By Bob Gregorski

”The fly fisherman who knows nothing of his flies is as great an anachronism as the painter who knows nothing about his paints. More, he is a bad man in business.”
- J.W. Dunne.

The late J.W. Dunne was a well known British fly dresser who originated many May fly patterns and is the author of Sunshine and The Dry Fly. Izaak Walton and his book THE COMPLEAT ANGLER that was first published in 1653 is better known to anglers. “ More Directions how to fish for, and how to make for the Trout an Artificial Minnow and Flies, with some Merriment” is the title of Walton’s chapter V. Most fly fisherman own a copy of one of the many editions of The Compleat Angler, at least one fly publication, an Orvis and L.L. Bean catalog, a collection of magazine articles, and a fly fishing video. If you fly fish for any of the following species: trout, Atlantic salmon, Pacific salmon, steelhead, stripers, bluefish, false albacore, bonito, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, sunfish and pike, then you probably have a good supply of flies and an extensive collection of research materials.

In the two centuries that anglers have been fly fishing, a few thousand fly tiers created thousands of fly patterns. There are at least 10,000 different trout flies that attempt to replicate approximately 300 insects in the entomology listings for the trout food chain. The listing of Atlantic salmon flies exceeds 1600 patterns. And, the relatively new sports of steelhead and Pacific salmon fishing has quickly accumulated a roster of around 700 different “ties,” then there are patterns for catching bass, sunfish, pike and many marine species including bluefish, striped bass, Atlantic bonito and false albacore. The catalog of freshwater flies includes at least 16,000 different “dressed hooks.” The litany of fly- types for each fish species of grows daily. If you are a fly rodder and don’t tie, you are missing one of the most satisfying aspects of fly fishing—catching a fish on a fly that you have tied. All “dressed-hook fishers” love to see a trout grab a floating fly; that’s why some “wand wafters” become dry-fly purists.

Dry flies are meant to represent flies that float on or in the surface. Dries used for trout range in sizes 10 to 28. Here are most of the types of dries: fan winged, all-hackle, coffin, parachute, caddis, poppers, hoppers, Wulffs, irrestibles, elk wing, thorax, humpy, ants, midges, and gnats There are too many dry flies to even suggest a starting list. You determine which dry flies should be in your fly box by the rivers and seasons you fish, and the fly sizes that are best for them. A novice fly-rodder should defer fishing dry flies until he/she has learned the rudiments of the sport.

Then there are a variety of wet flies; flies that do not float on the water’s surface. The types include: nymphs, wets (winged and hackle only) , woolybuggers, bucktails, streamers, terrestrials and weighted flies. Novices can learn to fly fish more productively when using wet flies for any species or using tiny, foam floating flies for panfish.

There are flies that are used primarily in freshwater streams and rivers, lakes and ponds and in all types of saltwater environments. There are flies that are categorized by the species they are used to catch. They include: panfish, pike, black and calico bass, trout, striped bass, bluefish, bonito, false albacore, steelhead, Pacific salmon and Atlantic salmon.

Some forms of fly fishing are a form of art; a gentle sport with beauty in the casting. And, some forms of fly tying are a form of art with feathery beauty created on a hook. Tying classic Atlantic salmon flies is an art form. Men and women that are primarily fly fisherman and fly tiers are fascinated with classic salmon flies. Every classic salmon fly has its own history. The aesthetics fly materials and techniques are small works of art. Truly they were created originally by the old masters for fishing particular rivers and lochs. That began in the fifteenth century on a small scale. The evolution of the “classic salmon flies” grew more rapidly in the late 1700’s and has become a niche in the fly fish community worldwide. Hundreds of flies with names ranging alphabetically from The Barkworth to The Parson to The Rosy Dawn to The Wormald can be found in Classic Salmon Fly Books. They are strikingly beautiful. Classic Atlantic Salmon Flies (CASF) are flies that were created and used initially to catch Atlantic salmon. Historically, CASF were anglers fishing Scottish rivers, Irish rivers and loughs, Welsh and English rivers tied flies. Note: The Gary of Loch Ness is a large salmon fly for the Loch Ness River.

Now these beautiful, meticulously tied flies are displayed in picture frames and under glass in domes. Most anglers admire the eye-pleasing composition of colors, not just fly fishers.

Choice of colors Forest green or Safari tan.

Can be purchased at monthly meeting

Our Connecticut Trout Unlimited council has launched a website aimed at helping bring our chapters together statewide. The web site has a large amount of information and links to each chapter in the state. Take a look, it is well worth it.

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