Salmon and Trout Association: Fly Life

"At its simplest, there are three ingredients to fly fishing: the Fish, the Fisherman and the Fly”.

Flies, aquatic or land borne, in larval nymph or adult form, are essential food items for fish. There are flies that are widely distributed throughout the UK and others found only locally. This variation has enchanted entomologists, fly tiers and anglers through the centuries. Healthy fly life provides a vital component of the aquatic food chain, and a never ending fascination for the game angler. Ensuring the survival and health of insect species is therefore paramount.

Unfortunately, in recent years many UK water bodies have seen declines in their local flylife. The possible causes for the decline are many and varied, including climate change, pollution, water abstraction, and predation. Some of them work together or sequentially to compound their effects.

For further details of S&TA’s fly life work, involving anglers in the monitoring of their local fly life populations and, hence, the health of their rivers and stillwaters, click into:

• River Fly Abundance Survey
• Stillwater Abundance Survey
• Riverfly Partnership