Learning fly fishing techniques is one thing however learning the language is another. Like most intense hobbies, fly fishing truly has its own language…don’t laugh, we're serious. If you’ve hung around the river, flat, fly shop, or fishing buddies long enough you've likely heard some fly fishing lingo that might have you feeling confused, don’t worry we'll catch you up to speed, check out fly fishing terminology below to learn the words and phrases to become a certified bug slinger.
Headwaters: “a tributary stream of a river close to or forming part of its source.” Any time an angler refers to fishing the headwaters of a river or stream, they’re usually referring to poking up small tributaries on the hunt for wild fish, usually trout! It’s an easy term to use to avoid giving away a favorite tributary of a river while explaining where you caught that huge wild trout!
Tailwater: The term “tailwater” usually refers to a creek, stream or river that is flowing out from a dam. Many tailwaters are phenomenal fisheries, as the temperature of the water leaving the reservoir is typically temperature stable, creating the perfect opportunity for trout and other fish to feed year-round and grow large!
Strip-set: Used whenever you are fishing streamers, a strip-set is a method used to hook a fish once it eats your fly. All you have to do is keep stripping in your fly in with the rod low, pointed towards the fly until you feel the weight of the fish throbbing at the end of your leader. A strip-set ensures that you pull the fly horizontally through the trout’s mouth and buries the hook in the corner of the mouth.
Trout-Set: A trout-set refers to when you simply lift your rod above your head once a fish takes your fly. Often times you hear someone say “Why did you trout set?” when you lose a fish on a streamer.
Bug: The term ”bug” refers to the fly you're currently fishing. Example “Your bug needs to be sharpened”. This simply means, your fly needs a sharpening. Backing: The thin line that sits underneath your fly line, if you're hooked up on a fish and your down to your backing it means that it’s a monster. Example “Oh man it’s huge this fish has me down to my backing!”
Break off: Hopefully it doesn’t happen too often! A breakoff occurs when your line snaps on a fish which usually occurs due to a bad knot or compromised tippet. Example “ The fish ate it and immediately broke me off, I have no fly!”
Dead drift: A perfect drift in which the fly moves at the same pace as the surface current. You”ll often hear this term when dry fly fishing or nymph fishing. Example “The fly is moving perfectly with the current, nice dead drift!”
Roll cast: A quick casting technique used to get your fly in front of a fish on a moment's notice. The technique relies on rolling over slack line in order to move your fly. Example “Make a quick roll cast at the moving fish, it might eat”
Double haul: A long distance casting technique that relies on generating line speed by releasing line on a forward and back cast. The double haul is perfect at cutting through wind. Example “The fish are just in range, quickly double haul to reach them!”
Drag: An integral part of a fly reel, the drag allows you to adjust resistance and control the speed at which line is pulled off the reel by a fish. Fighting a fish with drag is the key to landing a monster. Example “That fish is ripping line off the reel, tighten your drag!”
False Cast: A method to lengthen the amount of line that you cast, it involves casting line forward and back in the air without the line touching the water. The false cast is crucial for generating distance. Example “Begin false casting and prepare to launch your fly, we have fish moving in front of us”.
Leader: A piece of flurocarbon that acts as the median between the fly line and tippet, this is usually a stiffer and heavier piece of line. Example “Make sure your leader is untangled before casting”
Tippet: The thin piece of line that attaches to your leader, tippet has thin but strong properties. The higher the tippet value the lower the strength. Example “I usually choose 5x tippet over 4x because it’s a little lighter and stealthier for those finicky rainbows.”
Articulated: When referencing streamers, “articulated” simply means that the fly is made up of multiple sections connected by wire or linked in segments. Articulated streamers have more movement than their single-hooked compatriots.
Meat: If you hear another angler referring to the big brown trout they hooked while fishing “meat,” they’re bragging about fishing streamers, not throwing actual meat into the water, although we think that might work too.
Hopper: No, we’re not talking about David Harbour’s character in Stranger Things. “Hopper” refers to any time you are fishing a dry fly that mimics a grasshopper. Often used in the phrase, “Hopper-dropper” which refers to when you suspend a nymph below a bushy dry fly.
Dropper: Refers to any time that you suspend a nymph below a dry fly, one of the most effective ways to cover water anywhere trout swim.