There are a lot of different types of fly fishing flies available for use, but before you can get down to figuring out the different types of flies, you are going to have to understand what flies for fly fishing are meant to replicate in order to completely understand how you are supposed to work them. These often completely weightless lures require the use of heavier line to help propel them through the air using an art form that helps the angler place the fly exactly where they want it in the water. This is great for sight fishing and when you see swirls on the water and quickly need to get a lure to them.
These flies are really meant to replicate smaller insects and bug larva that either live in the water, or end up falling there from either birds, trees, or getting washed in by heavy rains. Whatever the case is, fish both large and small love eating these smaller creatures, and it is the staple of most smaller species food diets. The way that these flies move through the water column helps to mimic the smaller insect which fish find irresistible. There are two major types of flies used for fly fishing, either the wet variety or the dry fly, and both have their distinct times for being used.
photo credit: Dylan Luder
If fish are focusing on top of the water for their smaller meals, or waiting for bugs to get washed in which is typically the case during and after rain storms, then you are probably going to want to use a dry fly that sticks to the top of the water. These super light flies, often containing foam to help keep them above the water column, will barely break the waters surface as you pull the line back in, and this minute movement is what calls fish in like a dinner bell. These types of flies are often considered poppers, or topwater flies.
On the other hand, when fish are looking for prey to be moving around under the waters surface, which tends to be the case when the sun is high over head, they are going to want larger lures that have a bit more action, but that are also weighted to provide a more lifelike appeal, as well as getting under the waters surface. These types of lures generally attract the larger fish in your target species, so be prepared and don't forget to bring a heavier rod for these types of fly fishing flies
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