Printable View
Despite the fact that I've wet a line more than once in salt water, I've never thrown one into the surf. I'm planning on giving it a shot in a couple of weeks when I'm down at the beach. How easy is it to cast again after you've just thrown a - relatively - large fly into the waves? Is there a trick to picking the line back up and casting again, or is it just like any other situation?
As always, I appreciate any and all tips/suggestions/comments.
I have not fished the surf on the east coast, but have on the west coast. Not sure if you should expect much difference.
On the California coast, the standard set up is a 7wt rod with a 250 or 300 gr integrated sink tip line. You want your flies on the bottom and a relatively heavy sink tip line works well to keep them there. I like a floating running line so I can mend it over the waves as needed. Cast it as far as you can in the trough between the waves and let the fly get rolled around in the surf. Strip slowly so you keep connected to the fly and can feel any strikes. Keep stripping in until just your leader and a couple feet of line is out of the rod tip and cast it out again. Repeat... I like to use a stripping basket if there is much surf, otherwise the line will get carried away by the surf and make your next cast difficult or will get wrapped around your feet making the next cast impossible.
The flies I have used in the surf are usually not very big, size 2-6, but they are weighted. They are meant to look like small minnows, surf candies, clousers, etc., or like crabs.
If you have stingrays in the area, make sure you take caution when wading.
Hope you have fun,
Ted
Thanks for the tips Ted. The majority of the flies I'll be using are 1/0 & 2/0 clousers and shrimp patterns. I may even tie up some sand flea patterns for the pompano.
I'll let you know how it goes.
It's a good idea to scout out where you plan to fish at low tide and take note of the structure
Reading the water is just as important in the surf as it is on a trout stream.
You're looking for places where the game fish can trap bait. Sand bars both parallel and perpendicular to the shore, and "bowls" and points or "cusps" on the shore line
White water coming over the bars confuses bait and "long shore" currents and their corresponding rip currents direct the bait to game fish that are holding near structure or actively hunting in the troughs and sloughs.
You want to use flies where you can feel the resistance as they are stripped. You need to be in touch at all times.
Clousers are good, but not on a sinking line. You'll be dragging them through the sand.
I very often use a big flat wing style deciever with a smaller blond for a dropper.
Waves come in "sets" Usually 7. Even if you think that the surf is low, never turn your back 'cuz a bigger wave is coming.
When you go to land a fish, back up and let the surf help push the fish up the beach until you get it above the water line
In the picture, I'm high-stick dead drifting my flies in the long shore current, practically at my feet, just keeping my floating line up out of the breakers
There's often no need to cast out a country mile.
Fish patrol the trough where the waves break right at the shore line, looking for bait stuned in all the turmoil.
http://i1315.photobucket.com/albums/...psf54c7edd.jpg
Dudley,
Thanks for the tips. I will definitely scout it out prior to hitting the beach. The line on my reel is a floating line, so I'm counting on the weight of the flies to help sink them. The area I'll be fishing is relatively shallow, so they won't need to get too deep.
Thanks again.
Cheers,
Mark