Aberdeen Hook A name and shape of a fish hook. See more detailed information here


Aboard On a boat.

AC Plug
A.C. Plug   A brand name of a large trout-imitating, jointed topwater lure made of wood.

Action 

(1) The act of dragging a fly across the current and giving it an unnatural drift.

(2) When fish are biting  -  Getting a nibble

(3) An elusive, but important characteristic of fishing rods. Rods are said to have fast or slow action. Fast action rods are generally stiffer overall, but bend more at the tip, generating higher line speeds longer casts, especially into the wind. Slow action rods, appear to flex their entire length, giving the sense of a more compliant feel.
Describes the elapse time from when the rod is flexed to when it returns to its straight configuration. Also refers to the strength of the rod, light, medium and heavy, with light being a limber rod and heavy a stout rod.

Adams
or
Adams Special  A general, widely used dry fly pattern to imitate an adult mayfly.

The Adams is a great multipurpose dry fly and it is commonly used as a searching fly. By simply changing its size, the Adams can imitate a variety of mayfly duns.

Adipose Fin  On some fish species its the fatty fin located between the dorsal and tail fin.

Adult  The final phase of an insect's life cycle, most often occurring above water for aquatic insects.


Air bladder   A gas-filled sac in the upper part of the body cavity of many bony fishes. It is located just beneath the vertebral column; its principal function is to offset the weight of the heavier tissue such as bone.

The rig pictured here is different than using a single lure with multiple treble hooks that is designed to catch just one fish. Instead, the Alabama/Umbrella/Yumbrella rigs are artificial lure/baits that involve many separate lures/baits attached via wires to a fishing line. Consequently, these rigs are not a single artificial bait/lure, rather a collection of multiple artificial lures/baits each capable of catching a fish.

In the water, the rigs simulate a small school of bait fish and YouTube videos show anglers catching two and even three largemouth bass on an Alabama/Umbrella/Yumbrella rig at the same time.

 


Albright knot  A common knot used for tying the backing to fly line.

Alevin A newly hatched salmon or trout


Algae  Simple plant organisms.


Alphabet lures  Wide-body crankbaits that were originally fashioned from wood.

Anadromous -- Fish that hatch rear in fresh water, migrate to the ocean (salt water) to grow and mature, and migrate back to fresh water to spawn and reproduce.


Anal Fin  Fin located on the bottom and near the back of the fish.

ANCHOR   A heavy metal object that keeps boats from drifting.


Anchor buoy  Usually a red plastic ball of at least 24 inches in diameter, with a large ring attached. Hook the ring on the anchor rope and heave the buoy overboard. Drive the boat upwind or upcurrent. Presto! The anchor is pulled up quickly to the buoy using horsepower instead of human power.

anchovy or anchovies   A species of 4- to 8-inch baitfish found in the ocean that is also a popular bait used for striped bass at places like Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and Lake Pleasant but can be used for catfish as well.

ANGLER   Anyone who fishes using a pole or a rod and reel.

Some reels do not have the instant anti reverse feature & there is plenty of "play" in the reel handle. This is bad news and is usually found in "cheaper" fishing reels.

If you do not have instant anti reverse on your reel, then each time you set the hook, the handle will slam back until it stops, "shocking" the gears in your reel. Eventually, your reel will start to deteriorate and then finally, it will break on you.

Antron A synthetic yarn material made of long sparkly fibers used for many aspects of fly tying including wrapped bodies, spent wings, and trailing shucks. Is also used for dubbing material.


Arbor  The center part of a fly reel where line and backing (first) is wound.

The size of the spool of a fly reel. "Large arbor" reels have large-diameter spools, which helps prevent a fly line from curling.

Arbor knot A knot used for tying backing to the arbor of the fly reel.

Imitation or substitute for natural bait or fish forage and includes, but is not limited to spinners, spoons, poppers, plugs, jigs and plastic, rubber or other artificial imitations of natural bait.

Artificial Lure See Lure


Artificial Reef  Any material sunk offshore for the express purpose of attracting fish. Old boats, concrete culverts, metal pipe, the list is endless. Most states now require a permit before dumping because non-practical material was being used, objects that rusted quickly, polluted or were a hazard to shrimpnets.

Attractant   Liquid, solid or power form of scent applied to fishing lures for increased productivity.


Attractor
Attractor patterns  A style or variety of bright, bold flies that is effective in eliciting strikes, but has few apparent characteristics of a natural food item. Often an attractor is flashy and bigger than life.

    Attractor patterns often provoke a fish's tendency to strike.

Auger Used for ice fishing to drill holes through the ice. Augers come in gas powered or manual back power.

Aught  The digit 0; zero. Usually used in reference to fish hook size.

Back leads   A small device used to force your line down to the bottom.  It is a small lead weight that is tethered to a stick pushed into your bank.  The lead has a small open clip at the top on which you push over your line. The weight is then dropped down under the water, pulling the line down with it.   When a fish strikes, the line pulls up and out of the open clip.


Back cast The casting of line in a direction opposite to the direction the fly is intended to go. The backward counterpart of the forward cast which acts to create a bending action on the fly rod, setting up the conditions to generate the forward cast and present the fly.

Backing  Thin, strong string that is attached to a fly reel to fill up the spool before attaching the fly line.

The first segment of line on a reel, usually braided and used to build up the arbor and to offer additional distance for a strong fish to pull out line. An unusually strong fish will take you "into your backing".


Backing down  Driving a boat backwards (in reverse) while pursuing a fish.


Backing Line Nylon or Dacron line tied between the fly line and the reel to act as additional line if a longer length than the flyline is required to play a fish.


Backlash   When fishing line gets tangled on a reel.


Backwater  Shallow area of a river that is sometimes isolated, often being located behind a sand bar or other obstruction in the river. Large backwaters tat are isolated may be referred to as oxbows.


Baetis  A small grey mayfly. see Mayfly


Bag Limit The number of fish that may be kept by an Angler legally.


Bail  Metal, semi-circular arm on an open-face spinning reel that engages the line after a cast.


Bait  usually refers to something natural or live that is used to attract fish to bite. The terms bait and lure may be used interchangeably.

Bait is the food you put on your hook to make fish want to bite it. Any substance used to attract fish. Traditionally, nightcrawlers, insects, and smaller fish have been used for this purpose. There is also artificial bait to attract fish.

Most common style of reel used in bass fishing, typically round or oval shaped and somewhat open construction. Also known as level wind reels.

Fishing with a revolving-spool reel and baitcasting rod; reel mounted on topside of rod.

Baitfish a small fish (minnow or shiner) that is a source of food for a larger fish: used for fishing bait.

Bait Fishing  Is a style of Fishing which uses a live or dead organism (worm, cricket, etc,) attached on a Fish Hook. It is a simple way of presenting a Fishing Bait in an area of water where the fish are likely to be feeding. For more information, see our section on Bait Fishing.

Baitholder Hook or Bait Hook  A name and shape of a fish hook. See more detailed information here

Baitwell  A special well or live well in a boat to hold bait.


Balao Pronounced "bally-hoo," this is the popular offshore bait used for trolling, most often for billfish. The bait of choice for sailfish for many years. A pricey bait when used for other saltwater species.


Ball bearings  Small metal balls added to the mechanical mechanism of high-quality reels to make the retrieve smoother. Normally the more ball bearings a reel has the higher quality.


Ballyhoo   A small shiny fish used for bait.
see Balao


Balsa  Type of wood several lures are manufactured from. This wood is very light, yet highly buoyant. Gives the lure great action. Examples include Bagley's Balsa B, and Rapala Minnows.


Bank   The raised ground next to a body of water.   The sloping area between the water’s edge and level ground. Roots and vegetation stabilize the banks, filter sediments, and reduce soil erosion.

The banks of a river may be gently sloping to the water, with a flat beach; or, there may be a steep drop, or even a cliff. An "undercut" bank is usually on the outside part of a river bend. With an undercut bank, water is actually "cutting" away soil underneath the bank. Water may go several feet under the bank, even below where you are standing. Fish, muskrats, and other animals use undercuts as shelter.


Bar  Long, shallow ridge in a body of water.


Barb

1.  a plant hair or bristle ending in a hook

2.  any of the side branches of the shaft of a feather 

3.  a raised burr on a hook to keep fish from getting off.

The barb is shaped such that after the hook goes into the fish's mouth, it won't easily come back out. Many catch and release anglers pinch barbs with pliers or file them down for easy hook removal.

Barbel  A slender tactile process or fleshy projection located around the head.


Barbless  a type of hook which does not have a barb on the pointed end. Barbless hooks are easier to set in the jaw of the fish and make it easier to release a fish unharmed. Many streams and rivers don't allow hooks with barbs to be used.

Bass Assassin   A brand of soft-plastic jerkbait.


Bass Boat   A fast boat made for fishing on fresh water.


Bateau   A small flat-bottomed boat, squared off on each end.

Bay  An inlet of the sea or ocean, usually smaller than a gulf.
Major indentation in the shoreline of a lake or reservoir

Beacon   A signal light used to help guide boats and airplanes.

Beads 

1. Glass, or plastic beads added to a Carolina Rig to enhance the noise, and protect the knot.

2. See Knot Protector Bead  

Bead Head  A Bead Head fly uses a metal bead to simulate the thorax on a nymph or wet fly and to add weight to the fly. Typically gold or silver is used, but any color can be used. Often a bright color such as red can stimulate a fish into biting.

Usually but not always a fly with a bead immediately behind the hook eye. Beads come in many materials, from brass to nickel brass to ceramic. Some beads help a fly sink, but others are floaters.

Bead headed midges  A type of fly used for fly-fishing. See above

Beds  Circular areas in the lake bottom that bass clear out in which to lay their eggs during the spawn. "The bass are on the beds" refers to the fish actively spawning.

Bell sinkers  Sinkers shaped like a bell, which are normally used on a Carolina Rig. Also known as casting sinkers.

Belly  The middle section of a fly line.

A tapered fly line has several components, with a fairly sharply tapered tip (at the fly end). The middle portion of the line is called the belly.


Belly Boat  A trademark for a brand of rubber inner tube boat used for fishing in quiet water.

Belly Strip  A strip of belly meat from a baitfish. Cut and trimmed in a streamlined fashion, it can be trolled behind the boat, where it flutters in a fashion enticing to gamefish.

Benthic  Bottom-dwelling.

Berley  bait scattered on water to attract fish


Billfish  Any of several species of pelagic fish, including sailfish, spearfish, blue, black or white marlin, and swordfish.

Bimini Twist A specific series of knots and twists in a leader which acts as a springy shock absorber in the line, usually used when fishing for large salt water fish.

It has a loop and a double line section making it especially strong. 

Biomass  The aggregate amount of living matter or a specific species within a specific habitat, or the total number of a specific species in a specific habitat.


Biot The short thick barbs from the leading edge of the first flight feather typically from a goose or a duck. Used to simulate tails, legs, antennae and other parts. Can be found dyed in many different colors.


Birdnest A tangle that can occur using a level wind,a newbies nightmare. When the line gets all tangled up inside your reel.

When you cast with a Baitcaster Reel and you don't put your thumb on the line before the lure hits the water, all your line will get tangled and make a huge mess that looks just like a bird's nest. Getting a birdnest is just part of fishing with a Baitcaster, everybody gets them.

Fiber glass and graphic fly rods (which also have fiber glass) are produced by wrapping sheets of graphite and fiber glass around a carefully tapered steel rod (called a mandrel). The hollow rod that results from this process is called a blank. It has no guides, ferrules or reel seat.

Blind cast   Casting at no particular target.


Blood knot  A knot used to tie two pieces of tippet together

best known for its strength in tying monofilaments of different diameter and material together. It is rather difficult to tie on the water and commercially-made blood knot tiers are available to make the job easier. A blood knot is often used to make a fly leader of several different diameter monofilament segments.

also known as a barrel knot.

Bloodworm   A worm with red juice inside that is used for bait.


Bluebird skies   A term used to describe bright, sunny, blue sky conditions that often make catching fish tough.


Bluefish
Blue fish  A kind of fish caught in saltwater.


Bluegill  (Lepomis macrochirus)

The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.

An edible North American fish, with a deep body and bluish cheeks and gill covers.



Boat   A small vessel that is moved by oars, sails or engine.


Boathouse   A building to keep boats


Bobber  maintains bait at given depth, indicates bites.  Also known as a float.

A small piece of cork or light wood or plastic attached to a fishing line to show when a fish is biting.

Bobber Stop  stops the line from sliding through the bobber at the depth you set them.

Bobbin  A tool for holding a spool of thread while fly tying which allows the thread to be dispensed with a controlled tension.

Bomber
Bomber Long "A"   A brand name of crankbait.


Bonk To kill a fish.


Boondoggle  Drifting your boat at or about the same speed as the current so one cast runs the entire length of the run.


Boot Opposite of chromer. An old salmon or Steelhead. Well past edible, although often seen in the hands of a beek, claiming "this ones for the smoker".



Bottom bouncing   a spin fishing technique where the spinner is cast up river from the shore, and then allowed to bounce on the river bottom until it has moved downstream.

Bottom Feeder   See Bottom fish


Bottom fish or Bottom feeder  A bottom-feeding fish, such as a catfish or carp. Refers to a fish that feeds predominantly on the bottom, not just one that is sometimes caught on the bottom, such as a largemouth bass or trout.


Bottom fishing   Fishing with the hook on the bottom


Bottom Rig   The hooks, weights and things fastened together for bottom fishing.


Bow   The forward (front) part of a boat.

Brook trout are native to Southeastern Canada and the United States north of Georgia.

Brook trout feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects, occasionally supplementing this diet with crayfish. Large brook trout may eat small fish.

Brushline  The inside or the outside edge of a stretch of brush.


Brush pile  Usually refers to a mass of small- to medium-sized tree limbs lying in the water. Brush piles may be only one of two feet across, or they may be extremely large; they may be visible or submerged. They can be created by Mother Nature or be man made. They typically attract fish, and fishermen.



Buccal  Pertaining to the cheeks or the cavity of the mouth.


Buck  Male fish


Bucketmouth - Largemouth Bass  (see bass)- A black bass, body green-shaded with a broad, continuous dark stripe along each side, belly white to yellowish, dorsal fin almost completely separated between spiny and soft portion and lower jaw extends past the gold-colored eye. Also called bigmouth bass, green trout, green bass


Bucktail   An imitation bait with feather or hair and a hook.
A streamer fly tied to imitate a fish. This fly usually features a long segment of hair, laid back from the eye to the bend of the hook. That hair often is from a deer's tail.

Buffer   a vegetated area of grass, shrubs, or trees designed to capture and filter runoff from surrounding land uses.


Bullet  Same as a chromer  -  A bright, fresh fish


Bullet Head Tool  A tool with a plate with several holes which can be pushed over the eye of a hook to arrange material in a bullet pattern. The material is first tied in facing forwards beyond the eye symmetrically around the shank, and then pushed backwards by the tool to form the distinctive bullet shape.


Bullet Sinker  A cone shaped piece of lead, zinc or steel of varying weights that slides up and down the line.

Bumping  Refers to the act of making a lure hit an object, such as a log, tree or rock, in a controlled manner (either intentionally or unintentionally), which can get the attention of a fish and result in a strike.


Bump-troll  Keeping a trolled bait mostly in one spot, by pointing the boat into the current/wind and "bumping" the engines in and out of gear, to hold position.


Buoy   A floating marker


Buoyancy The tendency of a body to float or rise when submerged in a fluid.


Butt Cap  This is at the bottom of the handle on a fishing rod: sometimes made of rubber, sometimes of cork. This is the end you might press into your stomach if you're fighting a good fish.
buttguide

Butt Guide  This is the guide closest to the handle end of your rod. Its located on the thickest part of the rod (butt), that's why it's referred to as the butt guide.


Butt Seat  A seat that is shaped in a sort of half moon design, which anglers often use to lean against while fishing. Also known as "Bike" seats.

Buzzbait – a type of topwater lure. These "safety pin" wire lures for surface fishing have a propeller blade on one wire and a weighted body, skirt and hook on the other.

Buzzing  Retrieving a spinnerbait or buzzbait along the water's surface to create a splash effect to resemble a wounded baitfish.


Bycatch  Non-targeted sea life caught by commercial fishermen. Tuna longlines have a bycatch of turtles or mahi-mahi, for instance. Shrimp nets have a bycatch of at least a hundred species of fish and crab, discarded overboard.

Caddis
Caddis fly  Also known as a "sedge," they are characterized by a tent-like wing or wept-back wings. An aquatic insect of major importance, along with the mayfly and stonefly, for the trout fly-fisherman. the Caddis Fly is also an insect that goes through a complete metamorphosis much like a butterfly. Caddis have four stages of development, from egg to larva to pupa to adult.

A caddis worm is the larva of a caddis fly.

Caddis Worm  the larva of a caddis fly.


Canal  A man made waterway used for navigation.

Cajun Line  See Zebco


Camouflage   A way to hide things and make them hard to see.

Cane Pole  A pole of natural cane, often made from Calcutta or Tonkin bamboo, used for fishing. No reel is used; the line is tied to the pole. Extremely effective for fishing small, narrow streams or creeks. Those fishing with such a rig are said to be cane-poling.


Canoe   A long boat pointed at both ends that is easy to paddle.


Cape  The skin off a rooster chicken's neck, which yields several hundred good fly-tying feathers from a quality cape.


Captive brood stock  Fish raised and spawned in captivity.



Carnivorous  Feeding on animal tissues.


Carolina rig  A rigging method designed to present a soft plastic lure along the contour of the bottom. This rig consists of a main line with a heavy sinker, bead, then swivel. The swivel has a leader (1-6ft) to which a plastic lure is tied. Best lures include lizards, centipedes and French fries.

Carp   A kind of freshwater fish.


Cartilaginous fish  A major group of fish including sharks and rays.

Cartop or cartopper  Refers to a boat small enough to be carried on the top of a car and hand-launched, especially at fisheries with limited or no boat launching facilities.


Cast   a technique using a rod to throw your line, hook and bait to the intended target.


Casting a technique using a rod to throw your line, hook and bait into the water.


Casting Arc  The distance the rod is passed through from the beginning of the backcast to the end of the forward cast.  The longer the cast, the longer the arc should be, since it helps you in making the cast


Casting Plane  The angle(s) above or below horizontal the rod tip actually follows during the casting sequence. 


Casting Spoon  A spoon-shaped metal or hard plastic lure that wobbles to attract fish.

They can be fitted with a fixed (solid) hook or swinging hook, that has a single, double or treble points.


Cast net  A circular net thrown by hand. The outer perimeter is lined with lead weights. Great for catching shrimp and baitfish.

Catadromous  Refers to fish that migrate from fresh water to salt water to spawn or reproduce such as the American eel.

Catch-and-release  Term that refers to releasing the fish you catch so that they can live to fight another day, and thus insuring a productive fishery.

Catfish   A kind of fish with whiskers.

Bluegills are one of many kinds of fish that like to hide among the shadows of the cattail stems.

Caudal fin  Caudal is an anatomical term meaning "the back". The caudal fin is the tail fin or tail of a fish.

Centipede  Four-inch straight plastic worm used for Carolina rigs.

cfs  Abbreviation for "cubic feet per second," the term is a means of measuring the flow of a stream. A small stream might carry 40 cfs and offer good trout fishing, while a large river like the Colorado might reach 30,000 cfs in the Grand Canyon during flood stage.

Channel  The bed of a stream or river. This can also refer to a submerged stream or river channel in a reservoir.

Channel Marker- Used to mark the safe edges of a channel.

Char  A species of fish that is related to trout, that prefers cold water and is found many places in the world, including both east and west United States. Examples of char are brook trout, lake trout, arctic char and Dolly Varden.

Charter Boat   A boat you pay to go out on.

Chenille A yarn-like material for wrapping bodies which is in the form of a pipe cleaner (with thread in place of the stiff wire). Can be found in many colors and materials, and is a critical component of the Wooly Worm and Wooly Buggers patterns.

Chine  The "running edge" of a boat. The chine is the edge made by the joining of the bottom and the sides of a boat.

Chinook  The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the Pacific (Oncorhynchus) salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include king salmon, Quinnat salmon, spring salmon and Tyee salmon. Chinook are anadromous fish native to the north Pacific Ocean and the river systems of western North America ranging from California to Alaska. They are also native to Asian rivers ranging from northern Japan to the Palyavaam River in the Siberian far east, although only the Kamchatka Peninsula supports relatively persistent native populations. They have been introduced to other parts of the world, including New Zealand and the Great Lakes. A large Chinook is a prized and sought-after catch for a sporting angler. The flesh of the salmon is also highly valued for its dietary nutritional content, which includes high levels of important omega-3 fatty acids.

Chironomid Scientific name for the members of the Diptera family of insects commonly known as Midges. In the pupae stage they typically appear to be small aquatic worms.

Choked: Busted of a fish or did something dumb to lose your fish

Chromer: A bright, fresh fish  -  Also known as a Bullet

Chub   Chub is a common fish name. It pertains to any one of a number of ray-finned fish in several families and genera.  A class or subclass of the bony fishes.

Chugger  Topwater lure that "chugs" when retrieved, similar but smaller than a popper. Example, Storm Chug Bug.
A Chugger has a dished-out, concave or cupped head designed to make a splash when pulled sharply. The act of systematically working the lure across the surface is called "chugging."

Chum  Chopped up fish, shellfish or even animal parts (for sharks), dropped overboard to attract gamefish; putting some bait in the water to draw fish to your area.  A lot of anglers will use bread as a way of chumming.

Chum bag  A mesh bag left hanging overboard, filled with chum. Trollers sometimes drag the bag alongside the boat. Smaller bags can be trolled deep while attached to downrigger balls.

CHUMMING – A fishing technique by which bait or scent is released into the water to attract fish to take a lure or baited hook. Chum consists of live, dead, ground-up or prepared baits and scents and is used in fresh and saltwater.

Chunk  Plastic or pork trailer commonly used on jigs.

Cigar minnows  A yellow-tailed member of the scad family, sold most often as frozen bait in five-pound boxes, caught along the Florida Panhandle. Widely regarded for their firm texture and appeal to offshore fish. Cigar minnows can also be caught on tiny fly hooks, called Sabiki Rigs.

Cinch Knot (also known as Clinch Knot) A knot used to tie the tippet to the eye of the fly. A modified version of this, the Improved Cinch Knot, is probably the most used knot for this purpose.

Circle hook  A circular hook up to 16/0 size, very safe to handle. The fish hooks itself with this one, and the harder they pull, the more firmly the hook imbeds itself. Ideal for releasing fish, since the circle hook is seldom swallowed.

This functionally-shaped fishhook results in more fish being hooked. Fishermen are learning that the Circle Sea is catching 60% more fish than conventional J shaped hooks, including a 95% lip hook rate so the fish cannot escape. The Circle Sea hook is scientifically proven to reduce fish mortality. Hook set is not required. This hook has greater holding power, more hookups, fewer drop-offs and it holds bait better. Ideal for all freshwater and saltwater fish species.

Cisco  Any of several whitefishes found primarily in the Great Lakes region.



Clacker  A metal device added to certain brand Buzzbait in order to make additional noise.


Cleaning preparing your catch for eating.


Clevis  The swivel device to which a spinner blade is attached and which allows the blade to rotate.


Click drag A mechanical system on many inexpensive fly reels used to slow down or resist the pulling efforts of a fish, so as to slow the fish down and tire it to the point where it can be landed. Basically a clicking sound is created by a triangular steel ratchet snaps over the teeth of the gear in the reel spool. The term singing reels refers to the high frequency clicking associated with a big fish pulling out line.


Clicker cork  A thin Styrofoam cork, 3 inches long, mounted on an 8-inch wire. Yanking on it produces a clicking sound that imitates shrimp snapping their tails underwater. These corks are great for suspending a plastic shrimptail jig above a grass bottom, and below troublesome floating grass.

Clinch knot  One of 4-5 very useful knots. Very simple to tie, yet very strong. also known as CINCH KNOT

Clouser minnow  A streamer pattern that imitates baitfish, popular for many different species of fish, named after originator Bob Clouser.


Clown  A color typically used mostly in hard jerkbait like Rogues. Consists of chrome body, with chartreuse back, and red head or face.

Coarse Fishing   a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland for angling for coarse fish, which are those types of freshwater fish other than game fish (trout, salmon and char). The sport and the techniques used are particularly popular in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. A recreational sport that arose in England and Europe as a ‘gentleman’s pursuit’, where cyprinids including roach (Rutilus rutilus), rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), chub (Leuciscus cephalus) and dace (Leuciscus leuciscus) are caught and released.


Coastal pelagic  An offshore fish that migrates along the coastline, but isn't a true, ocean-going pelagic. Examples are Kingfish, Spanish mackerel, Cobia.


Coffee Grinder: a spincast reel   See  Spincast reel here

Cold Front A weather condition accompanied by high, clear skies, and a sudden drop in temperature.



Coldwater Fishery  Refers to waters typically in the higher elevations that can be predominately trout fisheries.


Colorado Blade design used in spinnerbaits. Gives out a strong vibration. Blades are circular shaped.

Combo   A combo is a matched rod and a reel set, configured for a specific type of fishing. See Rod and Reel


Commercial Fishing  Fishing to sell the catch of fish for the market.


Commercial Fishing Boat  Used for fishing to earn a living.



Conservation  the wise use of natural resources.


Cork   Keeps a hook from sinking. Bobbles when a fish nibbles.

Cosmic Clock  The sun's seasonal effect on water and weather conditions relating to barometric pressure, wind, and cloud cover.


Cove  An indentation along a shoreline. A very small indentation a few feet or so across is often referred to as a "pocket cove."

A small sheltered inlet or bay.


Cover Cover consists of weeds, trees, branches, tulles, buck brush, stick-ups, rocks and man-made objects like docks, tires, etc.

Cowbells  A flashing, multi-bladed lure that resembles a small school of bait fish that is commonly used to troll for trout.


Crankbait   plastic or wooden lure with a diving bill, that dives downward when retrieved or "cranked."

Crappie  (kraw pee) A kind of fish that is fun to catch and good to eat. Freckle.

Crawdad
Craw dad  See Crayfish

Crawfish
Craw fish  See Crayfish

Crawldad
Crawldad   See Crayfish


Crayfish
Cray fish  Small fresh water crustaceans similar to lobsters only smaller. A favorite food of bass. Also describes a reddish color used in all sorts of lures.


Creek   a small to medium sized natural stream of water that is smaller than a river.

Creek bed (or streambed) — the bottom of the creek (or any water channel), which is usually composed of a mixture of gravel, sand, and silt.

Creek Channel (or stream channel) - the area of the riparian corridor that contains flowing water (either intermittently or continually).


Creel   A small basket with a carry-strap to keep fish in.


Creel Limit  The number of fish an angler can keep as set by local or state regulations. It can vary from water to water, so be sure to check the fishing regulations.


Cricket Can   Keeps crickets alive to use for bait.

Crickhopper  A brand of plastic lure resembling a grasshopper commonly used for trout and sometimes, for smallmouth bass


Crimp sleeve  A metal tube, thin as two wire leaders together. When attaching wire or very heavy mono leader to a hook, one should use the crimp sleeve. A special, plier-like tool crimps the sleeve tight.

Croaker  or "hardhead" are popular saltwater fish of the mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the USA.
From the Sciaenidae Family. Commonly called drums, croakers, or hardheads for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make.


Cross chop  Wind-driven waves and ocean swell colliding from two directions. Also caused by waves bouncing off a seawall and going back out, colliding with incoming waves.


Crustaceans  Lobsters, spiny lobsters, crabs, prawns, shrimps, crayfish.


Crystal Flash The trade name for a synthetic stringy material used in many streamer patterns to add flash and color.

Ctenoid Scales   Ctenoid (toothed) scales are like cycloid scales, with small teeth along their outer edges. They are usually found on fishes with spiny fin rays, such as the perch-like fishes. The scales have a rough texture with a toothed outer or posterior edge featuring tiny teeth called ctenii. These scales contain almost no bone, being composed of a surface layer containing hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate and a deeper layer composed mostly of collagen. The enamel of the other scale types is reduced to superficial ridges and ctenii.

• Ctenoid scales can be further subdivided into three types:

• Crenate scales, where the margin of the scale bears indentations and projections.

• Spinoid scales, where the scale bears spines that are continuous with the scale itself.

• True ctenoid scales, where the spines on the scale are distinct structures.

Both cycloid and ctenoid scales are overlapping, making them more flexible than cosmoid and ganoid scales. Unlike ganoid scales, they grow in size through additions to the margin. The scales of some species exhibit bands of uneven seasonal growth called annuli (singluar annulus). These bands can be used to age the fish. Most ray-finned fishes have ctenoid scales. Some species of flatfishes have ctenoid scales on the eyed side and cycloid scales on the blind side, while other species have ctenoid scales in males and cycloid scales in females.


Cul-du-Canard Feather  In French, literally, "the butt of the duck," which is where these fine, downy, useful fly-tying feathers can be found.

Short wispy feathers taken from near the preen gland of a duck. Typically there are few of these feathers found per duck. These feathers add a significant amount of float to a fly due to the fact that they are soaked with natural preen oil. Use of floatant on these feathers will negate their floating qualities, actually causing the fly to lose flotation.


Culling  Refers to releasing a smaller fish when you have a limit and have now caught a larger fish that will weed out one of the smaller ones. "This big fish will cull that small . . . ;" is a phrase heard on The Bassmasters TV show often.


Culprit worm   Although there are several similar worms, Culprit is the manufacturer of the original ribbon tail plastic worm, thus it is often referred to as a "Culprit "style worm.

Culvert   An underground water channel, usually placed under a road or structure to allow for development of land. Culverts take the form of concrete box-like structures or large-diameter storm drain pipes.

Curly Tail   A trademark for a brand of curved-tail soft-plastic lures.

Curly-tailed Grub  A curved-tail soft plastic bait often fitted on a jighead.


Curve cast A casting technique that allows an angler to cast a fly around an obstacle. It is also used to minimize the influence of water current or wind on the fly or the fly line.

Cut  A narrow body of water cutting through land. For instance, a boat cut gouged through a barrier island, for boater access.

Cut bait  Fish cut into chunks to fit the hook.

Cuttbow  a rainbow/cutthroat hybrid, the cuttbow has both the rainbow's stripe and a cutthroat's "slash" under its jaw.

Cutthroat trout  A native to many Rocky Mountain rivers, the cutthroat has a crimson "slash" under its jaw and black spots concentrated near the tail.

Cutting board  Plywood surrounded by a lip of wood, sealed and painted. Or just an old piece of plywood. Used for cutting bait, and preventing knife cuts on expensive boat gunnels.

Cycloid Scales   Cycloid (circular) scales have a smooth texture and are uniform, with a smooth outer edge or margin. They are most common on fish with soft fin rays, such as salmon and carp.

Dabbing Working a lure up and down in the same spot a dozen or more times in a bush, or beside a tree or other structure.


Daily Limit The number of fish that may be legally taken during a calendar day. A fish when landed and not immediately released becomes part of the bag limit of the person originally hooking the fish even if the fish is donated to another person. If you receive fish from another angler, those fish also become part of your daily limit.


Dam   Used to hold water back. It usually makes a lake.

Damselfly  A small member of the dragonfly family.


Dapping A relatively ancient technique of presenting a fly on the surface of the water where the fly is connected to a short piece of line on a long rod. The fly is then touched on the surface of the water, immediately over a place where a fish might lie.

Dardevle  A trademark for a brand of spoons typically used for trout and northern pike fishing.



Dead drift  A drift that imitates the natural action of an insect by floating directly downstream with the current.


DEC
D.E.C.  Department of Environmental Conservation.


Deer Hair Body hair from deer which is used in many fly patterns to supply body and floatation.

Deer Hair Bug  A floating fly-rodding lure made from hollow deer hair and used principally for bass and panfish.


Depth Finder   Measures how deep the water is under a boat.

Depth Recorder  See Depth Finder

Depth Sounder  See Depth Finder


Deep-drop  Bottom fishing in deep water, from 500 to 1,100 feet and sometimes deeper. Usually, a sash (window) weight is required to reach bottom. Circle hooks are a necessity.


Delta  Sediment deposited at the mouth of a major river, pushing shallow water offshore, as in the Mississippi Delta.


Demersal  Fish living at or near the bottom, although sometime in mid-water i.e. cod, haddock, hake, pollock, and all forms of flatfish.

Deposition   settlement of materials from moving water onto the channel bed, banks, and floodplains. Deposition occurs when flowing water is unable to transport the material.

Die off
Die-off   Refers to having many fish die at the same time, quite often baitfish; also referred to as a fish kill.

Dillies  See Dilly's

Dilly's   A type of small earthworm popular for catching sunfish and trout.


Dink  Bass not long enough to meet state fisheries regulations or tournament standards. Typically less than 14 inches

Dip Bait   A smelly paste-type bait primarily used for catfish.


Dip Net   A net with a handle. Used to get fish into a boat.


Disgorger  Device for removing hooks deeply embedded in the throat of fish.


Disk drag A mechanical system on more expensive fly reels whereby resistance is created to the line as a fish pulls it out. This resistance is intended to slow the fish and tire it. The resistance proper is created by applying pressure between two disks. Different from the click drag, the disk drag is smoother and less likely to create a sudden force that will break the line.


Disturbance pattern Fly fishing term for creating a fish attracting disturbance by working the fly.



DNR
D.N.R. Department of Natural Resources

Dobsonfly  A large aquatic insect, the larva of which is the popular hellgrammite bait.

Dobber   (also called float) a small red and white ball that sink when a fish has grabbed the hook


Dock
1.  an enclosed area of water in a port for the loading, unloading, and repair of ships

2. a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats


Dock lines  Ropes used to secure the boat.

Dodgers   a type of Lure  


Doe  Hen Steelies/Salmon

Doll Fly   A trademark for a brand of chenille-bodied, hackle-wrapped jig.


Do-nothing rig    Western, clear water technique generally applied in deep water and on light line. Consists of main line with a small brass sinker, then a bead, and light wire hook. baits are usually small 4-inch worms. The rig is dropped to desired depth and then just slightly jiggled or left to "do nothing."

Doodlesock or Doodlesocking   A method of cane-pole or long-pole fishing in which a lure or bait is repeatedly dipped and dragged through likely fish structures. Used in largemouth bass and crappie fishing. Very effective when fish are holding tight to cover.


Doormat   Large flounder, roughly the length and weight of a doormat.


Dorsal Fin  Dorsal meaning top.  This is the large fin on top of the fish's back.

Double haul   A casting technique where the angler pumps the fly line with the non-casting hand on the forward and backward segments of the cast. The pumping motion accelerates the line and gives the cast additional length. Double hauling is an essential technique for long casting.

Double Hook  two hooks made together; built into one.

Double-tapered fly line  A fly line that is thicker on both ends and thinner in the middle. Double-tapered fly lines can be switched around as one end becomes worn.

Doughball  A doughball is just what it sounds like, a little ball of dough.

A ball of bait made from bread or specially prepared dough used for bait-fishing. Commonly used for carp.

Downcurrent term referring to direction

Downlake term referring to direction


Downrigger  Used to slow troll most commonly for Kingfish and grouper. Standard equipment on the Kingfish tournament boats.


Downrigger ball  Cannonball-shaped device with a fin, used to keep a trolled bait far beneath the boat.

Downriver term referring to direction. Something that is moving down-river is moving towards the mouth of a river, from a point further up the river. Something that is down-river is towards the mouth of a river.


Downshore  term referring to direction

Downstream term referring to direction


Downstream drift   The act of allowing the fly to drift past the fisherman and rise to the surface on the river below him, particularly on a nymph drift.


Drag  This is the mechanism that allows you to set how much resistance a fish feels when it pulls on the line. The tighter you set the drag, the more resistance the fish feels. You want to set the resistance tight enough that it tires out your fish, but not so tight that the line gets over stressed or breaks

It limits how fast a fish can strip line from the reel.
When you tighten the drag on your reel it makes the line harder for the fish to pull out and makes them get tired faster. But you have to be careful not to make it too tight or the fish can pull so hard your line breaks.

2. When a fly line catches on a current, making the fly drift in an unnatural fashion.


Dredging  Retrieving a Crankbait so that it continually digs or dredges up the bottom. This causes reflex strikes from fish.

Dressed  See Dressed Fish



Dressed Fish A fish which has been cleaned by removing the entrails. Dressed fish also may be filleted and/or have their head, gills and scales removed.

Dressed Hook  A name and shape of a fish hook. See more detailed information here


Drift anchor   Used most commonly in windy areas, by fishermen who drift all day. This anchor is more of an underwater kite that slows the boat's drift in order to thoroughly fish a productive area.


Drift boat   Also known as a Mackenzie river dory, it's a river fishing craft ranging between 14 and 18 feet long with a flat bottom, upswept prow and rigid hull.

Drift Boating Technique used to fish by drifting with the current, sometimes in a drift boat.


Drift fishing   Drifting along with the wind and tide, casting repeatedly. Anglers working the grass flats off Florida, for instance, make one drift after another all day. Catch a few fish, and toss a buoy, to make an accurate drift through the same area. If Saturday crowds threaten to overwhelm the buoyed area, use a GPS to mark the spot for return.


Drift sock  A large sock shaped like airport wind socks. This is dropped over the side of the boat to help control the boat in rough water.


Drip bag   Very similar to an IV drip bag used by doctors, this device releases a constant drip of pogey oil over the side, attracting fish.


Drop Off
Drop-Off  A sudden increase in depth, associated with a flat, point, gulley washes, small creek channels, land points, and the general lay of the land.

When your wife leaves you with the kid(s) and you take them to the babysitter to go fishing.


Dropper  a separate line tied onto the main line near the hook. It is used to attach a weight to a separate line or to fish two hooks.

The secondary fly tied on the leader somewhere between the lead fly and the fly line.

A practice of fishing two flies at the same time, often one on the surface and a second underwater. This increases the chances of getting a successful fly in front of a fish.

Droppers are usually a nymph.

Drop Shot Hook   A name and shape of a fish hook. See more detailed information here


Drop Shot Rig   Japanese designed technique in which the main line is tied to a sinker. The lure is tied to a leader which is tied above the sinker. This allows the lure to sit a the exact depth of suspended fish.

A tackle rigging technique employing a hook tied to the line from four-inches to four-feet above the sinker. The hook is attached using a Palomar knot and the weight is attached to the tag line from the knot. The hook is set at a 90-degree angle to the line, typically with the hook point pointing upward toward the pole. Typical drop shot baits are small, usually 4-inches or less.


Dry fly   A pattern designed to imitate an adult insect, floating on top of the water.

Dubbing   A wrapping to thicken the body of a fly, made by rubbing ground-up muskrat fur, rabbit fur or other substance onto a waxed thread.

A primary body ingredient in both dry flies and nymphs, dubbing is a chopped-up fibrous material pinched and twisted onto the thread for wrapping onto the fly. Also refers to the process of applying the dubbing material.


Dubbing Rake Tool used to tease out dubbing on a fly to give it an enlarged appearance.

Dun 

1.  a greyish or greyish blue (dull) color often seen in the wings of mayfly adults
2.  an aquatic insect in a life stage just as it has emerged from the water and can fly.

Duncan's loop A monofilament knot used most often to tie a tippet to the eye of a hook. Also called a uni-knot

Eagle Claw  a brand name of fishing hooks

In the late 1920’s Drew McGill and Stan Wright formed the Wright & McGill Co., for the tying of high grade fishing flies. Drew was on the upper Colorado River pursuing his favorite sport, fly fishing that magnificent stream. It all happened when he stopped to light his pipe and take a short rest. The morning’s fishing had not been as good as it could have been, for it seemed that even though the rainbows and native Trout were rising, they were difficult to hook. While thinking of this and the ways that he could improve his fishing techniques, he watched the lazy circles of two large eagles. As he sat quietly enjoying this wilderness scene, one of the eagles slowly spiraled downward and landed beyond him in the top of a dead cottonwood; the tips of the bird’s talons lightly gripping a weathered bare limb. His thoughts turned to the penetrating power of those lethal claws, and then to the penetrating power of the fishhooks he was using.

As the powerful bird took to the air, Drew took his fly and holding it by the tiny leader pulled it across the leather of his fishing creel. The point scraped along the leather, but did not penetrate. Using his fishing pliers, he changed the shape of the hook by slightly curving the point. He tried the fly again and found that, this time it would penetrate. He quickly modified several flies and was back on the stream. The results were encouraging, and he eagerly tested shapes and sizes until driven from the stream by an afternoon thunderstorm.

Returning to the fly factory in Denver, Drew started working to produce a fishhook design with greater penetrating power. A hook that would exert this power in the direct line of pull of the leader. From this research came a fishhook that had sweeping curves and sharper points. It was forged for strength and was double offset for greater hooking qualities. The hook’s point was in direct line of pull and shaped like the talons of that mighty bird.

The rest is history.

Electro fishing A term used to describe using electrical current to temporarily stun fish, typically during fish surveys.


Electronics  Commonly refers to the depth finders, and fish locaters used by anglers.

Electro shocking  A term used to describe using electrical current to temporarily stun fish, typically during fish surveys.


Elk Hair Body hair from elk which is used in many fly patterns to supply body and floatation.


Emergence  The process during which fry leave their gravel spawning nest and enter the water column.


Emerger 
1. An aquatic insect in the transition period from hatching off the bottom of the river to flying away from the surface of the water as an adult insect.

Often will have an attached trailing shuck which feeding fish may key upon.

2. A fly designed to imitate a waterborne insect as it is leaving it's nymph stage and emerging into a flying insect.


Entrails.  the internal organs, especially the intestines; viscera


E.P.A.
EPA  Environmental Protection Agency.

Esox   Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.

The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike. The species of this genus are known as pike and pickerel, and in heraldry they are usually called lucy.

The big pike species are native to the Palearctic and Nearctic ecozones, ranging across northern North America and from Western Europe to Siberia in Eurasia. They have been found in many urban lakes in Western Europe, reported to be in the Rostrum (Lucerne) and the Serpentine, (London).

Pike can grow to a maximum recorded length of 6 ft, reaching a maximum recorded weight of 77 lb. 


Estaz Trade name for a chenille which uses colored fine plastic strips for the barbules. Can be found at many craft shops and yarn stores


Estuary   Area where salt water (such as the bay) and fresh water (such as creeks) join, usually influenced by tides. Sheltered water, often with grass bottom or grassy shorelines, where juvenile fish have shelter, food and a chance to grow.


Evening hatch   When many insects choose to emerge from under the water.

Eye 

1. could refer to eyelets on a fishing rod - See Eyelet

2. could refer to a part of the fishing hook. The eye is where you tie the hook onto your fishing line. See how to tie a hook onto your line here

Eyelet The eyelets, line guides or rings on a rod through which fishing line is passed.

FAD's  Fish Attracting Devices were first used centuries ago. Any large, floating object like a tree that attracts pelagic fish. Some are anchored; others are allowed to drift.


False cast
False casting
 Casting the fly line forward and back in the air as a means to lengthen the amount of line that extends out from the rod, to dry the fly or to modify the path of the line. In a false cast, the fly is not allowed to drop onto the water.

Casting ever-increasing segments of line, or casting the same amount of line, keeping the line aloft in the air without touching the water.


Fan cast   To cast in a manner that resembles the arms of a clock. Thus the angler is attempting to cover as much ground as possible.


Farm Pond  Small man made body of water.


Fathom  Six feet of depth. Many nautical charts are marked in fathoms, not feet.


FAS abbreviation for Fishing Access Site



Federation of Fly Fishers A non-profit organization dedicated to teaching the sport of fly fishing and the improvement of fisheries.

Feeder Stream   A feeder Stream is a smaller one that leads to a more important one, usually a river. When the river warms up in July and August, many of the trout species congregate in the mouths of feeder streams where the water is cooler.


Felt soles  Most wading shoes for fly fishing are soled with thick felt for good traction on slick rocks.


Ferrule  The joint where different sections of a fishing rod fit together.

1. A ring or cap, typically a metal one, that strengthens the end of a handle, stick, or tube and prevents it from splitting or wearing

2. A metal band strengthening or forming a joint

Click Here for MORE detailed information on FERRULE



Fiberglass  Material used to make Crankbait rods. Glass makes the rod less sensitive and more flexible, and reduces the chance of pulling a Crankbait from a fish's mouth.


Fillet  A piece of fish with the bones removed, cut out for human consumption.


Fin The external membranous projecting part of a fish used in propelling or guiding the body.

Finesse  Commonly refers to slowing down and using smaller lures, line, and rods. Also a style of small lures used for this technique.


Fingerling  Refers to a young fish in its first or second year of life - about a finger long, usually 2 inches or so in length.


Fire tiger  Color scheme that involves a lure with green back, chartreuse sides, orange belly and black vertical lines on the sides.


FISH   A creature that lives in water and has fins and gills.

Fisherman  One who engages in fishing for sport or occupation, or for food. Also referred to as Angler

Fishery  A term used for a lake, river or stream where people can catch fish, or even a particular kind of fish, such as a bass or trout fishery.


Fishfinder  A fishfinder or sounder (Australia) is an instrument used to locate fish underwater by detecting reflected pulses of sound energy, as in SONAR. A modern fishfinder displays measurements of reflected sound on a graphical display, allowing an operator to interpret information to locate schools of fish, underwater debris, and the bottom of body of water. Fishfinder instruments are used both by sport and commercial fishermen. Modern electronics allow a high degree of integration between the fishfinder system, marine radar, compass and GPS navigation systems.

See also Depth Finder


Fish Hair  Synthetic hair used in tying streamers and salt water flies.

Fish Hook see Hook


Fishing  a term applied to any activity which aims to capture fish or shellfish for subsistence, scientific, commercial or recreational purposes. An enormously diverse range of approaches can be taken to this, from a large, open-water trawler, to a simple lobster trap, to a dry fly.


Fishing Access Site (FAS)  An area adjacent to a stream or lake which has been acquired by FWP to allow anglers access to a water body. Fishing access sites are funded in part by fishing license fees.

Fishing Boat   a boat for fishing; often has a well to keep the catch alive.  See also Jon Boat


FISHING HOLE   A place known to be good for fishing.

Fishing Hook see Hook


FISHING LICENSE   A permit to fish. You must have a permit if you are over the age of 18.

Fishing line  Specialized "string" used for fishing. It connects fishing reel to the hook

Nylon monofilament line is the most popular. Other lines are made of different materials, including braided fibers and wire.
FLY LINE is a specialized line made of a plastic coating on a core, and often made tapered (changing diameter) to make fly casting easier.

Fishing Pole   A pole with a hook and line used to catch fish.

a rod of wood or steel or fiberglass that is used in fishing to extend the fishing line [syn: fishing rod]

Fishing Reel A fishing reel is a device used in recreational and sport fishing for the deployment and retrieval of fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. They are most often used in conjunction with a fishing rod, though some specialized reels are mounted directly on to boats.

Reels come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but there are now three basic configurations of reel in common use - overhead, underhand, and threadline (eggbeater).

A multiplier reel allows for longer range casting.

Fishing Regulations  Laws that are made to protect fish, and govern how many fish can be caught and under what conditions


Fishing Rod  A rod of wood, steel, or fiberglass used with a line for catching fish.

A length of fishing line is threaded along a long, flexible rod or pole; one end terminates in a barbed hook for catching the fish, while most of the rest of the line is wound around a reel at the base of the pole. The pulley-like arrangement of the reel allows the fish to be "reeled in" once caught. The use of a fishing rod is known as angling. Fishing rods vary in length and strain capabilities. Usually fishing rods will vary in size between 6 and 16 feet (2 and 5 m). This length advantage increase the amount of force which the fish exerts on the fisherman's arms.

Fishing Tackle   All the things used to go fishing.

Fish pass  A cut dredged through a barrier island, created to allow better fish traffic and tidal flushing.

Fixed Spool Reel   As the name suggests the spool is fixed in position and the bale arm rotates around the spool when the handle is turned and this lays the line in an even manner up and down the spool core. The spool moving up and down a central rod system creates this evenness. This action occurs simultaneously when the reel handle is turned.

See Spinning Reel



Flashabou  Commercial name for a colorful synthetic filament material used in fly tying for adding flash to streamers as well as other patterns.

Flasher   a type of Lure


Flake  a term used in Australia to indicate the flesh of any of several species of small shark, particularly Gummy Shark. The term probably arose in the late 1920s when the large-scale commercial shark fishery off the coast of Victoria was established. (Until this time, shark was generally an incidental catch rather than a targeted species.)

Flake rapidly became popular. It has a mild flavor, a soft texture that nevertheless remains well-defined after cooking, and a clean white appearance. These qualities, combined with the ready supply and a low price, saw flake become by far the most common type of fish to be served in Australian fish and chip shops.

Flake remains popular, but it is no longer especially cheap. By the mid to late years of the 20th century, Australia's growing population and more efficient harvesting methods had led to an alarming decline in shark stocks, and the fishery is now regulated in the hope of preventing any further deterioration.

Although the primary shark species sold as flake is the Gummy Shark, there are several others, as listed below.

Flat
Flats  Very shallow water, where water is still and easy to wade, usually with a sand bottom. This water is so thin, anglers equipped with polarized glasses can visually spot and cast to various fish, such as bonefish, Redfish and tarpon.

A bottom that does not change more than a couple feet in depth. The flat can be near the shore or far away from it.

A flat might be called a shallow pool. Flats may or may not be productive, depending on bottom type. Smooth, sandy flats are almost worthless as trout habitat, except at the edges or near woody debris. Gravel flats are better, but flats that are filled with aquatic vegetation are perhaps the best. Open channels that often form between the weeds are perfect holding spots for trout, but beware: trout on flats are incredibly wary and can see the area above the water perfectly. Fishing for trout in flats is a place where presentations must be artful, tippets must be long and fine, and trouters must make every effort to conceal themselves from their quarry.

Flatfish  Fish with a flattened body form that live on or in the bottom of waters.

Flier   The flier (Centrarchus macropterus) is a sunfish (family Centrarchidae) native to muddy-bottomed swamps, ponds, weedy lakes, and riverine backwaters across the American South, from southern Illinois east to the Potomac River basin and south to Texas.


Flies  Artificial imitations of the aquatic and terrestrial insects found in and near trout streams. Flies are tied of many and various materials, such as feathers, fur, thread, tinsel, and even space-age materials. Patterns imitating minnows, baitfish and other fish and crustacean species are also called "flies."


Flipping  The technique of placing a lure in a given spot precisely, and quietly, with as little disturbance of the water as possible using an underhand cast while controlling the line with your hand. Normally used in dirty water and in thick cover.


Flipping stick  A heavy 7 ½-foot rod designed specifically for flipping. Normally these rods telescope down to a smaller size.


Float maintains bait at given depth, indicates bites.

Also called a "bobber", these suspend hooked baits off of the bottom, and signal hits by "bobbing" when a fish takes the bait.


Float Fishing Any fishing from a boat or wade fishing when fishing access is gained by boat.


Float Outfitting The operation of any boat for the commercial purpose of float fishing by a fishing outfitter or fishing guide.


Float tube  A one-man fishing floatation device for lake and slow river fishing that looks like an inner tube covered with a cloth mesh liner, seat, and back rest.

Using floats help you catch fish that swim near the surface of the water

Similar to an inner tube in size and shape, a float tube is an inflated ring covered with a fabric structure with a seat and pockets for an angler to fish ponds and lakes. Also known as a "belly boat."


Floatant  Material applied to flies and leaders in order to cause them to float on the surface of the water. Typically sold in liquid or paste form, although dry shake crystals have recently been found on the market.

A coating designed to keep a dry fly from becoming waterlogged.


Floss Material for tying flies.

Floater  same as float


Floating worm  Plastic worm used to catch spawning bass that actually floats on top of the water. Common colors include pink, yellow, and sherbet.

Floodplain   any lowland that borders a stream and is inundated periodically by its waters.


Florida Rig  A worm sinker that has a metal cork screw in the base so that the angler can screw in the worm. This keeps the sinker and worm together and reduces tangles.

Very similar to the Texas rig, the only difference is the weight is secured by "screwing" it into the bait.


Flossing  Using really long leaders to float thru lots of stacked up fish, trying to hook the fish on the outside of the jaw

Flounder   a group of flatfish species. They are demersal fish found at the bottom of coastal lagoons and estuaries of the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.


Fluorocarbon   New style of line that is often invisible below the water's surface.

Flutterbait Any type of bait that is cast and then allowed to "flutter" down, resembles a dying bait fish. Typically used in bass fishing.


Fluvial  Migrating between main rivers and tributaries. Of or pertaining to streams or rivers.


Fly An artificial lure hand tied with "stuff" on hooks.

An imitation of a fish food item, traditionally very light and made of hair, feathers and thread tied to a hook. Modern flies have many synthetic materials and often include lead to help them sink.


Fly Angler Anyone who fly fishes using pole or rod and reel.


Fly Casting  The process of casting a flyline out onto the water.

Fly Drag  Refers to the wake made by the fly when being retrieved or when the fly has reached its maximum drift on a stream.


Fly Fishing A technique for fishing where the weight of the line is used to cast a very light weight fly that would not be heavy enough to be cast with a conventional spinning or casting rod.

Fly Fishing Rod Fly Fishing rods are long, thin, flexible rods sometimes made of bamboo, but more recently from man-made materials. Fly rods tend to have large diameter eyes (or guides) spaced along the rod to help control the movement of relatively thick fly line. To aid in the freedom of movement required to skillfully cast with a fly rod, there is usually little to no butt (handle) extending below the fishing reel. Although fly rods are mainly used for casting from fixed positions, they can also be used for trolling for fish.


Fly Line  A weighted line which is cast out onto the water to deliver the fly to the desired location. Can be found in many densities and tapers.

Fly lure "Blue Winged Olive", a classic dry fly for trout.

A fly lure or Fly, in terms of sport fishing and fly fishing, is an artificial lure tied with thread, feathers, and hair.

Fly tying is becoming common practice in fly fishing. Many fly fishers tie their own flies, either following patterns in books, natural insect examples, or using their own imagination. The technique involves attaching small pieces of feathers, animal fur and other materials on a hook in order to make it attractive to fish. This is made by wrapping thread tightly around the hook and tying on the desired materials.

Fly Pattern  Recipe used for tying a specific fly.


Fly Reel