runningfish
Well-known member
If you can only bring 1 fly to fish the surf for random species what would it be?
One fly for the surf
- Thread starter runningfish
- Start date
jr spey
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Which surf and what species?
runningfish
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your home water surf and random species.
Rip Tide
Well-known member
In the surf, you want a fly that you can "feel" even in the turbulence.
If you can't feel it, you're going to be missing strikes.
Your fly either has to have some weight or have some other resistance to being stripped.
Personally I don't like weighted flies all that much as you're always dragging them through the sand, so for me it's one with a bit of bulk, one with a muddler type head that pushes water, or what I normally do, a 2 fly combo.
A big flatwing on the point with a smaller deceiver or blonde as the dropper.
I know that's 2, but I do fish them at the same time
If you can't feel it, you're going to be missing strikes.
Your fly either has to have some weight or have some other resistance to being stripped.
Personally I don't like weighted flies all that much as you're always dragging them through the sand, so for me it's one with a bit of bulk, one with a muddler type head that pushes water, or what I normally do, a 2 fly combo.
A big flatwing on the point with a smaller deceiver or blonde as the dropper.
I know that's 2, but I do fish them at the same time
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If limited to one fly, it would be a clouser minnow in chartreuse over white bucktail. Second favorite color is "electric chicken", which is pink over chartreuse bucktail. Seems almost anything in the West coast Florida surf will hit a clouser.
desmobob
Well-known member
Olive and white Clouser Minnow would be my choice if I had to choose just one...
karstopo
Well-known member
Probably a size 4 pink and white Borski Slider. Can be fished like a shrimp, annelid, or a finfish, high or low in the water column, drifted or stripped. Hard to get on flies small mouthed species like whiting go for it, but so do double digit gluttonous redfish and jacks. Packed deer body or belly hair heads seem to be more durable against species like bluefish or Spanish mackerel than deer tail hair laid out flat like in clouser. The craft fur tails hang in there well for multiple sharp toothed fish.
Versatile, fairly durable, attractive across species, suggestive of various forage, easy to cast, that hits about every box I can think of.
Versatile, fairly durable, attractive across species, suggestive of various forage, easy to cast, that hits about every box I can think of.
ryc72
Well-known member
Lately I’ve been partial to polar fiber minnows. A little color on top with white bodies.
runningfish
Well-known member
What about Merkin crab? anyone use them?
karstopo
Well-known member
Merkin crabs? I never got into using carpet crabs very much like the Merkin. I think I like the Kwan Crab better if I’m going for a crab look from a carpet crab.
I haven’t particularly enjoyed tying Merkins. I would probably like and tie them more if thought they were indispensable. I did a few dark small ones on size 8 hooks and put a couple in front of multiple sheepshead, but those fish were not impressed with my Merkins. Sheepshead are hard to impress, but borski sliders, a shrimp pattern that I do, and redfish crack have worked for me on those picky eaters.
For the surf, I’ve used the Kwan crab a couple of times and caught a fish or two. I might have used the Merkin in the surf, but just can’t remember a specific time I did.
The surf here in Texas is often populated with several kinds of crabs. Sargassum seaweed is full of small, beautifully colored crabs and shrimp. Take a clump of fresh looking sargassum right from the surf and shake it out on the sand. Typically, several crabs, shrimp, sargassum fish and maybe a pipe fish or seahorse will tumble out, all colored more or less like the seaweed.
Speckled swimming crabs burrow in the sand. Puerto Rican sand crabs tunnel in the shallows. Blue crabs are thick in the surf at times and you’d better have on some wading shoes or risk getting a toe pinched.
But on the fish like Speckled trout I’ve retained and cleaned, I can’t remember seeing much if any crab in their stomachs. Shrimp, various finfish and possibly some wormy things I find, but not crabs as a rule.
I haven’t particularly enjoyed tying Merkins. I would probably like and tie them more if thought they were indispensable. I did a few dark small ones on size 8 hooks and put a couple in front of multiple sheepshead, but those fish were not impressed with my Merkins. Sheepshead are hard to impress, but borski sliders, a shrimp pattern that I do, and redfish crack have worked for me on those picky eaters.
For the surf, I’ve used the Kwan crab a couple of times and caught a fish or two. I might have used the Merkin in the surf, but just can’t remember a specific time I did.
The surf here in Texas is often populated with several kinds of crabs. Sargassum seaweed is full of small, beautifully colored crabs and shrimp. Take a clump of fresh looking sargassum right from the surf and shake it out on the sand. Typically, several crabs, shrimp, sargassum fish and maybe a pipe fish or seahorse will tumble out, all colored more or less like the seaweed.
Speckled swimming crabs burrow in the sand. Puerto Rican sand crabs tunnel in the shallows. Blue crabs are thick in the surf at times and you’d better have on some wading shoes or risk getting a toe pinched.
But on the fish like Speckled trout I’ve retained and cleaned, I can’t remember seeing much if any crab in their stomachs. Shrimp, various finfish and possibly some wormy things I find, but not crabs as a rule.
Rip Tide
Well-known member
My 2 non-baitfish flies for heavy surf are a Lady Crab imitation somewhat larger than a golf ball and a sandworm of about 6-7".
The crab is kinda like a big flattened bucktail Clouser, The sandworm is rabbit strip and buck tail.
Both carry the largest lead eyes you can buy and therefore are not a lot of fun to cast.
The way to fish them being to cast out directly into the white water and have them anchor to the bottom as if they're tying to dig themselves into the sand
Hopefully you're doing this to sighted fish, cuz otherwise it's not all that productive or fun.
In light surf I see a lot of mole crabs. Often still kicking even though they're been munched in half.
You'll find lots of different patterns for them on-line as they're a popular bait all over.
Mine are simply a bead head with a crystal estaz body and some red dubbing at the butt.
The crab is kinda like a big flattened bucktail Clouser, The sandworm is rabbit strip and buck tail.
Both carry the largest lead eyes you can buy and therefore are not a lot of fun to cast.
The way to fish them being to cast out directly into the white water and have them anchor to the bottom as if they're tying to dig themselves into the sand
Hopefully you're doing this to sighted fish, cuz otherwise it's not all that productive or fun.
In light surf I see a lot of mole crabs. Often still kicking even though they're been munched in half.
You'll find lots of different patterns for them on-line as they're a popular bait all over.
Mine are simply a bead head with a crystal estaz body and some red dubbing at the butt.
runningfish
Well-known member
I kept googling all the crabs and bait fish patterns that you guys mentioned and it seemed with little patience and practice I can tie them myself after finding out what works for my water. Maybe Karstopo sliders are a bit too much for me.
btw, just got a text from a friend inviting me to go Pier fishing tomorrow night. It might be a good time to try the surf. All I need is to go to Basspro and get some flies and 20# Seaguar leader.
btw, just got a text from a friend inviting me to go Pier fishing tomorrow night. It might be a good time to try the surf. All I need is to go to Basspro and get some flies and 20# Seaguar leader.
Rip Tide
Well-known member
Deceivers are the woolybuggers of the salt.
One season I used only yellow over white deceivers and I did just as well as if I "matched the hatch"
And speaking of woolbuggers... you could use those if you wanted to. My mole crab fly is little more than a flashy woolyworm
When I first started fishing the salt in the '70s the only streamers that I knew how to tie were the Black Nose Dace and the Mickey Finn, so that's what I used.
There's no rules and saltwater fish aren't that picky.
One season I used only yellow over white deceivers and I did just as well as if I "matched the hatch"
And speaking of woolbuggers... you could use those if you wanted to. My mole crab fly is little more than a flashy woolyworm
When I first started fishing the salt in the '70s the only streamers that I knew how to tie were the Black Nose Dace and the Mickey Finn, so that's what I used.
There's no rules and saltwater fish aren't that picky.
runningfish
Well-known member
I think as clumsy as I am with the vise, I might just able to tie one or two of them. btw, bucktail or synthetic?
Rip Tide
Well-known member
Deceivers ?
Always bucktail and they're harder than they look.
The secret is to stack the tail feathers on your knee before tying them in
Then tie the 2 sides in at the same time so that they don't spin.
Always bucktail and they're harder than they look.
The secret is to stack the tail feathers on your knee before tying them in
Then tie the 2 sides in at the same time so that they don't spin.
runningfish
Well-known member
what kind of feathers? I only have the marabou in white .... if I can still find it. I only tie Pine Squirrel leeches with rabbit strips and don't have a wide variety of material.
Rip Tide
Well-known member
A basic deceiver has 6 saddle hackle feathers in the tail, three on each side, and a collar of bucktail
In my mind, the easiest saltwater fly to tie is probably the "Brooks blonde"
Bucktail tail, wrapped body, bucktail wing.
I use pearl Christmas tinsel for my bodies.
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In my mind, the easiest saltwater fly to tie is probably the "Brooks blonde"
Bucktail tail, wrapped body, bucktail wing.
I use pearl Christmas tinsel for my bodies.
runningfish
Well-known member
Those looked as easy as tying the leeches. I'll shop the net and look for some materials to get my hands wet. What hook size did you use for the deceiver?
Rip Tide
Well-known member
Deceivers are a style rather than a specific pattern
You can tie them small or large, long or short, full or sparse. They're very versatile
The size hook that you use depends on the size of the bait in the water and what your line is capable of casting
I normally tie them in sizes 4 - 3/0 depending on what I'm trying to match. Tiny baitfish to big squid.
However I've tied them for trout too
You can tie them small or large, long or short, full or sparse. They're very versatile
The size hook that you use depends on the size of the bait in the water and what your line is capable of casting
I normally tie them in sizes 4 - 3/0 depending on what I'm trying to match. Tiny baitfish to big squid.
However I've tied them for trout too
tigermidge
Well-known member
Krabby Pattie!
Socal surf!
Mark F.
Socal surf!
Mark F.