Too simple of a fly?

[dave27615]

I've never fly fished in the salt before and will give some surf fishing a go this summer.

Our main species in the surf are spanish, blues, pompano and flounder (sharks too, of course).

Just goofing around at the vise and wondering if folks think this would work. Blue and white sparkle hair with pearl flashabou in the middle.

Not much to it, but sometimes simple is better.

 

[bobflyfishma]

I have been fishing all winter long here in Sarasota and having considerable success with a size 2 clouser (chartreuse/white). Most days I hook up with 50 fish averaging 4 species. Today for example, I got my first pompano of the season as well as the normal seatrout, ladyfish, and pinfish. I use natural deer hair with about 8 strands of chartreuse crystal flash tied in on the top of the hook shank before I tie in the white deer tail hair.

I make a case that fish have an ability to see polarized light and that the reflected light off the tail hair of the whitetail deer is likely polarized so fish see it better and can cue into the fly more quickly. I wish someone with a polarimeter could test reflected light off these hairs to determine if this is valid. Meanwhile, I'll continue to tie the naturals as I believe I catch more fish.

I'll use the same pattern tied on a 1/0 hook or 2/0 hook in RI next month to catch strippers. It is just a great all around saltwater pattern.

 

[wjc]

There is no such thing as too simple a fly or too bizzare a fly. If a saltwater fish is hungry, he'll eat anything he thinks is alive that's smaller than he is.

 

[Rip Tide]

Your fly is complex compared to the ones in this Fly Fisherman article from 1991

http://www.flyroddingthecoast.com/Articles PDF/Sand Eels 1991.pdf

You may want to make the tail proportionate to the body though :thmbup:

 

[dave27615]

Appreciate the sand eel pdf. More data for the brain ...

 

[wjc]

Dave,

Here's a good interview with Lefty and Bob Clouser talking about flies.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq-PGvo-o8w&feature=related]YouTube - Lefty Kreh, Charlie Meyers, Bob Clouser[/ame]

(sharks too, of course)

For sharks like blacktips (very fun on a fly with fast runs and jumps) I've had the best luck with slpayed tail saddle hackle with red palmered necks, and bunny tails with red necks. Keep the fly a foot in front of their noses for a long ways once they start tracking on it. Long casts are a big help when sight fishing for them.

Cheers,
Jim

 

[sxm]

A #2 Olive/White Clouser works for me.

This season used the new Adams Big Ugly from Orvis, both 2 and 4, got good response. Right now a Barracuda off St. Martin still has my #4 Big ugly.

 

[chris alman]

That's a pretty good looking fly. I've used a few I tied that were similar this past summer off the Texas coast and I did better near the jetties, but I did catch a few in the surf.