Fly fishing Facts for Kids

A red drum caught on a fly rod, Louisiana, USA

Fly fishing is a fun way to catch fish. It uses a special lightweight fishing rod and line. Instead of a regular bait, you use a fake insect called an artificial fly. You cast this fly into the water to trick fish into biting.

People can catch many types of fish with fly fishing. This includes fish that live in freshwater, like rivers and lakes. You can also catch fish that live in the sea. Fly fishing uses special equipment like a fly-fishing rod, reel, and line. The flies are made from natural or man-made materials.

History of Fly Fishing
Types of Fly Fishing
Fly Fishing Equipment
Images for kids
See also

History of Fly Fishing

Fly fishing might have started a very long time ago in ancient Egypt. But the way we know it today began in England. This was in the late 1800s. Fishermen there first used real insects to catch fish. Later, they started using fake ones.

This new way of fishing became popular. It spread to other parts of Europe. Soon, people started having national and international competitions. These events helped more people learn about fly fishing.

Types of Fly Fishing

Fly fishing can be done in different places and ways. Each type uses slightly different methods.

Lake Fly Fishing

Lake fly fishing happens in calm waters. This includes reservoirs, ponds, and lakes. You can fish from the shore. Or, you can stand in the water, which is called fording. Sometimes, people use ships or boats to fish from the water.

River Fly Fishing

River fly fishing is usually done in moving water. Most of the time, people stand in the river itself. They wear special waders and wading boots to stay dry. Fishing from the river bank is also possible, but it's not as common.

Sea Fly Fishing

Sea fly fishing is done in the ocean. Just like river fishing, you can stand in the shallow water. This is also called fording. You can also fish from a boat out in the deeper water.

Dry Fly Fishing

In dry fly fishing, the special line floats on top of the water. The bait, or fly, also floats on the surface. These flies often look like insects that have just hatched. They can also look like other food that floats on the water.

Wet Fly Fishing

Wet fly fishing uses different types of fly-fishing lines. In this method, the fly goes under the water. The fly looks like drowned insects. It can also look like insects that are just hatching underwater.

Streamer Fishing

Streamer fishing often uses lines that sink. The flies used for this look like bigger insects. They can also look like small fish or other organisms that live in the water.

Nymph Fishing

Nymph fishing can be done with all kinds of fly-fishing lines. The flies used here look like young insects. These young insects, called nymphs, live underwater before they grow wings.

Fly Fishing Equipment

Fly fishing needs special tools. These tools help you cast the tiny fly far away.

Fly-Fishing Rod

A fly-fishing rod is a special kind of fishing rod. It is made only for fly fishing. Its main job is to give power to the fly-fishing line. This power helps carry the light artificial fly to where the fish are.

Fly-Fishing Line

The fly-fishing line is what moves the artificial fly. It helps the fly reach the casting spot. This line is only for fly fishing. It works with a fly-fishing rod and reel. Using it for other types of fishing could damage it.

Fly-Fishing Reel

The fly-fishing reel holds the fly-fishing line. The line is wrapped around a round part called a coil. This coil spins around its center. You reel in the line by turning a handle. The reel keeps the line neat and ready to use.

Images for kids

Fly fishing in a river
Fly rod and reel with a brown trout from a chalk stream in England
Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler, published in 1653 helped popularize fly fishing as a sport. Woodcut by Louis Rhead, 1900
Trading card of the Ustonson company, an early firm specializing in fishing equipment, and holder of a Royal Warrant from the 1760s.
The Fly-fisher's Entomology by Alfred Ronalds had a great influence on the development of fly fishing when it was first published in 1836.
'Nottingham' and 'Scarborough' reel designs
Fishing became a popular recreational activity in the 19th century. Print from Currier and Ives.
Frontispiece from The Art of Angling by Richard Brookes, 1790
From The Speckled Brook Trout by Louis Rhead (1902)
Fly angler circa 1970s
Fly angler on the Firehole River, USA
An Adams dry fly
Fly fishing on the Gardner River in Yellowstone National Park, USA
A rainbow trout taken on an articulated leech pattern, Bristol Bay Region, Alaska
Reservoir nymph patterns devised by Dr Bell of Wrington
"No Barbs" sign on Ribnik river in Bosnia
Saltwater Fly Fishing in Louisiana
A variety of fly reels on display at a fly fishing show
Green Highlander, a classic salmon fly