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Glossary of Fly Fishing Terms K to O



Term Description
Keeper A loop of thin wire built into the shaft of the fly rod (near the grip) to which the fly can be attached while still connected to the tippet and line.
Kelt A salmon or trout that has spawned
Kevlar A very strong synthetic material, ideal for leaders/tippets for fish with sharp teeth, hard to cut
Key Style Flies used in clear water where ever tarpon are found and you are sight fishing. A fisherman called Syu Apte was one of the first people to use this design in the 1950's and the Key guides in Florida have used just about every colour combination since.
Kick Boat A personalized, one-person fishing boat, usually with a seat between two pontoons at a level that allows the anglers feet to be in the water.
Knotless Tapered Leader A tapered fly fishing leader entirely constructed from a single piece of monofilament.
Knotted Leader Fly fishing leader constructed by knotting sections of different diameter leader material to each other to make a tapered leader.
Krill Small, shrimp like crustaceans, of the family Euphausiidae, that form a part of the marine food chain
Kype Salmon hooked jaw: A male spawning trout or salmon develops a hook like protrusion on the mandible.
Lanyard A device to which an item is "tethered" so that it is close by when needed; e.g., pliers.
Larvae (Larva) Larvae are the immature, aquatic, growing stage of the caddis and some other insects. Many species of caddis larva build a protective covering of fine gravel or debris to protect them in this stage. The larva is a bottom dwelling non-swimming stage of the insect.
Leader The section of monofilament line between the fly line and the fly. It is usually tapered, so that it will deliver the fly softly and away from the fly line. Two types are commonly used. One is the stiff or hard type, used mainly for the butt section and saltwater leaders; the second type is soft or supple monofilament, used mostly for tippets on all line weights, and for complete leaders on light weight fly lines.
Level line An untapered fly line, usually floating. It is difficult to cast, a poor line for delicacy or distance, and a poor choice for an all round line.
Lie An area of the river where the fish tend to sit and wait for food. In a current a lie is often a place where the fish has good visability for food items coming down stream, has some cover for itself, and is in an area where it does not have to swim agains the main current (for example next to a large obstuction in the current or next to a bank).
Line Dressing An old term carried over from the days of silk fly lines referring to the oily substances applied to clean and increase buoyancy. Modern fly lines generally only need to be cleaned with warm water and soap generally once per season for fresh water fishing.
Line Weight The non-linear system of weight (stated in 'grains') of the first 30 feet of a fly line, used as a way to standardize fly lines in matching them to fly rods of differing stiffness.
Loading A term used to describe the effect of the weight of the line and the momentum of the cast upon the rod. A loaded rod is bent or loaded more with a greater casting force and a heavier line.
Loch-style fishing Using teams of wet flies cast a short distance downwind from a drifting boat. Associated with stillwater fishing on large lakes in Scotland and Ireland.
Loop Connection A method of setting up a flyline/leader rig using loops tied in each section which can be interlocked for easy changing. Also known as loop-to-loop connection.
Lure A British word which means the same as the American term 'streamers'. Both describe a type of wet fly that represent a small swimming fish. The distinction between a 'lure' and a 'fly' is unclear because of the different American and British definitions. Micro Lures was so named because we started selling what Americans call 'streamers', but we now call all our flies simply 'flies'.
Marabou The fuffy and soft down or underfeathers from most birds, but particularly for fly tying, marabou comes from chickens, turkeys or other domestic fowl. Originally was turkey feather fibers.
Marrow Spoon A long spoon used for inspecting the food in the trouts stomach, so the correct fly can be used
Match The Hatch An attempt by a fly angler to select an artificial fly that imitates the color, size, shape and behavior of natural insects that fish are feeding on at a particular time. Often when a hatch is happening, fish become very selective and refuse insects that are not the most abundant.
Mayfly Typically used to refer to the family Ephemerella. World wide, the most commonly imitated aquatic insect. Most dry fly and nymph patterns imitate this insect. Nymph stage of the mayfly lasts approximately one year; adult stages last one to three days. The adult has one pair of upright wings, making it look like a small sailboat. Mayflies vary in size from the 3 mm tricos to the 30 mm hexagenia. They are commonly found in cold or cool freshwater environments.
Memory The undesirable property of fly lines, leaders or materials to "remember" their stored condition of being coiled or wound
Mending Line Method used after the line is on the water to achieve a drag free float. It constitutes a flip, or series of flips with the rod tip, which puts a horseshoe shaped bow in the line. This slows down the speed with which the line travels if mended upstream, and speeds up the line if mended downstream. For example: if a cast is across the flow of the stream and the fastest part of the current is on your side, the mends would typically be made upstream to slow the line down so it keeps pace with the fly traveling in the slower current across from you.
Midge A very small (non-biting), two-winged insect, related to deer flies, mosquitos and craneflies. These small Dipterans look like tiny mosquitoes and can be a popular meal with trout.
Milt The semen of a male fish; a term for the semen-filled testes and sperm ducts of a male fish
Monofilament A single filament or strand of nylon we commonly refer to as 'fishing line'. In fly fishing it is primarily used for tippet material or if tapered for leaders.
Muddler A deer hair headed fly
Mylar A metallic plastic available in sheet or plaited tube form. The tubing can be used to simulate scales on the flanks or fry imitating lures/streamer flies.
Nail Knot A method used to attach two lines of significantly different diameters such as a leader or butt section of monofilament to the fly line, and of attaching the backing to the fly line; most commonly tied using a small diameter tube rather than a nail.
Nail Knot Tool A tool used to simplify the process of tying Nail Knots.
Narrow Loop Term that describes what the fly line should look like as it travels through the air; a narrow loop can best be described as the letter "U" turned on its side; it is formed by using a narrow casting arc. The 'tighter' the loop the faster the line speed and more efficient the cast will be.
Neap Tide The tides that occur midway between spring tides. They have smaller rises and falls than those at other times of tire month
Neck Feathers Feathers from the neck of the chicken which are shorter and tend to have a wider selection of sizes on a single skin.
Needle Nail Knot The same as the nail knot except that the leader or backing is run up through the center of the fly line for 3/16 to 3/8 inch, then out through the side of the fly line before the nail knot is tied; this allows the backing or the leader to come out the center of the fly line rather than along the side of it as in the nail knot.
Nymph A general term used to describe the subsurface forms of aquatic insects prior to emergence (larvae). Also used as the name of flies imitating these insect forms.
Nymphing Fish feeding on nymphs.
Open Loop Term used to describe what the fly line looks like as it travels through the air during a poor cast; caused by a very wide casting arc, low line speed.
Ova The eggs of a fish or other creature. The mass of eggs within the ovarian membranes of a female fish is termed hard roe
Oviparous Fish that lay eggs from which the young later hatch
Ovoviviparous Ovoviviparous fish Fish whose eggs are fertilized and hatched within the female's body. The eggs are enclosed in separate membranes and the embryos within them receive no nourishment from the mother. Most sharks and rays are ovoviviparous.