They have to be, especially when they are looking to devise the killer fly pattern the next time they re at the bench. With that in mind, watch the behavior of baitfish in the water. They dart around irregularly, effected by the miniature eddies and currents, turning into the flow and side slipping to take advantage of the water movement. During all of this, unless they know there are predators in the area, they hold on station, not moving very far. That s why they are effected by tide and winds, they don t have the muscle to fight it for long.
Flies react the same way, with the same small body movements.
They can be fished to drift with the current of a tidal river or wave wash and the flow will sweep your offering around structure to the striper holding in the lee, an easy meal until the check comes. Plugs and metal lures plow through the water with rhythmic action, usually very pronounced, and imitate panic stricken or wounded baitfish, and as I m sure you ve noticed, sometimes the bass see through the deception. The baitfish doesn t always scream through the water at mach 2, and the predators aren t always looking for them to. Plainly put, you just can t always imitate the behaviors of baitfish with a plug or spoon as you can with a fly. I ve found that in most cases it s the presentation of the fly which causes the strike, not the pattern itself, but we ll get into that at a later date.