Lee Ties a Fly

Background Information

Fly-fishing rods are between 2.15m and 3.30m long. Modern rods are usually made of carbon fibre, which is very light and very strong. The dry fly Lee chose floated on the water and is used if fish are feeding close to the surface. Wet flies absorb water and sink, so that you can reach fish feeding deeper down. It is important to choose the right materials when making a fly, so that you know whether it will float or sink.

Feathers, fur, thread and tinsel are all used to make flies and there are a lot of new materials that can be used too. There are many different patterns, such as the Black and Peacock, the Coachman, the Stickfly and Wormfly. The links from this site give you more information.

The idea is to make a copy that looks exactly like the insect or grub the fish likes to eat. Insects that are often copied are the mayfly, the midge and the caddis fly. Bigger insects such as the daddy-long-legs are good to copy too.