SFields
Fly line- either a WF floater or Intermediate if you’re fishing from shore. If you are fishing from a boat, a fast sink on an extra spool would be good to add in case they are deep.
Leaders- nothing fancy needed here.
With a Floater, an 8 foot leader of something like 4’ .035 Mason to 2’ .020 Mason to 2’ 15-16 lb Mason (or 4/2/2 feet of 40lb-30lb-20lb)
For an Intermediate or fast sink, I would just use a straight shot of 4’ of 16-20lb test (not a tapered leader). The short leader will keep the fly at depth.
Wire will turn off bass, so I would only use it if blues are biting you off. You can rig up a couple of flies in advance for blues with a wire using knotable tieable nylon covered stuff like Tyger wire or you can use the piano wire sevenstrand stuff. If you use single strand "piano wire", attach the wire to fly with a haywire twist and use an Albright to attach wire to leader. As I say, I would rig up a few attached to a couple flies in advance, then all you have to do is it attach to your leader. They don't have to be long, 4" should do it. Maybe you could pick up 'stuff for cuda down there that would work. Blues will do a job on flies, so a fly like a 2/0 surf candy with epoxy and synthetics might be a good choice to rig up. If Blues are on a feed, they'll whack it (or anything else). If you tie, just a simple fly with white bucktail wing would be good. (no body needed)
If you’re expecting big bass, you can use a short shock leader of 60lb test for bass, but most times I don’t bother. This will also increase your chances of landing a blue.
As far as flies, they’re not too picky (usually) Bring or tie some 1/0 chartruse clousers to imitate sandeels and be able to get some depth with a floater or intermediate. Another fly to have is a Deceiver of some sort around 2/0 or 3/0 (white, blue over white, olive over white whatever) to imitate mullet, menhaden (called bunker or pogies up there) which will also be around.
You MAY also run into False Albacore and Bonito now too. Add some size 2 (not 2/0) white surf candies or you can make some easy to tie stuff, just sparse white bucktail wing, topped with a sparse amount of brown bucktail from the “wrong” side of a bucktail with a body of white thread or pearl mylar or body braid if you want to get fancy.. These will imitate bay anchovies (about 2” long over all) If Albies or Bonito are around, don’t use wire or a shock leader.
Other popular patterns are Rays Fly (easy to tie), Snake Flies (spun deer hair head) and Crease flies, but if you have a bunch of clousers and deceivers and a few small white things for Albacore you will be pretty well covered. And if you add some 2/0 surf candies to rig up on wire in advance for blues
Good luck. Looking forward to pics!!
