Westfly Style Sheet

1. "Like" vs. "such as". In more formal writing, the latter is used for comparison: "Anglers such as us." The former is a more informal comparison. While not strictly correct, it is acceptable on Westfly.
2. Fly patterns are capitalized. E.g., Elk Hair Caddis.
3. Fish species are not capitalized. E.g., "I caught a rainbow trout", NOT "I caught a Rainbow Trout."
4. "Brown trout" NOT "German brown trout."
5. Insect names. For consistency, Westfly has preferred names for insect species. These reflect common usage among Western fly anglers. Click for a complete list of preferred names.
6. Single space after a period.
7. Commas for all elements in a series. E.g., "one, two, and three" NOT "one, two and three."
8. "fly fishing" not "fly-fishing." The exception is when it is used as an adjective, e.g., "fly-fishing reel."
9. Contractions are good (informal, conversational)
10. Use absolutes correctly, e.g. Is it "unique" or is it "unusual"?
11. Don't use apostrophes or hyphens in fly names. E.g, "Kaufmanns Stonefly" NOT "Kaufmann's Stonefly." The reason is that it sometimes confuses the HTML or the database software.
12. Hyphens for compound words and nouns used as adjectives.
13. Avoid special symbols such as &, %. As with apostrophes, it confuses the software.
14. Numbers: spell out one to ten, but use the number from 11 to infinity.
15. Short paragraphs. Two to four sentences is usually sufficient. White space is free on the internet, and it improves readability.
16. Section headings every two to four paragraphs. Use Key Words! Think Search Engine!
17. Use links where appropriate--preferrably links to Westfly pages. Let user find his/her own level of detail.
18. Gender neutral, if possible. E.g., "fly fisher" and "angler", NOT "fly fisherman" or "fisherman."
19. Most compound words combine without space or hyphen: "driftboat," "campground," "highway." Excpeptions: "float tube," "fly fishing."