Home > The Fly Society > Angler's Glossary

Fly talk confuses and intimidates most rookies (and a lot of non-rookies too). To remove some of the mystery and provide some translation, we've created an angler's glossary. At the very least, it can help you avoid feeling like an ass at your local fly shop.

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

D

Damselfly: A stillwater bug most commonly thrown in the nymphal form. Hatches usually occur in early to mid-summer. Adult looks like a small dragonfly, but folds its wings along its back when at rest. Find a day when they're thick, and the trout will literally grab them out of mid air.

Dead Drift: A perfect float (the fly is traveling at the same direction and pace as the current.). This is how you want to do it. Drag free is good. It's natural. It fools 'em.

Deer Hair: Most commonly used type of hollow hairs for fly tying. It's buoyant and a good material for certain dry flies.

Double Taper (DT): A common fly line type in which both ends of the line are tapered, with the mid section of the line being level. It's an excellent line for short to mid length casts, and for roll casting. It's not so good for longer casts. Can be found in floating, or sinking styles.

Drag: (1) Term used to describe on fly that is not drag free or dead drifting (not drifting with the natural speed and direction of the current.) Drag is usually bad, though at times useful (such as imitating the actions of the adult caddis or when swinging a fly). (2) Resistance applied to the reel spool to prevent it from turning faster than the line leaving the spool (used in playing larger fish). When this type of drag comes into play, it's a good thing. It just means it's game time.

Drag Free: (See Dead Drift)

Dragonfly: A stillwater bug most commonly thrown in the nymphal form. Hatches usually occur in early to mid-summer. Unlike the Damselfly, the Dragonfly adult holds its wings straight out (like an airplane) when at rest. Hitting a damsel feeding frenzy just right is a lot of fun. Hitting a dragon frenzy is downright insane.

Dry Fly: Any fly fished upon the surface of the water; usually tied with buoyant materials. Commonly used to imitate the adult stage of a bug.

Dry Fly Floatant: Buoyant chemical that is applied to a dry fly (before using the fly). Can be a paste, liquid, or aerosol. It's works well, but when possible tie or buy flies with foam. Having to apply floatant gets old. And it's messy.

Dun: (1) Early stage in a mayfly's life; usually of short duration (1 to 24 hours). (2) A grayish-blue color that found in some fly tying materials.

E

Emerger: Term describing aquatic bugs. This is the period of time when a nymph reaches the surface and the adult hatches out. This is a very important stage for an angler to imitate with an emerger fly. A stage that makes a bug very vulnerable. The bug is pretty much a sitting duck. Struggling and fighting to bust out…it's beggin' to get slammed.

F

False Cast: A common fly fishing cast; used to lengthen and shorten line, to change direction, and to dry off the fly. In false casting, the line is kept moving backwards and forwards without touching the surface of the water or the ground. The fewer false casts you need to get it back into the zone the better (like a u-turn…if you've got to engage from drive to reverse more than a few times, you've got issues).

Floating Fly Line (F): - A fly line where the entire line floats. It's best all round fly line.

Fly Line: Made of a tapered plastic coating over a braided Dacron or nylon core; available in several tapers and in floating, sinking, and sink-tip styles (see double taper, shooting head, weight forward, sink-tip, and floating fly line). Also available in some of the most insane nitro burning funny colors known to man.

Fly Reel: Fishing reel used in fly fishing to hold the fly line. There are three basic types: single action, multiplier, and automatic. 1.) Single action is the most common and the most popular. Single action means that one turn of the handle equals one turn of the spool. 2.) Multiplying reels use a gear system to increase this ratio (usually, 2-to-1). With a 2-to-1 ratio, each turn of the handle equals 2 revolutions of the spool. 3.) Automatic fly reels are the least practical for most people; they operate by a manually wound spring which is activated by a lever; automatic reels are heavy and tend to malfunction. When fishing for smaller fish, reels are not nearly as important as the rod itself. When getting involved with bigger game, a solid reel with a trustworthy drag system is key.

Fly Rod: A rod designed to cast a fly line. Lengths vary, with common lengths being between 7 and 10 feet. Materials used in fly rod construction are bamboo, fiberglass, and graphite. Types vary as well. Light, medium and fast actions are the basics.

Forceps: An instrument used to remove flies from the jaws of a hooked fish. They can also be used when crimping your barbs. Do yourself a favor and do this before you see the game warden, not after!

Forward Cast: The front portion of the fly cast; opposite of the back cast.

Forward Taper: (See Weight Forward)

Freestone: Type of river or stream with steeper gradient and faster moving water. Most water comes from tributaries. The speed of the water creates less plant life, and as a result it is less fertile than spring creeks. Fewer bugs in faster water however, usually results in fewer but more opportunistic trout (think freight trains.)