UK vs USA, a different language ?

We all know that there are differences between the English language in the UK and in the USA.
Here are some examples :

USA                                             UK
trunk                                             boot
hood                                             bonnet
counter clockwise                         anti clockwise
shut up                                          belt up

In the fly fishing world you will find hundreds of terms and acronyms that in many cases are the same on a global level. But funny enough, even in the English language, there are differences depending on who you are talking to.

I am told that in the UK they typically use the word Sedge while in the US they would use the word Caddis, both talking about the same fly. Does anyone have more examples of typical fly fish terms that are different depending on location ?


The Fly Fish dictionary

What are Jacks ? Salmon or Pike ?

The difficult thing about terminology related to fly fishing is that certain words have a different meaning depending on country and region. While evaluating the results of the Fly Fish quiz I got a lot of comments from people saying "A jack is a small Pike" where others would say "No way, a jack is a small salmon"

Now this is pretty interesting and I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

The same thing happened with the term "Stripey". Some people say a Stripey is a Perch where others say that it is a Bass.

Please share your thoughts !

Mike

www.theflyfishdictionary.com

Tricks of the trade

Hi Fly fish fanatics !

Over the years I have learned tips and tricks from some great folks !

1. If you want a floating leader to sink, you don't need to use "sinkant". Just rub mud on your leader and stretch it through the mud a few times. It will sink.

2. When casting with a Spey rod make sure to tape the rod segments. ( make sure you do not use regular tape as it will damage your rod, so use tape that electricians use )  Because of many direction changes during casting the rod segments can twist  or even fly off.

3. When you tape a rod start about an inch above the connection and rotate down to about an inch below the connection. Start and end at the same side of the rod so you will be able to get the tape off easy, even in the dark.

4. Don't take reels containing lines in your hand luggage on a plain and they can be confiscated.

5. A quick and easy knot to use to connect a fly or make a dropper line is the Uni knot. It can be done fast, even with cold hands or in the dark.

For this and more check out my  website The Fly Fish dictionary

Pike on the Fly

Have you ever fished for Pike on the Fly ?

In countries like Ireland, England but also the Netherlands it is pretty popular.
On lakes people usually go for a #9 weight rod + line. The tippet to use is 0X or even thicker depending on the size of the expected predator and a wired leader hooks up the streamer.

Streamers are tied on various hook sizes but I prefer a 6/0 streamer like the ones below.

I had the pleasure to fish in Longford Ireland for pike with Glenn Drennan, and Terry Jackson and you can see a shot below !

Give it a try ! It's great fun


The Fly Fish dictionary

Have you ever used Lurex as a tying material ?

Lurex is a plastic material in fine strips with different coverings, similar to tinsel.
It can be used in a wide variety of patterns.

For this and more, check out our website www.theflyfishdictionary.com

Rivers of Recovery

The Fly Fish Dictionary supports Rivers of Recovery.

Rivers of Recovery ( ROR ) is a non-profit organization that delivers direct support physically and psychologically to injured combat veterans through innovative, fly fishing therapies and pioneering research.

 Check out the Rivers of recovery website :  www.riversofrecovery.org

How to use a Whip Finish tool ?

A Whip Finish is a fly tying tool to tie off flies when completed. A lot of people find it difficult to use the tool.
Check out the video below how to use the whip finish tool.

For this and more, check out our website www.theflyfishdictionary.com

Do you know the Black Pennell pattern ?

The Black Pennell is a very old fly pattern and is a great weapon during early season on lakes when the temperatures are rising. In flowing water it is actually known to catch seatrout and salmon. The best time though to use this fly is during the hatch of the Chironomidea ( non-biting midge ). It is normally tied on a hook #8 - #16 . For the tail use gold pheasant tippets, for the body black floss with an oval silver ribbing. The hackle is made by using long fiber black cock feathers.

 For this and more check out our website www.theflyfishdictionary.com

What is a Diawl Bach ?

Diawl Bach is Welsh for little devil and it describes this nymph pattern nicely. It looks like several aquatic insects and is widely used as a stillwater pattern. It's famous in Britain and parts of Northern Europe

For this and more, check out our website www.theflyfishdictionary.com

So what is a Duncan Loop ?

A Duncan Loop is used to connect a fly to your leader.
Look at the video below :

For this and more, check out our website www.theflyfishdictionary.com

What is the "rule of eleven ?"

The rule of eleven helps to calculate the diameter of a leader,
Fly Fishing leaders are typically indicated in an "X" value, such as 1X, 2X etc.
So how thick is a 4X leader ?

To determine the diameter of the leader use .011 inch = 0X If your leader is
.007 inch, deduct the 7 from eleven and you will find that .007 is a 4X leader.

Check this out and more on our website www.theflyfishdictionary.com

Tight Lines,

Mike

What do you know about Fly Fishing ?

So you are an experienced fly fisher and you have been around. But what do you really know about knots, fly patterns, fishing beats and so on ? Check out our online quiz to find out !

Click the link below to get started, Good Luck !

Start the Quiz

Tight Lines,

Mike

Welcome Fly Fishing fanatics !

Hi there, and welcome to my new blog.
My name is Mike Hermes and I own and run a Fly Fishing school & shop in The Netherlands.

A while ago I decided to create the website www.theflyfishingdictionary.com for the simple reason that a lot of my students are struggling to understand the hundreds of terms and acronyms used in the Fly Fishing world.


Tight lines,

Mike