Fly Fishing Glossary F's
Fly-Fishing can often be confusing to beginners to the sport because fly-fishermen talk and write in a strange language using words not always in standard use. To help take some of the confusion out of the terms bandied about by fly fishermen we have compiled this glossary.
[ A ] [ B ] [ C ] [ D ] [ E ] [ F ] [ G ] [ H ] [ I ] [ J ] [ K ] [ L ] [ M ] [ N ] [ O ] [ P ] [ Q ] [ R ] [ S ] [ T ] [ U ] [ V ] [ W ] [ X ] [ Y ] [ Z ]
FFalse cast: Casting the fly line forward and back in the air as a means to lengthen the amount of line that extends out from the fly rod, to dry the fishing fly or to modify the path of the line. In a false cast, the fly is not allowed to drop onto the water.
Fancy Dancers: A range of Fancy Dancers fishing flies developed originally in Scotland that have highly mobile marabou tails.
Ferrule: A collar that is found at the point where sections of a fly rod are joined. The end of one section fits inside the end of another, in an overlapping fashion at the ferrule.
Floating Fly Line (F): a fly line where the entire line floats is called a Floating Fly Line; we consider this frequently our best all round fly line (see double taper, level, shooting head, weight forward).
Flat: An expansive area of water with a relatively unchanging (flat) depth, often over a sand or grass bottom. A common water topography for certain species of fish, like bonefish where it is called Flats Fishing.
Floatant: A water-proofing (usually oily) salve or cream that is used to help flies, leaders and fly lines float is called a Floatant.
Float tube: this is a one-person craft with a seat across the bottom on which the fly fisher sits called a Float Tube, kick boat or Belly Boat. Feet are in the water and scuba fins are used to move the tube around. This type of fishing boat is very popular with warmwater fly fishers and with individuals who fish high mountain lakes.
Fly: An imitation of a fish food item is called a fly. The fly is traditionally very light and made of hair, fur, feathers and thread tied to a hook. Modern flies have many synthetic materials and often include lead to help them sink.
Fly Casting: standard method of presenting a fly to a target using a fly rod and fly line; involves many different casts.
Fly fishing: A technique for fishing where the weight of the line is used to cast a very light weight fly that would not be heavy enough to be cast with a conventional spinning or casting rod, typically called Fly fishing.
Fly line: A Fly line is used for fly fishing, originally of silk but currently made of a plastic coating over a braided line core. Fly lines are commonly 1.5 to 2 mm in diameter. The plastic coating gives the line weight and is commonly distributed unevenly to make the line easier to cast. A weight forward line, for example, has a greater plastic thickness near the forward (or fly) end of the line. Fly lines are not particularly long, generally not exceeding 30 meters. They can come in different types, weight forward, double taper. Fly lines are rated in different weights, from 1 to 11, referring to the weight of the first 30 feet of the fly line.
Fly reel: A special Fly reel or Fly fishing reel with fairly simple mechanics (compared to spinning or bait casting fishing reels). The fly reel is designed to hold large diameter fly line. A fly reel is relatively light and attaches below the handle on a fly rod. More sophisticated fly reels have a drag system that creates resistance to the rapid pulling off of line by a fish.
Fly rod: The special fishing Fly rod or fly fishing rod constructed so as to cast a fly line. Fly rods are generally longer and thinner than other types of fishing rods. The special design involves careful attention to the way the fly rod bends because that bending action determines how well it can help cast a fly line. Originally split cane bamboo, now other materials, especially fiberglass and fiberglass with embedded graphite fibers are used. Fly rods are rated in their stiffness to match fly lines of different weights. (a number 7 fly rod should be used with a number seven fly line).
Fly Tying: The art of taking materials and making your own fishing flies. Fly tying has been about for many centuries.
Fly Tying Materials: Many fly tying materials including furs, feathers, hair, foams, beads and synthetics hairs materials used to tie fishing flies.
Fly Tying Tools: Fly tyers use a range of specialist tools from specialist fly tying scissors, arrow point scissors, six finger scissors, bobbin holders, threaders, teasers, bodkins to make their own flies while using a fly tying vice to grip a hook.
Fly Tying Vice: A special minature vise designed to enable a fly tyer to grasp a hook while manufacturing their own flies. These are called Fly Tying Vice or Fly Tying Vise depending which country you live in.
Foam Flies: Highly buoyant flies including trout foam flies and carp flies that have foam built into the body to keep them floating.
Forceps: hand operated medical instrument widely used in fly-fishing to remove flies from the jaws of a hooked fish. Forceps have pliers-like jaws with locking clips so that once they are clamped to the hook, they stay there until you release them.
Forward Cast: the front portion of the false cast or pick-up and lay-down, and a mirror image of the back cast.
Forward Taper: a profile of fly lines.
Freestone stream: A creek or river that gets most of its water flow from rainfall or snow/glacier melt. Freestone streams are most common in mountainous regions. The name freestone refers to the fact that typical freestone streams have a bottom of stones or gravel.
Fritz Flies: Highly vibrant and sparkly flies Fritz Bead Head and Humumgous flies
Fry: The first stage of a fish after hatching from an egg, these can be imitated by Pin Fry flies.
Furnace: The coloration of fly tying capes from a specially-bred chicken that dark brown-to-black along the center changing to light browns on edge used by fly tyers.
