[Alligator]

I've got this picture in my head, which must have come from somewhere, of a man or woman waking along the beach with a fly rod, occasionally wading our into the surf to make a few casts.

Can you fish this way. What is this person fishing for? What rod is he fishing with? Would a 9 1/2' rod help him?

Bart

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Alligator,

Walking along the beach and casting to Snook and other fish is a very productive way to fish certain times of the year. In shallow areas you might spot the target fish or more than likely you will spot bait fish. On beaches that waves break you can spot Snook swimming in the wave chasing bait fish. The best time to fish is when the sun is behind the waves where you can see into the wave better. Sharks also like to swim a wave.

So your thought of walking along the beach and casting to fish is on target.

[jimw]

Bart
This is what i live for try it you will enjoy it. Stripers between maine and the mouth of the Cheasapeke bay . Go to the north when its hot and the south in the cold great fishing year round if you can afford the gas.

[peregrines]

Absolutely, as Jim and Frank pointed out fish will cruise the shoreline. It can be tough because the beautiful sandy beaches typically don't have a lot of structure and tend not to be as productive as rocky coastlines, inlets and estuaries. You're also limited in casting distance compared to the surf casters with spin or bait casting gear, and there's typically wind in your face which doesn't help things.

But once in awhile it all comes together. Around here (Long Island) striped bass, bluefish, and false albacore follow baitfish down the coast in the fall and will sometimes trap them against the shore, literally at your feet, and as Frank mentioned, you can sometimes see them through the curl of a wave---like looking into an aquarium. It is a life altering experience.

A standard set up for surf fly fishing would be a 9 foot 9 or 10wt. A 9 1/2 or 10 footer would be an advantage. Usually this is paired up with an intermediate (up here) and a shooting basket to control loose line (otherwise it gets caught in current and will cut down on your ability to shoot line). I just use a rubbermaid dishpan and bungee cords.

Might be worth a try if you have beaches out there near river mouths where big browns, steelhead and salmon stack up before they run up the rivers...

peregrines

[cowboy]

Along the SC, Georgia and Florida coast you can walk along the beach, casting into the surf for pompano. There is a fly patterned after the sand flea which can be very production.