How Do I Make Artificial Flies?

The whole point of fly fishing is that you don't have to use animal bait - that is, clams, chopped up pieces of fish, night crawlers, snails, or anything else of the sort - in order to catch fish.  The lures that you tie to your line are used to draw fish out of hiding, to excite them into exerting their predatory instincts on your defenseless little "fly" on a string that is armed with a barbed hook.

Before you make artificial flies, you should probably see what the natural prey of the area looks like.  Take, for instance, if you're fishing in an area where there are shrimp, crayfish spawn, insects, small fish, tadpoles, and the like.  You need to decide what kinds of lures you want to make, which seems to be the most popular kind of fly, and what your peers say.  Research for a while, online or offline, do some leg work, look around at fly fishing suppliers.  This will give you a good idea as to the market for – and use of – particular shapes in an area.

Now it’s time to put your creative hat on.  Okay, maybe “thinking cap” is a better term, but no matter what, you have to start to think like your quarry.  Getting into the mind of a fish is more difficult than it sounds, but it’s not impossible.  Gather your materials up.  What do you have?  If you have a craft supply store – or if you know someone who’s particularly crafty – you’ll probably have a few things at your disposal: fabric, chenille (those pipe-cleaner things), fur (whether it’s from a cat, a dog, a horse, or your back), leather, feathers, and, of course, your hooks.

If you’re trying to make artificial flies that look like spawn of any kind – tadpoles, crayfish, shrimp, or even little fish – you’ll probably want to use feathers and fur.  These float gently in the current, following the movement of the water, and are probably best used as wet flies.  Crayfish and shrimp are probably going to be of a pinkish or orange color, while tadpoles will probably be greenish or darker, depending upon what kind of sediment is in the current.  Miniature frogs or toads could probably be made out of some small pieces of leather or fabric.  Insects like caterpillars could probably be made out of kinked-up pipe cleaners of different colors.

If you’re going to be fishing where it’s murky, you probably won’t have to make exact replicas of prey animals.  If it’s going to be clearer, though, you might even want to invest in little black beads for the “eyes” of your lure. 

It really all depends upon your creativity.  If you’re really keen on making your own flies, let your imagination wander.  After all, an idea that’s never used is a sure-fire failure!

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