fly lure

A fly lure, Fly, or "pattern," in the terminology of sport fishing and fly fishing, is an artificial lure tied, most commonly, with thread, feathers, and fur, but may also include lead (for weight), ribbon, tinsel, beads, and other assorted materials. The term "fly lure" is not in use in the United States, where a lure is considered distinct from an artificial fly. A lure, in this parlance, denotes only a fishing lure with enough weight to be thrown on conventional tackle. A fly's chief distinction is its lack of weight; one must use a fly rod to cast out a fly because only a fly rod can be "loaded" or bent by a fly line, which provides the weight needed to carry out the fly.

Fly tying is a common practice in fly fishing, considered by many anglers an important part of the fly fishing experience. Many fly fishers tie their own flies, either following patterns in books, natural insect examples, or using their own imagination. The technique involves attaching small pieces of feathers, animal fur, and other materials on a hook in order to make it attractive to fish. This is made by wrapping thread tightly around the hook and tying on the desired materials.

Generally, fly patterns are considered either "imitations" or "attractors." Imitations seek to deceive fish through the life-like imitation of insects on which the fish may feed. Attractors, which are often brightly colored, seek to draw a strike by arousing a response in the fish unrelated to feeding, or so it is thought. Famous attractors are the Stimulator, Royal Wulff, and Green Weenie flies.

There are four main categories of flies: dry fly, wet fly, streamer fly, and nymph.