Artificial fly facts for kids

An Adams dry fly, the most popular fly for over 30 years.

An artificial fly is a special kind of fishing lure. People use it mostly in a sport called fly fishing. These flies look like the small insects or other tiny creatures that fish like to eat.

Making artificial flies is an art called fly tying. People tie different materials like furs, feathers, thread, or other bits onto a fish hook. There are thousands of different fly designs, called patterns. Some patterns look exactly like a certain insect. Others don't look like any real bug but still attract fish!

What are the Main Kinds of Artificial Flies?

Artificial flies are designed to act differently in the water. This helps them trick fish into thinking they are real food. Here are the main types:

Flies That Float on Top

• Dry flies are made to float right on the surface of the water. They often look like insects that have landed on the water or are hatching.

Flies That Sink Down

• Wet flies are designed to sink below the surface. They can look like insects that are underwater or are drowning.
• Streamers are a type of fly that sinks and moves through the water. They are made to look like small fish or other swimming creatures that bigger fish hunt. In some places, like Britain, these are often called lures.

Flies That Imitate Land Creatures

• Terrestrials are flies that can either float or sink. They copy insects or other small animals that live on land but might fall into the water. Examples include grasshoppers, ants, or even mice.

Images for kids

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  Classic 19th-century artificial fly – The Triumph

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  First known illustration of a fishing fly from 4th. edition (1652) of John Dennys's The Secrets of Angling, first published in 1613, probably the earliest poetical English treatise on Angling.

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  Frontispiece from Bowlker's Art of Angling (1854) showing a variety of artificial flies

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  Illustration of a large Pike fly (1865)

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  Orvis Royal Coachman

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  Blue-winged Olive Quill (BWO)

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  Partridge and Orange soft-hackle

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  Pheasant Tail Nymph

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  Clouser Deep Minnow – A popular streamer pattern used for both fresh and saltwater fishing

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  Mouse Fly, imitating a small mammal

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  Bluegill streamer EP style

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  Clouser deep minnow, saltwater variation

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  Traditional Crazy Charlie

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  Stu Apte classic Tarpon fly