Almost any kind of fish that swims in fresh or salt water can be caught on a fly rod. They range from tiny trout in fresh water to tremendous tarpon in salt water. Fly-fishermen can learn what fish eat and tie a fly to match almost anything. If a fish is a good fighter fly-fishermen will figure out a way to catch it.

Freshwater Fish

Trout are the most common fish caught by fly-fishermen and they are the traditional quarry. From rainbows that are stocked in streams to cutthroat in the high Rocky Mountains, trout are a preferred game fish. It takes a lot of skill to catch trout, especially if they're fished a lot, so fly-fishermen work hard to catch them in many cases. Steelhead are rainbow trout that have gone out into salt water or the Great Lakes to grow and then return to rivers and creeks to spawn. They are a favorite of fly-fishermen.

Warm-water species like bass and bluegill easily fall to popping bugs and other flies and fly-fishermen catch large numbers of them. It's even possible to catch carp on fly rods by matching an insect they're feeding on. When the cicadas hatch, carp go on a feeding spree and fly-fishermen can catch them easier than at any other time.

Salmon are another traditional quarry of fly-fishermen and many streams where they run are limited to fly-fishing only. Some species don't feed while in rivers and streams so special flies designed to attract them are needed. They can be caught on flies even though they don't eat while spawning.

Fish that normally stay deep are harder for fly-fishermen to catch. Hybrids and landlocked striped bass can be caught by trolling with a fly rod but are more exciting to fish for when they are schooling on top. They will readily take a streamer when chasing baitfish. Walleye can be caught at times by casting minnow imitations to them when they're shallow. Even catfish can be caught on fly rods, but anglers usually have to resort to live or prepared bait to catch them.

Fish in Salt Water

Saltwater fish that can be caught on fly-fishing equipment are even more varied than freshwater fish. Big-game fish like marlin and sailfish are caught using fly equipment as are sea bass and cod. Even flounder fall to fly-fishermen. Fishing the flats in Florida has long been a favorite of fly-fishermen. Bonefish make sizzling runs that test the drag of any fly reel and tarpon, with their spectacular jumps and bulldog runs; these fish test the skill of the fishermen and their equipment. Specialized equipment is needed, but fighting fish like those offers a thrill of a lifetime.

Most kinds of saltwater fish feed on smaller fish so streamers that imitate them are the most common kind of fly used in salt water. You have to vary only the size to catch everything from swordfish to sharks. It's harder to get close to saltwater fish so you need shooting-head lines and long rods, but the thrill of hooking huge saltwater fish and landing them on a fly rod is worth it.