"A small lure with a big reputation: and all thanks to unsung fly tying hero, Rob Spiller" ......Charles Jardine FFFT 2001
There are thousands of different fishing flies available, every fly fisherman has their own favourite fishing flies based upon the season, water colours, species being sought and fishing techniques used.
Flies - Brown Trout
The Brown Trout is a natural species of fish found in many rivers and occassionally in lakes and fisheries where these many be stocked by fishery owners. Brown Trout are generally looking for flies that are immitative of the natural food found in their environment, it may be a Blue Winged Olive or Caddis dry flies or shrimp or Rhyacophila invertebrate nymph fishing flies look similar i.e. they are imitative or exact imitative. With imitative fishing flies the flies look similar to the natural flies or invertebrates found. Generally imitative flies must be fished so that they look like the 'natural' i.e. if fishing dry flies such as a Blue Winged Olive they cannot be dragged across the current by the fly leader, after all natural Olive flies do not scate across the water.
Alternatively the fishing flies may be suggestive fishing flies. Suggestive or impressionistic flies may be fishing flies like the gold ribbed hares ear or pheasant tail, these fishing flies do not imitate any invertebrates or natural flies but flies will appear to look and act like the natural food for the Brown Trout. Above 12" in size Brown Trout will prey heavily on fish.
Flies - Rainbow Trout
The Rainbow Trout was originally introduced into the UK and also into New Zealand and Australia from the USA . The Rainbow Trout is used for stocking trout fisheries and for supplying the food industry. Mainly it remains contained in specific lakes, gravel pits, reservoirs etc. Escapees compete for food and habitat with Brown Trout. The Rainbow Trout will eat almost anything, from bottom-dwelling invertebrates, to fish and insects from the surface. As they mature they become increasingly piscivorous. Rainbow Trout have a high growth rate, but tend not to breed in the UK, as they require warm water temperatures. Another reason for no breeding is that now, most farmed fish are usually triploid and sterile - these use all their energy input for growth rather than reproduction. Flies for Rainbow Trout run from imitative flies like Caddis, damsel nymphs, nomads trout flies or Epoxy minnowGRHE flies and Pheasant Tail flies through to flies like blob flies and lure flies or streamer flies which do not look like anything natural but are flies that trigger the Rainbow Trout's predatory nature!