Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Fly Fishing & Other Fish Species Pond Fishing Flies

Completely new at this, learning on a borrowed fly rig (and have no idea what the wt of the line is), and only knowing what I've seen on TV about fly-fishing, I've always thought of a "fly" as a lure that just stays on the top of the water when it lands and during the retrieve. But am I correct in that fly-fishing can include below surface flies, sinking flies, etc.? And I'm using the term "Fly" as anything being used at the end of the fly line.

After several casts my fly would start to sink and I would pull it in, dry it off and cast again.

Can you explain the various methods?

Also, I started to learn how to roll-cast (if that's the right term), to hit different spots without having to bring all the line in and re-cast. But if the "fly" is below surface or even near the bottom, will it still retrieve as easily, allowing a roll-cast? That is, if flies are even meant to be used sub-surface.

So my question is on explaining the dry-fly, wet-fly, surface and below surface (floating, suspended, sinking, etc.) fly-fishing.

PS to George (and others), thank you so much for initiating this and taking the time to get this going! Especially for new-be's like me that discovered the thrill of fly-fishing, and hopefully enticing others to try it and realize it's not just something done in streams for trout!