Saltwater
Fly Fishing
"Get Primed for Saltwater Fly Fishing"
by
Capt. Dave Azar
There may be no more exciting way to catch fish in saltwater than fly fishing.
But for those thinking of "giving it a try" the prospect can be daunting.
Getting started can be greatly simplified if we narrow it down to a few simple
situations that are easy to find along the New Jersey coast. A calm backwater
that is known to hold fish on a fairly regular basis is a good starting point.
Areas such as these are abundant in Raritan, Sandy Hook and Barnegat Bays to
name a few. Early spring, when stripers get on the feed in these areas, is a
great time to get into fly fishing. And once bluefish show up in numbers it can
make fly fishing downright simple! While this article will present a good
starting point reading a good book on the subject and/or watching some videos
will be valuable aids. But nothing is better than hooking up with an
experienced "salty" fly rodder. If you don’t know anyone personally there are
several clubs in the state whose members are very willing to help newcomers.
CASTING
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A full discussion on casting technique is beyond the scope of this
article, but a few introductory comments are in order. In saltwater the term
"fly" is misleading. Blues, stripers and false albacore don't eat insects.
Rather the fly in fly fishing is a lure that is virtually weightless. In fly
casting it is not the weight of the payload, i.e. the lure, that propels the
cast, but the weight of the line itself, fly lines are the weight.
Accomplished fly casters can throw close to 100 feet of line, but the average
cast is 40 to 60 feet, and there are times when a 20 foot cast will do.
The same mechanics that make for good conventional casting are
employed in fly casting. In any casting stroke the rod must be flexed in order
to drive the payload forward. With a compact payload like a lure or sinker the
casting stroke is short and quick. When casting a fly line, which is
effectively a very long, stretched out payload the casting stroke must be
lengthened and prolonged to achieve rod flexion. The fly line must completely
unfurl on the backstroke, before beginning the forward stroke. While this is
only one aspect of fly casting it's a biggy, keeping this concept in mind can
make the whole thing a little more obvious.
To cast adequately in salt water the double haul technique must be
mastered. Again finding someone to help is best. Barring that there are some
excellent videos available.
Becoming a fly caster takes practice, practice, practice! Practicing
should be done OFF the water, and meadows or uncrowded parks are good spots.
When practicing use a floating line (see below) and a piece of brightly colored
yarn to imitate the fly (do not use a real fly as there is a real possibility of
hooking yourself or someone else). Once you have developed a familiarity with
the mechanics and can cast 40 to 50 feet comfortably go to a calm, unobstructed
back bay or lake to do some on water practice.
GEARING UP
Saltwater fly fishing does require some specialized tackle, but a very
serviceable outfit can be put together for under $300.
RODS
These days almost all fly rods are made from graphite. This material
is strong, yet lightweight. For the beginner a "medium" or "medium-fast" action
rod is best. Nine feet is the standard length. Fly rods come in "weight"
designations from one up to 15 which can provide a good idea of the rods
capability. For saltwater flyfishing seven to 12 weight rods are the practical
range. When getting started a nine weight outfit is a good all around rig. It
will handle most situations involving local species.
Factors such as wind, fly size, and fish behavior are also important
in deciding which rod to use. While flies are "virtually" weightless they are
not actually weightless, some flies even have a bit of lead to help them sink
or to impart a jigging action. In saltwater a rod must be heavy enough to cast
larger or weighted flies easily. Imitating larger baits, like adult bunker,
requires very large, wind resistant flies. While a 9 weight can handle the
fight of a teen sized striper and can cast a fairly large fly, casting that fly
all day, in a strong wind may require an 10 or 11 weight rod. While the
average false albacore goes only 5 pounds, their long, hard runs require at
least an 8 weight rod to get them under control and landed quickly.
REELS
Reels for saltwater fly fishing should be salt resistant and have
reliable drag systems. Reels machined from bar stock aluminum with a sealed
drag are the best choices. More economical reels are functional, but may not
hold up under saltwater conditions. Reels should have easy to change spools.
One additional spool will be needed for the basic set up.
Fly lines are very thick and take up a lot of room on the spool,
therefore reels for saltwater must be big enough to hold the fly line and
adequate backing. Reels designated for nine weight lines will hold about 150
yards of 30 pound micron backing. The backing can be nail knotted to the end of
the fly line, or connected loop to loop.
FLYLINES
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In fly fishing the line is actually an integral piece of tackle. As
mentioned above the fly line is the weight, not only for casting, but also for
determining at what depth the fly will be fished. Fly lines come in different
densities, or "sink rates", from floating to very fast sinking. Additional reel
spools allow easy access to different lines as conditions dictate.
For saltwater there is basically only one line configuration necessary
and that is "weight forward".
There are two lines a beginner needs to cover 80 percent of
situations. A weight forward, intermediate for the nine weight rod (WF-9-I)
which fishes just below the surface. And a weight forward, fast sinker for nine
weight rod (WF-9-S type 3) which sinks at about 3.5 inches per second. For
practicing a floating line will help develop proper mechanics and timing.
Purchase an inexpensive WF-9-F line, since practice casting really puts a
beating on the line. But in actual fishing situations floaters have very
limited use. They are useful for top-water poppers, but an intermediate line
will work most of the time. Sometimes it is necessary to fish very deep, with
25 feet being a practical limit, and an extra fast line, like a 550 grain sink
tip will be needed to get down. But the type 3 sinker can cover most depths up
to about 15 feet.
LEADERS
A leader must be used to connect the fly to the fly line. For most
local fishing the leader systems are relatively simple. To start with a six
inch piece of 30 pound mono or fluorocarbon is nail knotted to the end of the 9
weight line and a double surgeon's loop is tied at the tag end. The actual
leader is attached to this with a loop to loop connection. The intermediate
line will work best with a tapered leader of mono or fluorocarbon. This is made
from a butt section of 36" of 25#, a mid-section of 12" of 20#, and a tippet
from 24 to 36 inches of 15# connected by blood knots. For the sinking line a
36" piece of 15# is all that's needed, any longer causes the fly to track higher
than the fly line, defeating the purpose. The fly can be connected to the
leader with either an improved clinch knot or a non-slip loop knot to allow a
jigging action.
For bluefish a wire "shock" tippet is necessary to prevent cutoffs.
These come ready made with an open loop for attaching any fly with a haywire
twist.
FLIES
Saltwater fish are rarely fussy about what they will eat and fly
selection can be limited to a few tried and true producers. Some general rules
should be kept in mind when choosing a fly. Flies are tied on hooks from size 6
to 4/0 depending on the overall size of the fly. Flies should be chosen more
for lifelike action rather than exact duplication. They must be easy to cast,
should not foul, and must track well in the water. Length and shape are
important characteristics in considering which fly to use to match the prevalent
bait. The most useful colors are white, chartreuse and yellow, but pink and
black can also be very effective. Most flies should contain a small amount of
flash. While most flies can be tied with bucktail and chicken feathers, there
are many versatile man-made materials that function as well and are generally
more durable..jpg)
There is a lot to be said about matching the hatch, and this is
generally a good rule of thumb, but "matching the lure" might be an even more
effective rule. If a certain lure produces under certain conditions consider
using a fly that will imitate that lure action. One of the most versatile lures
is the classic "bucktail". If there were only one fly to use in saltwater it
would have to be the "Clouser Minnow". This fly has lead or brass eyes towards
the front which cause it to jig and imitate a crippled bait, and the action of a
bucktail lure, very well. As with all saltwater flies the Clouser is a style of
tying and not a specific pattern. It can be tied in any size or color
combination to imitate anything from a tiny shrimp to a mature American eel. A
2" clouser tied on a #2 hook and a 3" tied on a 1/0 hook are good standard
sizes.
The standard baitfish fly is a "Lefty's Deceiver". Again this pattern
can be tied in a wide variety to imitate tiny fry or 16" bunker. The main
characteristic of the Deceiver type fly is the bucktail collar that encircles
the hook to prevent fouling of the tail feathers. A 4" deceiver tied on a 1/0
hook and 6 incher on a 2/0 hook will imitate many types of bait fish.
When fish are busting on the surface a popper can be effective and
great fun. Fly rod poppers are very wind resistant. To fish them more
effectively shorten the leader to a straight 36" of 20 pound material, and slow
down the casting stroke.
Other flies that have proven very effective are "Crease" flies which
can be considered "underwater poppers", "hi-tie" style flies to imitate deep
bodied baits like juvenile bunker, and "Surf Candy" epoxy flies that imitate
small baitfish and are virtually foul-proof.
A good starter selection might include some 2" Clousers, 3" Clousers,
4" Deceivers, and 6" Deceivers in an assortment of white, chartreuse and
yellow. And 3 medium poppers in white or chartreuse.
TECHNIQUE
Fishing with a fly outfit presents many differences from other types
of tackle. The main difference being that the line is off the reel for most
operations. To cast a fly line it must be pulled off the reel and dumped on to
the floor or deck or into a "stripping basket". The loose line must be
controlled with the hand that does not hold the rod or the "line hand". Once
the cast has been made the fly is retrieved by "stripping in" the line with the
line hand, and not by cranking the reel handle. Action is imparted to the fly
by varying the speed, length and rhythm of the strip. Obviously this depends on
how the fish are feeding at any given time and sometimes experimentation may be
needed to figure what works best. Generally bluefish and false albacore like a
very fast retrieve and stripers and weakfish go for a more moderate and uneven
stripping rhythm.
To maintain control tuck the line under the index finger of the rod
hand and hold it against the rod grip. The line is stripped using the thumb and
first two fingers of the line hand to pull the line from the rod hand, while
slightly releasing tension on the index finger that is snubbing the line. The
hook is set by stripping the line hard and sweeping the rod sideways at
the same time.
After the fish is hooked the slack line must be prevented from
tangling around any snags, such as the reel handle, the rod butt, boat cleats or
the angler's feet or legs. This sounds funny but it is the main reason fish are
lost, especially fast running fish. Spreading the arms apart while controlling
the slack line with the line hand will prevent most snags.
It is easiest to control the fight with the line coming directly off
the reel and the drag in play; this is called being "on the reel". But when
there's a lot of slack line and the fish doesn't get on the reel, the fight will
have to be controlled by hand. This is like the stripping technique described
above except that tension must be relaxed when the fish wants to take line out.
How much tension to keep on during a fight is something that can only be learned
with experience. Having a "coach" can be very helpful.
Landing a fish is similar to other methods. It should be noted that
fly rods, though seemingly soft and wimpy, are very efficient fish fighting
tools. Do not be afraid to put a bend all the way down to the rod grip and
employ the standard short pump and reel technique when fighting a strong fish.
Fish should be landed as quickly as possible to help insure their survival if
being released.
As with most things there's certainly more to it, but this brief
outline should be enough to get you started or at least whet your appetite to
find out more. If you are looking for a greater challenge or just want to try
something different, saltwater fly fishing is the way to go.