I never had an opportunity to fish salt water until last June. My friend and I booked a guided trip off of Cape Cod and waded the flats for Stripers. Since my friend does not fly fish I decided to use a spinning outfit with him. We had a great day and brought in many fish that averaged around 30".
Here is my question, I am sure all of this has been covered before, but I have never opened this site until now. What fly rod, reel, etc. would be needed for this type of fishing? The wind is strong, but the site of all those fish cruising the flats makes me want to take a fly rod and increase the fun and the fight of those big ones. Fly? I understand that many use an imitation crab of some sort. I plan on going back this June but spending more time than the one day I put in last year.
Coach, I’m way south of that area, but judging from Dave Micus and I have discussed many times, I think he uses a 10 wt, fairly fast rod with an intermediate weight forward line. I’m not sure what brand he uses. Down here, I use a 9 wt with 9wff line because I fish very shallow waters (less than 18" deep) for redfish, snook and speckled trout.
Maybe some of those guys will chime in here and give you better suggestions, but if you get down this way, I think I can hook you up!
Coach,
I fish the area you’re talking about about 10-20 days a year.
For fishing in the surf, it’s a 10wt and a sinking line. This is all about the wind.
For the flats a long 9wt. Some like a spey type rod.
For flys in June, think sand eels 4-8inches
I like flat wings, deceivers, clousers, and blondes in about that order.
Crab flys are normally important only later in the season, but sometimes are the only bait around. Ya never know.
When I started saltwater fly fishing, I used a medalist 1495 1/2, not that you would want to do that, but it’s possible.
Any good SW reel that holds 100+ yards of backing will do.
FAOL member JME fishes the exact spot you are talking about more than I do, even though he’s from across the big pond.
Maybe he will chime in.
[url=http://www.yankeeangler.com/:88f1f]http://www.yankeeangler.com/[/url:88f1f]
This guy is the man when it comes to guides in the SE Cape and posts fishing reports on his web site.
IMO those flats are not what they use to be, I fish many other spots in the area and I will be there mid-June
e-mail me.
“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year”
Mark Twain
[This message has been edited by dudley (edited 30 March 2006).]
hey, coach–i use a 9 ft. 9 wt. rod, clear intermediate line when fishing from shore. i like a slower rod, but most like fast rods. reel should be able to hold up to the salt–bar stock, anodized aluminum. rinse it well after every use. for leader i use a straight 9 ft. piece of flurocaron. for connection to the fly line i use a bimini twist on the leader, albright loop on the fly line. the knot i use for the fly is improved clinch, but only 4 turns, five maximum. flies is a matter of prefernce. i mostly use 3, 4, 5 inch baitfish patterns with a flat wing (good action in the water). most use clousers and deceivers, and of course they work well too. but what you really want to do is fish form a kayak!
[This message has been edited by D. Micus (edited 30 March 2006).]
I have used an 8wt for years but find it a little light in the heavier winds with heavier flies. I just bought a 10wt. (Made no sense to go up only 1 wt.).
I generally use and intermediate sinking like. Clear is good, but not essential. Full sink or floating can work too, but they are just not as versitile.
Flies I like are Clousers, Decievers, Ray’s Fly. Some type of Sand Eel is a good suggestion.
All the above is sound advice. I usually use a clear intermediate when fishing the inside and a sinker on the outside in the surf. Fly wise, those suggested work, I always have a lot of faith in the Rays fly in various sizes. Good to have some bunker imitations too. From what I have heard crabs can be a little hit or miss, I have not tried them. I use an 8 weight because that is what I use in the UK for salt fishing, I have a 10 weight but would not use this. Most of the guys I fish with use a 9.
Best advice I can offer is to walk. Most people tend to stick to the drop-offs and there is some great fishing further south along South Beach, I hear the gap between South Beach and South Monomoy is down to almost nothing after the winter storms, although there have not yet been any reports that it is fordable. The sand gets pretty soft here so be careful in high water. On North Monomoy all the best flats fishing is on the other side of the island from the drop off.
Gin and Tonics, don’t you know - what, what, what.
JME,
IMO if the southway closes up, the fishing at SB (inside)will suffer greatly.
I don’t go there very often, but I do fish the bathtub in my kayak
I have caught some truely great fish in the 'tub in the past, but last season was pretty quiet IMO
The fish will still be around the area somewhere, but the structure changes so often, you never know where.
Years ago,when I first went out on the Rip Rider, all the other guys went to N.Monomoy. My partner and I went to SB.
We caught fish, they all got blanked.
This past year I was amazed at the crowds at SB. 10+ years ago, you would be alone.
We go to some other local flats now.
Hopefully this won’t become the new “in” place.
“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year”
Mark Twain
Dudley, Hosting one of the flats regulars here in the UK next weekend, bit early in the season for our European bass but there are usually some residents kicking about. I will have to ask him what he makes of the near closure of the gap.
I do not know enough about the water dynamic around there to predict an outcome, but it has always amazed me that more people do not fish North or South Monomoy as much. I have had some of my best ever sight fishing there, and Keith is usually happy to take the RipRyder over to these places for a drop-off.
Thankfully most of the people who get dropped at South Beach do not move too far from the drop-off. There is some good fishing there, but as you say a short whomp north to the Bathtub or a longer trek south usually means you have a lot of beach to yourself. Although I did have a scary moment a few years back when out on the flats and the tide came in and I lost track of my route back, some of the sands get very soft out there when the water hits them.
It’s not looking as though I am going to make it this year with a baby due and a house move about to happen, things might change for the start of the fall run, if I am a good boy and do all my chores ;o)
BTW, just so happens that I put on a “Stars and Stripers Forever” t-shirt, with a picture of a striper this morning. Re-reading ‘The Moon Pulled Up and Acre of Bass’ for the umpteenth time atm, and it made me pine for the stripers.
JME
I went for a bit of a swim myself 2-3 years ago when the sand disappeared under foot in some fast water at Nauset Inlet.
My stripping basket made an excellent float and I paddled myself to shore, no worse for wear.
I stayed on more solid ground the rest of the day.
Good thing, I saw what I believe was a great white shark soon afterwards.
“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year”
Mark Twain
