Glossary of fishing terms
Fly Fishing can seem daunting at first glance. Not only do beginners have to cope with the large selection of flies available to them, they will be subjected to some very specialised language used to describe certain aspects of the sport. I will try and make this easier for the beginner by defining some of the terms which are listed below in alphabetical order.
AFTM - Stands for Association of Fishing Tackle Manufacturers. A sytem of matching the line weight to the rod. Lines are categorised by the weight of the first 10 yds.
Backing - Braided line which attaches the floating/sinking line to the reel. Used as extra line when playing large fish which take the full amount of floating/sinking line from the reel.
Brown Trout - Native to Britain, these are highly prized trout which have a closed season during the winter months to spawn. They are more hardy than rainbow trout and are increasingly popular in fisheries.
Buzzer -
Catch And Release - The art of returning a caught fish back to the water. Banned on some water but becoming more popular, it is important to make sure the fish is not harmed and is able to be returned before returning it.
Drogue -
Dry Fly - A fly which is designed to float on the surface of the water, e.g. Blue Dun, Greenwells Glory. Usually used in the summer months when fish are feeding high up in the water.
Ferrox Trout - Trout that live mainly or exclusively by eating their own species. (All trout will eat their own to some extent)
Figure Of Eight Retrieve -
Float Tube - A relatively new concept. The fisherman sits in the float tube and can paddle with his feet. Increasingly popular when fishing stillwaters although only a minority of waters allow them.
Forceps - Used to remove the fly from fish either with teeth, or which are deeply hooked.
Landing Net - Used to remove the fish from the water. Should be big enough to take any fish you will catch. All nets now are knotless.
Leader - Used to connect the fly to the main line. Can apply grease to it to make it float or degrease it to make it sink. Usually about 12 foot in length. Flurocarbon is becoming an increasingly popular material for leaders.
Lure - A fly which is designed to provoke aggression in a fish. Usually brightly coloured and tied on a large hook e.g. Cats Whiskers. Mini lures are becoming more popular especially with competition anglers.
Nymph -
Reel - Used to store the line when fishing and not fishing. It is possible to play a fish using the reel by winding in slowly against the force of the fish. Some reels have adjustable drag systems to change the force needed to remove lines from the reel.
Rod - Used to cast the line, and play the fish. Rods come in different lengths which are suited to different situations. A rod for a small river will be shorter than one used for a large reservoir.
Shooting Head -
Sinking Line - A line which sinks in the water. Used for getting down to deep lying fish. Very popular for fishing reservoirs where the fish can go very deep. Sinking lines have varying sink rates.
Spey Casting - A roll cast with a difference, the line is cast out in a different angle than it was before. Developed on the Spey where high banks / trees stopped effective overhead casting.
Stockie - Term used to describe a recently stocked fish. The term 'stockie bashing' refers to catching numerous stockies, often in reservoirs which have been recently stocked.
Strike Indicator - Sometimes used when river fishing with nymphs. It is easy to see where the fly is with an indicator especially in fast flowing rivers. Indicator shows when the fly is moved by also moving the indicator.
Wet Fly - A fly which is designed to be fished under the surface of the water. Often fished as a 'team' on reservoirs, e.g. Dunkeld, Alexandra. Very popular when fishing rivers. Usually imitate small fish.
Windknot - A knot tied in leader when casting. Usually formed by forcing the cast and thereby creating a tailing loop which will result in knot tying. So-called because of forcing the cast against the wind.