Flyfishing (often written fly-fishing) is a sport: fishing in a river or lake with a hook made to look like a fly or another small insect. You do not put food on the hook. You use feathers, thread, and a tiny hook so the lure sits on the water, or just under it, like a real insect. You cast a special line so it lands softly.

The gear is different from ordinary fishing: a long, flexible rod, a line that has weight of its own, and boxes of little handmade flies. For some people it is also a craft. It can look gentle, but it takes a lot of practice.

Though actually, the “fly” is almost never a real dead fly. It is a fake insect. And you are fishing for fish, not for flies.