Fly fishing is many things to many people. For some, it is
a zen like way to interact with nature. For others, it is
test of skill in the act of competing with tricky little
fish. For yet others, it is a ballet of artistic movements
and techniques to obtain the perfect cast for the perfect
fly placement that produces the perfect catch. For most, it
is just good, clean fun. Whatever your preference, fly
fishing has a definite language you will need to learn.

Traditionally, fly fishing takes place on flowing water
such as a river or stream. There are variations for lake or
ocean destinations, but they represent a minority. Given
this fact, following is an explanation of some of the terms
associated with traditional fly fishing.

A “riffle” is an area with fast moving water broken up over
some solid structure, most often rocks. A rifle can be an
excellent location to cast for a number of reasons. The
riffle tends to be an area where insects congregate. Where
there are insects, there are fish. In particular, try to
cast to areas just downstream of blockages as your catch
should be residing in such locations.

A “pool” is an area where fast flowing water enters a
deeper pool of water. Often found just after riffles, a
pool offers little in the way of prospecting in the
interior. It does, however, offer excellent prospects in
the areas where water flows in. More than a few species of
fish feed at such locations as the water flowing into the
pool brings food and nutrients with it.

“Dead water” refers to an area where there is little or no
current. This tends to occur in odd geographic areas, large
rivers or areas with flow problems. Dead water is rarely a
good place to fish, so avoid it like the plague.

Although not a term per se, vegetation that grows out into
the water and shady shoreline locations are often excellent
places to fish. These locations offer the combination of
shade and nutrients, which are popular with fish. When
referring to shade, it is important to understand that fish
are not generally worried about sunburns. Instead, they are
worried about dive bombing birds such as Osprey. A fish
that cruises along the top of a pool of water in direct
sunlight tends to have a very short life span.

Obviously, the above represents a small sampling of
terminology related to rivers and moving areas.
Nonetheless, you will at least know why so many anglers
talk about riffles.

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