Lord of the Flies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Trout

Fly fishing is used for many species, including especially trout, salmon and bass. This one is, more precisely, a brown trout (Salmo trutta morpha). A soft-hackle fly is the traditional type of fly used for trout fishing, and over the centuries they have developed to have many different shapes and colorings. "The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle", published in 1496, included 12 fly patterns, which were all soft-hackle flies.

These flies are intended to simulate various of the trout's target foods, and different ones are more effective in different seasons, as the trout's diet accommodates the variation in life cycle of the insects on which it prefers to feed.

Answer: Adult insects

Dry flies are designed to float on the surface of the water, and are more commonly used for freshwater fishing than saltwater. They are targeted at species which eat insects, so the fly landing on the surface will cause the fish to rise and strike at what looks lunch on the surface.

The Adams Dry fly in the picture is a pattern originally designed in the USA in 1922 by Len Halladay. It is composed mainly from feathers of a grizzly or brown hen, the tail and hackle from the bird's hackle (the feathers on the back of its neck), and the wings from its hackle tips. The abdomen of the fly is made of fur from the undercoat of a muskrat. Use grey or black thread to tie the bits together and attach them to the hook.

Answer: They sink rather than floating

Wet flies come in a range of shapes that resemble all kinds of food items that a fish might find underwater, many larval and pupal stages of insects sink, as do adult insects and small fish that have died.

The Grizzly King was developed in Scotland by John Wilson, and is intended to be used for trout fishing in still waters. The tail is made from a red swan, duck or goose feather. The body is green-dyed seal fur, the ribbing is provided by gold wire, the hackle comes from a grizzly hen, the wings are grey speckled mallard feather, and the whole thing is held together on the hook with black thread.

Answer: Woolly worm

Many species of moths have 'fuzzy' caterpillars that are commonly known as woolly bears or woolly worms. The latter term was chosen to refer to flies that imitate large aquatic nymphs. They were mentioned in Isaak Walton's 1653 classic work, "The Compleat Angler".

The modern style was developed by Don Martinez in the mid-20th century. It consists of a chenille body with a grizzly hen hackle 'palmered' from head to tail. Palmering is a technique that spreads the feather out to form an extended furry effect.

The modern versions usually have a tail made from a feather or from yarn. As is the case for many flies, the colors are chosen to increase the resemblance to the type of nymph currently in season in the fishing area. The one pictured is a Grizzly and Olive Woolly Worm, meaning that the feather comes from a grizzly hen, and the body is olive. Unlike most Woolly Worms, its tail is not red.

Answer: Larva of a small fly

Midges are the larvae of a large number of small two-winged flies. They are imitated by using a goose or turkey biot (a single fibre from the front edge of a primary wing feather) which is wrapped around the hook and held in place with tying thread. The addition of bits of fluff at various points can alter it to resemble different stages of larval development.

As always, different colors are used for different species. It is recommended that anglers scoop some fresh samples from the water to give them an idea of what they need to imitate.

Answer: Fish

The Muddler Minnow in the picture is intended to resemble a small fish called a sculpin. Freshwater muddlers are popular bait for brown trout and bass, while saltwater sculpins are often used as bait for the larger Pacific striped bass. The flies are artificial replications of the live bait.

The Muddler Minnow was designed in 1937 by Don Gapen, a Minnesota fisherman. The head and body of the traditional fly are made from spun deer hair. An underwing of squirrel hair and a wing of turkey feather accompany a body made from gold or sliver tinsel. The one pictured is somewhat atypical because it does not use mottled turkey feather for its wing and tail.

Answer: Grasshopper

The pictured fly is called Dave's Hopper, because Dave Whitlock designed it in the 1950s to combine features of earlier hopper patterns with some features of the muddler minnow. It is intended to land on the surface of the water with a significant impact noise, and float on the surface but with enough weight to produce noticeable sagging in the water's surface.

Its components include the tail fur of a white-tailed deer (some dyed red, some yellow), natural deer fur for the head, a wing feather from a mottled oak turkey, saddle feathers from a brown hen, yarn, and (as the crowning touch) tail feathers from a cock pheasant for the legs.

Answer: Atlantic Salmon

The Atlantic Salmon originated in the northern Atlantic Ocean (and the tributary rivers in which it breeds), but has been introduced into the Pacific as well. The young spend up to eight years (the further north they are born, the longer they take) developing in fresh water before journeying to the sea to mature, at which time they return home to spawn. Unlike Pacific Salmon, they can recover and return to the sea to continue to grow before repeating the cycle.

First designed by William Henderson in the 1840s, the Durham Ranger has developed many variants over the years. The original was described in "A Book on Angling" (1867) by Francis Francis as follows:
Tag: Silver twist and gold floss
Tail: One topping
Butt: Two turns of black ostrich herl
Body: Equal parts of light orange floss, dark orange claret pig's wool followed by black pig's wool
Ribs: Silver twist and silver tinsel
Hackle: Over the wool only a red-coch-y-bondhu hackle
Throat: Two turns of black hackle followed by light blue hackle
Wings: A pair of long jungle cock feathers back to back with double tippets on both sides
Outer tippets reaching to the first dark band of the inner tippets with a topping over all
Cheeks: Kingfisher
Horns: Blue macaw
Head: Black

Even without translating the fly-tying jargon, an unusual range of materials is apparent, and you can see the stunning results.

Answer: Shrimp

Bonefish love crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs, as well as a range of mollusks, bottom-dwelling worms and young fish. This is called a bonefish shrimp fly, but could be used for many species which feed on shrimp. Choice of color for fur and feather (and of size) will depend on the exact species of 'shrimp' being imitated. Glass beads are used for the eyes, a prominent feature, and rubber or plastic for the 'legs'.

Answer: They make a popping noise when they are tugged after hitting the surface

Poppers have a large head, often made of cork, which make a noise to attract the fish's attention when they are tugged upwards after landing on the water's surface. They are usually brightly colored with wavy bits attached to the large head section to help further attract attention. They often resemble such favorite foods as frogs (and large tadpoles), and a range of insects.