Fly fishing is one of those outdoor activities that has
developed a language all of its own. If you are really going to
get hooked, you are going to need some insight in to what
people are talking about.
Fly Fishing Jargon
There is a great debate in the fishing world as to whether
enthusiasts and regular anglers should be grouped together and
use the same terms.
At first glance, it would seem so. In truth, people that
gravitate to tend to stick solely with it. This, of course, has
resulted in the development of a language all their own.
Often, the language actually contradicts some terms that
have other meanings in the traditional fishing lexicon.
Action is a word generally understood to mean whether the
fish are biting or not. If they are, the action is good. If
they are not, well at least you are not at work.
In fly fishing, however, "action" is usually used to refer
to the pace a particular fly rod casts a line. Stiffer rods
tend to cast lines faster and farther while rods that bend more
tend to cast lines slower and shorter distances.
If you tell a fly fisherman that the action was good at the
river today, they will start looking at your rod instead of
asking you about your tally.
Affluent is another term that has taken on a unique meaning
in the area of fly fishing. No, it does not refer to someone
being able to speak another language.
It also does not refer to the size of their bank account.
Instead, it refers to a particular type of stream – one that
flows into a bigger body of water.
Understanding this can help you avoid a lot of confusion
when people start talking about an affluent.
Perhaps the most obvious area where language has run amuck
is, well, the flies. If you hear an odd name that sounds like
slang, it is most often referencing a particular type of
fly.
A fly, of course, is your "bait".
It is almost always a man made hook with all manner of
things tied onto it. In general, one is trying to create
something that looks tasty to fish that hunt flies and
insects.
Common, if odd, fly names include Wooly Bugger, anything
with the name nymph following it and the famous Frankenfly.
A Frankenfly is what you get the first time you try to make
your own fly. It will be horrific, but you will love it since
it is yours. You might even frame it.
Obviously, this is a relatively modest introduction to the
language of the enthusiasts. The best way to
learn fly fishing jargon is to take
"action" to become "affluent".