Terrestrial flies explained

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Type:	Terrestrial fly
Imitates:	Adult Terrestrial insects
Sizes:	Dry fly sized to imitation
Hooktype:	TMC 900, Firehole 718
Use1:	Trout, Freshwater Bass (fish), Panfish

Terrestrial flies are a broad group of artificial flies used by fly anglers to imitate terrestrial insects that fall prey to fish in rivers, streams and lakes. Most typical are patterns imitating grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles, leaf hoppers, cicadas and moths.^[1]

History

Terrestrial fly patterns as a class of artificial was developed in earnest in the 1950s with the publication of Vincent C. Marinaro's A Modern Dry Fly Code-The Classic and Revolutionary Book on Dry-Fly Fishing with Aquatic and Terrestrial Artificials (1950).^[2] In the early centuries of fly fishing, fly anglers certainly attempted to replicate just about any type of live bait used for fishing. Some of these flies were undoubtedly replicating terrestrial insects. The Palmer Worm of the 17th century was a heavily hackled fly that resembled a common fuzzy caterpillar, yet as Andrew Herd in The Fly-Two Thousand Years of Fly Fishing (2003) relates, palmer worms were never found in or on the water.^[3]

General description

Most terrestrial patterns are designed to float and are fished as dry flies. They replicate a terrestrial insect that is either blown on to the water surface or falls into the water from bankside vegetation. Exceptions are patterns replicating ants may be designed to sink as when ants drown, they sink. Early terrestrial patterns relied on hair, fur, hackle and other feathers to craft the fly. Modern terrestrial patterns rely heavily on foam, rubber and other synthetic materials.^[1]

List of Terrestrial patterns

Ants

As described in Trout Flies-A Tier's Reference (1999), Dave Hughes^[4]

Leaf Hoppers

As described in A Modern Dry-Fly Code (1950), Vincent C. Marinaro^[5]

• Jassid

Moths

As described in Fly Patterns-Tie Thousands of Flies (2008), Randall and Mary Kaufmann^[6]

• Hoolet Moth

As Described in Yellowstone Country Flies-The Fly Patterns of Parks' Fly Shop (2013), Walter Wiese^[7]

• Korn's Spent Spruce Moth

Cicadas

As described in Fly Patterns-Tie Thousands of Flies (2008), Randall and Mary Kaufmann^[8]

Notes and References

1. Book: Steeves, Harrison R. . Koch, Ed . Terrestrials-A Modern Approach to Fishing and Tying with Synthetic and Natural Materials . Stackpole Books . Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania . 1994 . 0-8117-0629-X . 8-9 . The History of Terrestrial Fishing.
2. Book: Steeves, Harrison R. . Koch, Ed . Terrestrials-A Modern Approach to Fishing and Tying with Synthetic and Natural Materials . Stackpole Books . Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania . 1994 . 0-8117-0629-X . 10-21 . The Terrestrial Menu.
3. Book: Herd, Andrew Dr . The Fly . Medlar Press . Ellesmere, Shropshire . 2001 . 1-899600-19-1 . 135-138.
4. Book: Hughes, Dave . Trout Flies-The Tier's Reference . Stackpole Books . Mechanicsburg, PA . 1999 . 978-0-8117-1601-7 . Ants and Beetles . 427-442 .
5. Book: Marinaro, Vincent C. . A Modern Dry Fly Code . 1950 . G. P. Putnam Sons . New York . 1-55821-413-5 . 92, 181-194 . Japanese Beetle.
6. Book: Fly Patterns-Tie Thousands of Flies . Kaufmann . Randall . Kaufmann . Mary . 2008 . Western Fisherman Press . Moose, WY . 9781885212238 . Dry Flies . 196.
7. Book: Wiese, Walter J. . Yellowstone Country Flies-The Fly Patterns of Parks' Fly Shop . Walter J. Wiese . 2013 . Attractor and Terrestrial Dry Flies. 158-159.
8. Book: Fly Patterns-Tie Thousands of Flies . Kaufmann . Randall . Kaufmann . Mary . 2008 . Western Fisherman Press . Moose, WY . 9781885212238 . Dry Flies . 165.