Your best tip for saltwater fly fishing

[BigCliff]

I just want the best advice from some of the group out there.

I think my tip would be to learn how to Strip Strike effectively. This includes reacting quickly, striking powerfully, and having your hook sharp enough and knots strong enough to hang on to the fish.

The mouths of saltwater fish are generally tougher than their sweetwater kin, and I know this skill will help those with only freshwater experience. Need to practice?, both Bass and Panfish provide ample opportunity to do so.

 

[dougm]

My Best Tip?

Gear up for your adversary ... In far too many instances it is not the fish but Mr. Wind who awaits you. Go light and The Ancient Fish Gods will laugh and laugh as you are blown off the water...

 

[Fly Guyusa]

Practice! Practice! Practice! Your casting that is! My guiding experience has taught me that many people who come to fly fish the salt have very poor casting skills. Recently, a new client from Colorado wanted to fish dock lights for Snook. He only had one day in my area, and the best tide was in the morning. His eight plus years of experience fly fishing with five to nine weight rods convinced me that he shouldn't have any problems. I picked him up at 3 am to fish until daylight for Snook, then we would go for tailing Redfish. Ten minutes from our pick up spot I approached the first lighted dock with my bow mounted electric on my flats boat. Standing in the bow, I showed him how to cast, retrieve and strip strike. When I handed him the rod, and asked him to cast, he made a windshield wiper cast of 180 degrees piling up the line twenty feet in front of him. I asked him to false cast. He couldn't! His experience apparently, was with a strike indicator and bead head nymph on very small streams. I made all his casts until daylight. The next hour was spent giving him casting lessons. At the end of the day he caught a few nice Trout and a Jack Crevalle on his own. Would a few guides site their experiences!

 

[bbanking]

I agree with all of the above. Go light...pick the best saltwater rod and reel with the least amount weight you can find. Pick a quality saltwater fly line. The sun and heat make different lines react in strange ways. Cortland's 444 Lazer Tropic, 444 SL Saltwater and Scientific Anglers Mastery species specific lines and very good picks. Stay away from Orvis Wonderline and other similar lines. Then practice...practice...practice for presentation, distance and accuracy. Unlock your elbow from your hip and cast with your shoulder. I totally agree with dougm, the wind is not your friend and your trout casting style just won't do it in the salt. A good guide will usually tell you how and when to strip or you can cheat like I do. Find a pocket, lagoon or cut where the fish are moving in and out. I cast a fly to a favorable position and let it sit there until I see activity and then strip...it works almost every time for Bonefish and Cuda because I am not spooking them. With this method, my presentation and distance are not factors and I catch a lot of fish. I know this method is not for purist, but you can sure catch a lot of fish and the strike and fight are the same. Tom, www.pescamexicana.com

 

[Bonefishdick]

The best tip I could give anyone is to go fishing with someone who has been doing it for awhile, they could teach you more in one season than you could learn on your own in ten years.

 

[FISHN50]

Strip Strike Twice & Get Your Fingers Clear Of The Spool Handle. It Hurts.

 

[aroostookbasser]

Bonefish said it all....... get a teacher.

 

[makubwa]

Use chemically sharpened hooks!

 

[Trucha]

Learn the double haul.

 

[makubwa]

Forgot - don't forget loads of backing!

 

[tommygunn]

Quality polarized sunglass's in Amber or grey is highly recommended!

 

[bonefish41]

Don't give up if the fish does not leave the flat after one or five casts...that is within casting distance from 60 plus to 10 feet...and that includes permit

 

[tbrillinger223]

Practice,
Long distance casting, (60-100' consistantly)
double hauling,
presentation,
cheating the wind,
extra sharp hooks,
Good quality saltwater line,
150 yards or more backing, (20-30#)
and a 9/10 rod and reel designed for saltwater fishing.

I go out regularly to work on my technique, casting, distance and presentation.

Another tip is to be as stealthy as possible, dont alert the fish to soon. They will spook!

 

[swirlchaser]

I think the best advise I could give is learn to cheat the wind. Atleast in the north east the wind never lays down for very long. If you can't make adjustments for 10-15 wind like back casting, side arm, double hauling, throwing a full sink line. Some times I have to do all of the above just to get the fly to the fish.

I will admit that I am a bit of a tackle *****, I have all the "saltwater" grade gear and lines but I've caught saltwater fish on "freshwater" 7wts and $15 close out lines as well.

 

[7047]

Get Your Fingers Clear Of The Spool Handle. It Hurts.

only been SW fly fishing a couple of times, but this is one that I know!!!! my knuckles still hurt from Monday's tuna trip...

 

[ikankecil]

If a person KNOWS they are going to stick with saltwater fly fishing, buy the best you possibly can. In the long run, it's far cheaper than upgrading five times

 

[Benford]

My tip: Keep your feet still on the boat! Stay calm, step lightly and only when you have to turn towards a fish and then keep your feet still moving only what you have to to cast.

Those vibrations and shockwaves from the boat will spook the fish.


Also: Practice throwing tight loops...very important in saltwater fishing

 

[Rip Tide]

Fish where the fish are..

Sounds too simple I know, but if you're not catchin' ... you need to move.
Most likely the fish are not going to magically appear
I try to give it 15 minutes, but I struggle at following my own rule

 

[FISHN50]

Fish the Wash. Too many times I find myself fishing out beyond the fish. I have learned to try fishing sideways in the surf. That seems to be where I get the most action.

 

[Ard]

Before you even start for the water pick up an area tide table booklet. They are usually free and if you don't know when the tides are you may be wasting time. Also if you can fish an estuary no matter how small, or small bays fish there. I always have done better when there was some form of land structure limiting where the fish could be. The shoreline of the U.S. is a big place to try to find a fish.