Adams - fly pattern; also mixed grizzly and brown hackles
Aft Body - See Body
Angora - Angora rabbit fur; made as soft yarn, dyed in colors
Attractor - Any fly pattern not designed to imitate a specific insect or other natureal living baitform, relying solely on form, flash or other distinctive qualities to attract fish.
Barb - 1. Part of a feather (see Feather). 2. On a hook, the bsackward projecting point meant to prevent easy extraction
Barbicel - A part of a feather (see Feather).
Barbule - A part of a feather (see Feather).
Bead Chain - All metal flexible cord of small strung beads; cut in pairs and tied to simulate buggy eyes on a fly.
- Small clump of hackle barbs tied below the hook's shank extending back from behind the fly's head.
Bend - On a hook, the curved portion connecting the shank and barbed or pointed projection.
Bobbin - Hand held tool used for controlled thread supply.
Bodkin - Tool for applying cement, wax, for cleaning the eye and other purposes; syn. dubbing needle.
Body - Main portion of fly constructed on or around hook between the tail and head; simulates bodies of living baitforms; fore and aft bodies are portions extending before or behind the center joint. Insect bodies are divided into three parts as follows:
Head - Front segment; contains eyes and mouuth
Thorax - Middle segment; includes nymphal wingpads; supports legs and wings.
Abdomen - Rear segment; contains stomach and digestive organs; in ants, the gaster
Breast - Of birds, front of the body below the neck; a type of feather from the same area of the body.
Bucktail - 1. Type of fly, usually a baitfish imitation, with a hair back and.or wing. 2. Tail hair from members of the deer family.
Butt - 1. On a fly, the small ring of material between body and tail. 2. The thickest part of the feather's qull nearest the bird's body.
Deer Hair - Hair of the deer family; usually refers to deer body hair, as differentiated from bucktail (tail hairs); a soft, compressible (erroneously termed "hollow") fiber extensively used in fly tying.
Down - The fluffy barbs near the butt of a feather; also a type of feather next to the body not used to tie flies.
Downwing - A type of fly wing (see Wing).
Dressing - The act of applying materials to a hook to construct a fly; alos the materials except the hook which comprise the finished fly; syn. tying the fly.
Dry Fly - Type of fly designed to float, usually an insect or spider imitation; simulates freshly emerged or dead or dying floating on the water's surface.
Dubbing - Fur or similar soft fibers intended for body material; also, the technique of twisting such material with the tying thread to form a furry strand of body material.
Dubbing Needle - Syn. bodkin
Dubbing Wax - Special tacky wax used to adhere dubbing material to the tying thread.
Dun - 1. First stge of the adult mayfly. 2. Any soft, dull greyish color.
Egg-sack - a (fly) butt used to simulate the egg-sack of an insect.
Emerger - Type of fly with nymphal shape and stubby downwings; imitates mayfly hatched underwater swimming to surface.
Epoxy - Type of two-part adhesive; hardens when mixed in correct proportions; clear type is used to bond and coat fly parts.
Evazote - Trade mark of Bakelite Xylonite Limited for its closed cell foamed cross-linked ethylene vinyl acetate product; an extremely buoyant foam with great fly tying potential.
Eye - 1. Part of hook where line is connected. 2. A small feather tied to simulate a baitfish eye on streamer and bucktail fly patterns (syn. shoulder). 3. Anything, painted or tied, intended to simulate the eye of a baitfish, insect or other living creature. 4. Distinctive "eye" pattern forming the tip of peacock tail feathers.
Feather - The body covering and wing flight surface element of birds; includes different types designed to perform a variety of specific functions; not all feathers are suited to fly tying; feathers used to tie flies include hackle, primary and secondary, breast, flank, tail, ornamental plumage and a few others except down. Most feathers are obtained from wildfowl such as gamecocks, waterfowl, pheasant species and others; while the size, shape and frequency of each part varys among the different kinds of feathers, all feathers have at least three of the following structural elements in common..... More:
Quill (or stem) - The main central shaft, the butt of which is inbedded in the bird.
Barb (or fiber) - Lateral fiber branching from both sides of the quill, individually distinct on hackles.
Barbule - Lateral fiber branching from on or both sides of a barb, collectively referred to as the "web>"
Barbicel - Projection, often hook-tipped, present on the barbules of some types of feathers; mechanically binds the barbs together (Natue's zipper)>
Fiber - Threadlike component of a substance: syn (feather) barb
Flank - On birds, the areas below the wing along each side; also the contour feathers that cover the bird's flanks.
Flashabou - A mylar tinsel flash with a marabou like action. Great as a winging material for Jigs and Streamers.
Flight - A type of wing feather; syn. secondary
Floss - A lustrous 1 to 4 strand flat yarn made from silk, rayon, nylon and other fibers, available in many colors including radiantly dyed types; untwisted glossy yarn made for tying flies.
Fluff - syn. down
Fly - 1. A fishhook dressed with suitable materials intended to deceive and catch fish; an artificial lure the weight of which is nonessential to the act of casting as opposed to a weighted lure such as a leadhead jig; paradoxically, added weight is desirable when presenting deeply fished flies such as nymphs. 2. A type of living insect.
Fur - General term for the soft, dense hairy growth covering the bodies of so-called fur bearing mammals; includes both the underfur and guard hairs.
Hackle - 1. A fly part; feather, hair or other fibers tied so as to radiate from the bodies of certain flies (see Spun and Palmer). 2. types of contour feathers lacking barbicels found principally on the neck and back of the bird; rooster (chicken) hackles are of the following types..... More
Neck - Narrow; relatively stiff quill and barbs; found covering the entire neck and back of the head.
Spade - Short; wide; relatively stiff quill and barbs; found on upper back and shoulder of wings; also called shoulder hackles.
Saddle - Long; slim; limber quill; stiff shiny barbs; found on the back between spade hackles and tail.
Spey - Long; relatively wide; limber quill; "webby" barbs; found on the sides of the tail near its base.
Hackle Pliers - Tool used to grasp the hackle's tip during the tying process.
Hair - The threadlike fibers that grow from the skin of mammals; in fur bearing mammals, both the underfur and guard hairs.
Hair Tamper - Tool used to align the tips of deer body hairs and bucktail; syn. stacker.
Half-Hitch - A type of knot used to secure materials during the tying process, sometimes used to finish the fly.
Head - 1. Usually the last fly part completed behind the eye of the hook. 2. Front segment of an insect's body and the body part of living baitforms containing eyes and mouth.
Head Cement - Specially formulated clear liquid adhesive used to coat the head of the finished fly, and for bonding fly parts during the tying process.
Herl - The long, limber "feathery" barbs on peacock tail feathers, ostrich plumes, etc.
Hook - 1. A fishhook; a device, usually of wire, forged or unforged, designed and shaped to catch fish; consists of the following parts: eye, shank, bend, barb (if any) and point. 2. Fly part on which materials are dressed.
Horns - A fly part; single pair of feather barbs (not sections) tied on at the head, extending over the wings or topping.
Jamb Knot - Technique of binding the tying thread to the shank by a series of overlying wraps of thread; used to start the tying process.
Larva - The immature, wormlike pre-pupa stage of certain insects including caddis flies; larva are distinguished from nymphs by the absence of wing pads.
Latex - Very thin, flexible, so-called "live" rubber (also called "dental dam"); comes in natural or dyed colors.
Lead Wire - Used to weight fly bodies; comes in various diamenters - .010, 015,....035. Illegal to use in some states.
Marabou - Very soft, downy barbed, limber quilled feather; wing and tail feathers of the marabou stork. Today most comes from the turkey.
May Fly - Also mayfly; aquatic insect (order Ephemeroptera), tailed; three forms: nymph, dun and spinner adults; numerous fly patterns imitate each form. Incomplete Metamorphosis - egg, nymph and adult.
Mohair - Type of yarn; hair of the Angora goat.
Mosquito - Aquatic insect (order Diptera), tailess; three forms:larva, pupa, adult; flies usually imitate adult form.
Mylar - 1. A metalized gold orsilver thin, narrow plastic ribbon, also made in colors; also called mylar tinsel. 2. A transparent plastic.
Mylar Tubing - Metalized mylar braided to enclose a cotton stranded core; with core removed, the mylar tube is used as fly body material; imitates the body scales of baitfish; also called mylar piping.
Neck - The neck skin of a chicken with hackles still attachd; syn. cape; neck consists of two parts:
Nape - Smaller section equals size 18 and smaller.
Butt - Larger section equals hackles size 16 and larger.
Neer Hair - A synthetic substitute for bucktail that is actually easier to work with than natural hair. 11 inch lengths, 22 colors.
Noodle - Fur rolled to a round slender length for use as dubbing.
Nymo - dtype of flat stranded nylon thread no longer made.
Nymph - 1. Any immature three phase life cycle, tailed aquatic insect with wing pads, such as a pre-dun phase mayfly. 2. A type of fly that imitates an insect's nymphal phase.
Padding - Any material applied under another to fill out or shape any part of a fly.
Palmer - Tying technique; hckle wrapped spirally along a length, as along the body of a fly; hackle so wrapped is called palmered hackle, the process palmering.
Parachute - Hackle spun horizontally around a vertical support arising from the shank, such as an upright wing or other projection.
Pattern - 1. Fly - a standardized model; similar or identical materials tied in established relationships to form a distinct silhouette. 2. Hook - a series proportionately identical, differing in relative sizes; syn. style.
Peacock Eye - Distinctively "eyed" tip of peacock's tail plumage.
Peacock Sword - Type of ornamental plumage on the peacock (birds).
Pointer - Type of flight feather; one of the first six feathers on the tip of the bird's wings, syn. primary.
Polypropylene - Synthetic fiber; extremely water repellent material; used as dubbing material, fly wing material; range of colors; available as yarn and loose dubbing material.
Popper - Type of floating fly with a body made of cork, spun deer body hair, plastic foam or other material; designed usually to make a "popping" sound when vigorously retrieved across the water's surface.
Quill - 1. The central hollow shaft of a feather; syn. stem. 2. A section of attached barbs trimmed from primary or similar vane-like feathers for use as a fly wing, such as a quill wing.
Raffia - Fiber from the raffia palm tree (natural or dyed colors).
Rib Ribbing - 1. Any thread or threadlike material wrapped spirally along the fly's body. 2. Tying technique to form the rib.
Rubber Hackle - Fiber-like, soft "live" rubber used for legs on certain types of flies, notably popping bugs.
Saddle - A type of hackle feather (see Feather); also a section of the bird's back skin with the hackles attached.
Sash - Portion of fly body between collar and butt, usually made of bright material.
Scud - Any of various amphipod crustaceans, commonly but mistakenly know as "freshwater shrimp"; a fly pattern.
Secondary - A blunt-tipped vane-surfaced feather from the wing's trailing edge near the body of the bird; usually, ten feathers on each wing; syn. flight.
Shank - Of a hook; portion between the eye and the bend.
Shellcase - The crustlike shell covering the back and sides of crustaceans such as shrimp, scuds, sandcrabs and similar living species; materials used to simulate these shells include plastics, latex, swisstraw, hair, etc.
Shoulder - A fly part; small feather on the side intended to simulate the eye of a baitfish; not shoulder (spade) hackle.
Spent - 1. A type of fly wing (see Wing). 2. A dead or dying insect.
Spin - Tying technique; act of spinning a material around the shank or body of the fly.
Spinner - Final winged stage in the life of a mayfly.
Splayed - Two parts with diverging tips, such as tail fibers and wings that spread apart as they leave the body (see Wings).
Split Bead - Small hollow bead cut nearly in two; used for head or other fly body parts.
Spun - Any multi-fibered material spun around the hook so that its individual fibers flare or radiate from the shank or body of the fly; spun deer body is applied in small bunches; spun hackle refers to the feather wrapped in one small area (see Palmer and Hackle).
Stem - Syn. quill.
Stonefly - Aquatic insect (order Plecoptera), tailed; three phases: egg, nymph and (folded wing) adult.
Streamer - type of fly; usually a baitfish imitatin with a feather back and/or wing; (see Bucktail).
Strips - A fly part; matched pair of primary type barb sections, usually long and slender, placed near the top edge or in the center of the wing.
Style - syn. pattern.
Super Hair - This translucent material is made from fine diameter nylon fiber. It is long, soft and slightly crinkly and moves well in the water. 11 inch lengths, 27 colors.
Swisstraw - A single-stranded viscose rayon ribbon which flattens when wetted; available in over 40 different colors.
Tag - A band of tinsel, mylar, floss, or other material on the shank of the hook.
Tail - A fly part, usually the rearmost projection from the shank of the hook.
Tail Tag - A vert short stubby tail, usually wool or floss.
Terrestrial - Type of fly; simulates various forms of land-oriented insects such as ants, beetles, caterpillars, hoppers, etc.
>Tinsel - An all-metal silver or gold plated, flat, oval, smooth or enbossed strand, available in several widths (see Mylar).
Tip - 1. Fly - band of tinsel, mylar, floss on the shank directly behind the body and encircling the tail. 2. Feather - small end opposite the butt of the quill.
Tippet - 1. Neck hackles of the pheasant. 2. The tip section of a fly line leader; specifically the end that connects to the tied fly.
Topping - Herl or similar long, usually bright colored material tied atop the overwing of a streamer or bucktail fly.
Trailers - Matched feather sections such as short pheasant crest, one above and the other below the body tied on at the center joint.
Turkey - A large bird; also the wing, tail and other feathers of the turkey that are used to tie flies.
Tying Thread - Also termed tying silk; the continuous filament, usually multi-stranded fiber, used to bind the parts of a fly together; made of nylon or silk in various colors and sizes....More
Ultra Chenille - A very densely packed chenille that won't unravel and is harder to crush than regular chenilles. It makes perfect uniform bodies, the perfect material for tying San Juan Worms.
Underbody - The exposed finished body part closest to the hook point.
Underfur - The soft hairs that densely cover the bodies of fur bering mammals; (see Guard Hair).
Vise - A tool disigned to hold the hook firmly in position during the process of tying the fly.
Wax - Special non-drying tacky compounds made for fly tying; usually formulated in three grades: No. 1, thread coating; No's 2 and 3, dubbing.
Web - 1. Numerous and pronounced barbules lacking barbicels. 2. In hackle, the distinct triangular areas seen on both sides of the quill, widest near the butt of the feather and tapering toward its tip.
Wet Fly - Type of fly; generally, any fly (usually an insect imitation) dressed sparsely so as to quickly sink; a sinking pattern intended to be fished below the surface.
Whip Finish - A type of knot used to complete the fly; may be tied with either special whip-finishing tools or by the so-called "two hand whip finish" tying technique; a knot that results in a flat lay of thread without bulges.
Wing - 1. The flight sustaining appendage of birds, insects and other flying creatures or devices. 2. The fly part meant to imitate the wings of insects or (in the case of streamer type fies) the upper portion of the body and tail of baitfish; fly wings are made from a variety of materials including feathers, hair, plastic films and other natural and synthetic fibers; with respect to a hook as viewed from its side, the three basic types of fly wings and their orientation are: down (horizontal, parallel to the shank), up (vertical, perpendicular to the shank) and spent (horizontal, perpendicular to the shank, tips opposed).
Wingcase - Syn. wing pads.
Wing Pads - The hard case over the thorax of a nymph covering its folded wings.
Wrap - A turn of material around the axial shaft of the hook, usually of thread or another strand-type product, made to secure a part of the fly; also the act of wrapping, as to wrap the body.
