Dry flies are meant to stay on the surface and are patterned after terrestrial or aquatic insects that float. They are usually presented with a floating fly line. The secret is to deliver the fly in such as way as to give the impression of a natural drift, similar to that of a real insect that has fallen into the water.

Wet flies/nymphs

Wet flies and nymphs sink and are patterned to imitate hatching, aquatic insects, but are often designed to resemble worms, scuds, leeches and snails. They can be fish with any fly line — floating, sinking tip in rivers or full sinking in lakes — depending on where the fishing are holding. The action is usually drifting, but varies with whatever the pattern is intended to imitate.

Streamers

Streams are among the larger of the fly patterns, and are intended to resemble small fish. They are fished below the surface with a jerky, swimming action. Streamers can be fished in lakes or rivers and usually catch the larger, minnow-eating fish.