diameter and furthest from the rod grip. Triangle taper: A special taper profile to a fly line
designed by Lee Wulff, with 40 feet of continuous
taper, with a thin running line. Variant: A dry fly variety wound hackles that are much larger
than normally recommended. It is tied generally the as conventional patterns.
Vise: A tool used by fly tiers to hold the hooks secure as thread,
feathers and fur are attached and the fly is being constructed. Usually the
most expensive and the single most important purchase for a fly tyer. Wader belt: An adjustable belt cinched near the top of chest
waders to keep out water, particularly recommended as a precaution to the
waders filling up with water in the event of a fall. Waders: Footed trousers that are constructed of latex,
neoprene, Gortex or other waterproof material so as
to keep anglers dry. Currently waders come in stocking foot or booted form
and can be found in three lengths: hip waders, waist-high waders and chest
waders. Wading shoes or boots: Hiking-like boots worn with stocking
foot waders, generally having felt soles and a more comfortable fit than the
boot portions of boot foot waders. Wading staff: A walking stick especially adapted to
provide stability to a wading fly angler when moving through fast or deep
water. Some wading staffs are foldable and can be kept in a fishing vest pocket
until needed. Weed guard: A piece of stiff monofilament or light wire attached
from the top of the hook and extending in front of the hook point and bend to
the hook eye. If properly attached, a weed guard reduces the likelihood of a
fly picking up weeds, yet it does not deter the hooking of a fish. Weed
guards are especially popular for underwater warm water flies. Weight forward: A type of fly line with most of its
weight in the first thirty feet of line. The large section of this type of
line is called the line belly, with a long tapering of the line toward the
front and a short tapering of it back to a thinner running line. Wet fly: A type of fly that is presented to the fish below
the surface of the water, usually with insect-like wings sloped backward. Wet
flies are not as popular as they once were and have been largely superceded
by nymphs. Whip finisher: A tool used in tying flies that helps
the fly tier lay down a smooth and compact head of the fly. Winding: Wraps of thread that are used to attach the
stripping guides and snake guides on the fly rod blank. Wind knots: (aka casting knots) In the
process of casting, especially for beginners, loops form particularly in the
leader and tippet. The formation of such loops is made worse by casting in
the wind and hence when they become knots in the leader or tippet they are
called wind knots. X diameter: A system to indicate the diameter of leader and
tippet material, with 0X (zero-X) representing the largest diameter (.011
inches) and 8X (.003 inches) representing a small, light diameter. Commonly
used values are 1X (.010), 2X (.009), 3X (.008), 4X (.007), 5X (.006), 6X
(.005). The strength of these monofilament diameters varies with the kind of
material. |