I have fished saltwater from a variety of locations, but not the surf.
The surf most available to me is Florida east coast, generally clear waters on a gentle slope with small rollers.
Wading (swimming) or looking from the piers I rarely see predators attacking bait fish in the shallows.
Without wading to my armpits, casting beyond the rollers is not very feasible.
So…
What’s the trick? Shooting heads? Spey rods? Should I just expect there to be fish under the rollers?
Honestly, I haven’t tried it because it seems like wasted effort. I never see anyone else trying.
But…
There are plenty of stories about fishing the surf – none of which explain how it’s done. (Thanks a lot.) If I knew how I’d probably get addicted.
Howz it done?
I fish the surf a lot here in New England, both deep and shallow beaches.
In both cases you need to work with the waves and current rather than against them
On a deep beach, the game fish will search for bait in the trough between a sandbar and the beach,…basically right at your feet.
Water from breaking waves needs somewhere to go so there is often a “longshore” current that runs parallel to the shore, often for some distance before there is a break in the bar structure that allows the water to escape
Baitfish, confused by the breaking waves get trapped in the current and gamefish will ambush them at convenient structure or cruise and pick them off.
Being able to “read” the beach is jut as important a skill as being able to read a trout stream. Being able to keep in touch with your fly is also extremely important
In our area, shallow beaches are often best fished in low light and most often with a floating line.
Most of the time waves travel at somewhat of an angle to the shoreline.
Wading out to a point where you cast cast parallel to the wave direction will give the best presentation.
Make your retrieval at a speed that will keep your line in the trough between waves, so it does not ride up, causing slack
Look for structure such as “points” and “bowls” no matter how slight
These areas can hold bait.
You could write a whole book about this stuff, but the best way to learn is to just go out and do it.
Read the water, watch the bait… the fish already know their part 
The easiest place to start, if you were to ask me, would be around any sort of underwater structure, rocks, jetties, pilings, anything really. Structure holds baitfish, which in turn brings in gamefish at certain times of the day. Structure will often hold gamefish as well, so if you’re blind fishing, I’d start with fishing around any sort of structure there is.
Sight fishing is another way to go. You can walk the beach looking for “nervous” water, or water that has fish chasing baitfish into the shore. Look for the birds, if they are crashing baitfish near the shore, there is almost surely some type of gamefish schooling them up. I would highly suggest using a stripping basket when surf fishing, especially if the surf is up even just a little. It just makes life much easier.
When sight fishing you can cast directly to the fish that you are seeing along the beach. It’s pretty amazing at all the life that’s there. On my trip to FL a few months ago I saw snook, sheepshead, blue runners, and ladyfish all along the beach not 10 feet from the shore.
It really is a ton of fun, and if a landlubber like myself can find a way to get into them, well, you should have no problem getting addicted.
Good luck,
TT.
P.S. A blue over white, lightly weighted clouser with just a few strands of crystal flash was my most productive fly. Chartruese did very well too.
my favorite topic!!
Its not always the most productive place to fish, but it can be the most exciting. I fly fish the surf on Florida’s East Coast as well. I’ll be honest, though I am fairly new at fly-rodding, but have been light tackle casting on our local beaches for some time. So I am perfecting my fly-rodding technique in this setting.
In my area, tide is really important. Low tide, the beginning of the flood, or the end of the ebb don’t seem to be all that productive. High tide, the end of the flood or the beginning of the ebb seem to be better. It depends on the beach, but the important message here is that you need water on top of the trough. There is a little drop-off on most east coast beaches instead of the gradual slope you find a lot of other places. Baitfish and predators gather here.
Time of day is really really important. Don’t even bother going after 9 or 10 in the morning (first light is best) or before 5 or 6 at night (dusk is best) unless you really just want to go to the beach and work on your casting. besides, its the beach and you just never know what will show up.
It’s tough when the waves are big, even tougher when the wind is blowing Southeast (really common) and across your casting side (if you’re right-handed). Luckily, summer brings calmer water and calmer winds- so check the weather and pick your days.
Ok- now here’s what I’ve learned- the most strikes, far and away, occur very close to the water’s edge. This is particularly true for snook- I have had snook strike flies and lures as I was lifting them out of the water right at my feet. So I tend to spread my casts out in a fan around me, but be sure to put your fly down close the beach as often as you cast directly out.
Waves will come in sets, so you want to have your line in the air and shooting after the last wave of a set, so you can make as many strips as possible before the next wave. You will also be rewarded for the ability to cast with minimal amount of false casting. You will find it handy to be able to pick up your line, make one false cast while a wave comes in and then be able to lay your line down at will after the wave…wave after wave.
Birds are your best friend. If you see birds (particulary the little terns) start casting. If you see no birds, start walking.
As for flies- I am still experimenting but this time of year (summer) there are a lot of small baitfish in the area so small, translucent flies seem to be working well for spanish, jacks, and runners.
Good luck!!!
CoachBob
You?ve gotten good advice so far. Anything can happen at anytime along a beach, but to up your chances, low light, moving water, and structure are the key elements. Polarized sunglasses are a must to spot fish. Look for structure at low tide like holes, cuts and points that might help to funnel baitfish and serve as routes of travel for larger fish. On a gently sloping beach, minor differences in depth can make a big difference , so plan on moving a bit when you work on your casting. Usually while ?blind casting? (no fish in sight), I?ll fan cast once to the right, out front, to the left, then move 20 feet to the side, repeat etc. to cover a big section of beach.
Google Earth satellite shots can also give some idea of structure or new spots to try by highlighting flats or holes off from the beach. As you become familiar with your gear you may want to give nighttime a try too, especially on new and full moons when tidal forces are strongest. Often fish will move in very close to the beach and cruise the shore under cover of darkness, and there are all kinds of things, from worms to crabs to baitfish, that spawn on the new or full moon that can bring on feeding binges.
Inlets have a lot of current and structure, and would be a great place to start. The down current beach from an inlet can often be especially good on a falling tide, as well as the inlet itself on both incoming and outgoing. And don?t overlook backside waterways too— there?s always an excellent chance of picking up something. By knowing the area you are in, and tide differences between different areas, you should be able to come up with a lot of different options to fish, whenever you get the chance. Just put your time in, and plan on covering a lot of different spots. Keep a log, and jot down date, conditions, weather, time of day, current, moon phase, presence or absence of bait etc and after a while you?ll start to see patterns.
A stripping basket is very handy to control line and keep off the water, and off the sand and coral, and allows you to get a lot more distance. I just use a Rubbermaid dishpan and shock cords.
As far as flies, some 1/0 or 2/0 clousers, bendbacks, and deceivers and maybe a few size 1 crab patterns should get you off to a good start.
A regular weight forward floater would be the way to go for a shallow beach— just watch your 6 o’clock for tourists and bikinis. Shooting heads have their place, but they are more difficult to learn to cast (timing is more critical) and they are more difficult to mend and pick up and recast— as well as more apt to cut wet fingers. And I think you’ll find a 9’ rod-- (9 wt would be my choice) more versatile than a spey road, especially if there is any chance you’ll be fishing from a boat.
Good luck!
Peregrines
“The Legend” has an article in this weeks Waterline : Beach Snook On Fly, A few hours on the beach with a fly rod ( for the Gulf Coast of Florida )
http://www.boatingandfishing.com
I’ve been fly fishing the surf for more years than I care to admit, and I’ve been quite successfull at it – perhaps more than anyone along Florida’s west coast.
This year already has been an exceptional for whatever reason. I’m sure there’s an up-and-down cycle and it appears as if we’re at the peak.
Key to the game is figuring out which beach to fish. Some are much better than others for a variety of reasons: proximity to passes, georgraphy, baitfish etc.
You can use lighter tackle than you might expect. A 6-weight is plenty for most applications. Surf snook this year have been running from 18 to 30 inches or more. I like 10- to 15-pound fluorcarbon tippet, 20- to 25-pound fluoro shock leader and a clear sinktip line.
For the most part, feeding snook will cruise parallel to the beach within a few feet of the dry sand. The are feeding fish. You’ll also see snook lying on the bottom in the trough with their heads pointed to the west. These fish usually aren’t feeding.
If you find a large fish in the trough that cruising, then you have a shot. Those fish are breeding females. They’re pretty smart, but will take a fly.
Now, for flies. All you’re trying to do is imitate the small baitfish in the surf. My fly of choise is the D.T. Special. I have no need to carry any other pattern. If you must, then a Crystal Schminnow should produce. Ditto for a Lefty’s Deceiver or white Seaducer.
Here’s a link to D.T. Special: http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern5620.html
Some will advise making diagonal or parallel casts. Go for it, but that’s not what works best for me. Remember, if you overcast, you could “line” the fish. Also, snook don’t care for flies “attacking” them.
I cast perpendicular and time my retrieve so that the fly and snook meet at the same place and the same time. At that point, I work the fly rather quickly to provoke a strike.
Do not wade! The fish will be behind you. Fishing from the beach is much more productive that fishing from the water or a boat. Remember, the sun must be behind you in order to lighten up your window of vision.
Best fishing takes place from 8 a.m. to a little after noon.
PM or email me if you need any other info.
Good luck!
A quick suggestion for fishing the surf in Florida or elsewhere: You need a stripping basket to effectively cast from shore. The little/big waves at your feet will tangle your line otherwise and inhibit your cast, lessening it by at least 10’ or more.
I vacationed in Aruba two years ago and even the little wavelets caused problems, tangling my line in my shoes and elsewhere. I’ll never travel again without my stripping basket, even if I have a boat charter and they laugh at me!
I think using a stripping basket in the surf is more important advice than whatever line/fly I could suggest. Try it. And cast beyond the first incoming wave!
Yes, a stripping basket is essential.
One of the FAOL sponsors, Stone River Outfitters, sells the William Joseph Retractable Stripping Basket. Well worth the price and it isn’t that high. I have one and use it when fishing for Pink Salmon from the beach.
Check it out at:
http://www.stoneriveroutfitters.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?key=GAD_C041611&preadd=action
Larry 
—sagefisher—
You DO NOT need a stripping basket to fish the surf in Southwestern Florida. You certainly may use one if you desire, but it’s not a necessity.
I’ve been fishing the surf for a long time and got rid of the basket years ago.
Here in the northeast, I only use a stripping basket when I fish with a sinking line.
And fishing with any kind of sinking line has become rare occurrence for me lately.
Like Steve said… use one if you want, but they’re not a necessity
A stripping basket can be more of a headache than it’s worth.
It can inhibit your range of motion for mending and prevent learning valuable line handling skills for use in fresh as well as salt water.
Not to mention dangerous in big surf.
Up here in the northwest, when I fish the saltwater it is not in the ocean but rather in Puget Sound and I am fishing for either Searun Cutthroats or resident Coho or Pink Salmon every other year. The only time to fish for them is on a moving tide, either an incoming or an outgoing tide. Slack time is a dead time. I got sick and tired of the fly line taking off with the tide as I stripped it in, getting caught up around rocks that had sharp barnacles and would eat a line or getting lots of seaweed caught in the line. That made for lousy casting trying to get the seaweed off the line while false casting a heavy fly. For my purposes, the stripping basket was the answer to all of those problems.
Larry —sagefisher—
If you choose to create your own stripping basket using a plastic dishpan or whatever, you will want to epoxy several pieces of heavy weed-wacker line sticking straight up from the bottom of the basket. They should be 2-3 inches and standing as close to straight up as possible. This will keep your line from forming incomprehensible tangles in the basket. Personally, I use a cheap dish basket strapped around my waist, though I did upgrade last year from a bungee cord to an adjustable nylon belt. Total cost, including weed-wacker line: <$10.
My way to fish the beach here in the NE (NJ specifically) is to locate a point on an inlet. Hit it when the tide starts going out and you find all kinds of gamefish waiting for the gravy train of goodies being swept out. I usually only get a week each year to fish the salt, so I try to make it count, and the inlets are great places to try.
Larry & Valhalla
Fishing a saltwater estuary current is more like fishing a large river than it is the surf
Western steelhead fishermen have used stripping baskets to their advantage for many years for the same reasons you find them useful.
A large amount of line needs to be kept in control for maximum distance casting.
In the surf, the line control issues are different. If you’re doing it right, only a minimum amount of line is kept off the reel. This line, with practice, can be coiled in your line hand much the same as you would when trout fishing. Otherwise the line can be stripped on to the sand.
Timing your cast to avoid the drag of the waves and the wash (and still lead a sighted fish) is far more important than being able to cast to the next time zone
Fish with the shortest line possible. If you want to fish a bit farther out pull a couple feet more of line off the reel. When you are done with it put it back on the reel. As I fish the surf I am constantly pulling and winding line on and off the reel. After all I paid 150 bucks for this line holding device that attaches directly to my rod.
Fishing the surf is all about targeting fish and reading water, just as if fishing a stream. Frequent long distance casts to cover water are wasted casts. False casts are few and faw between. The only time I use them are when I need my line aerialized when I am waiting on a wave. In the surf 40 feet is a long cast with most being between 20-30 feet. Very rarely will I ever make a cast over 70 feet (even though it is quite easy for me to do) and that is to reach a piece of structure that I just can’t wade any closer to.
I got sick and tired of constantly picking knots out of my fly line while using a basket. Short casts with line coiled in the basket lead to line twist and all the problems associated with it.
Casts with the waves, along the waves, across the waves are all needed. There are all kinds of currents along a beach that fish associate themselves with. Most always they are facing up current which could be in all different directions in relation to the beach.
Find the rip currents and longshore currents and fish within them. Find the beach break and fish along it and in it.
Fish use these currents and structures to move and feed in.
I forced myself to learn how to coil and loop line and tend to it with my line hand; not just let it pile up at my feet and get swept around by the current. I started with a short line and progressed with longer lengths of line until I got it right. Long loops that hang from my fingers down to the ground seem to be the ticket with loops holding 8-10 feet of line. If you really want to be fancy and work with a lot of line you can even hold a loop in your mouth.
The basket also became a hinderance because it was always in the way no matter where I wore it when I wanted to mend my line in between the waves or when I wanted to make a fast cast into a receeding wave. Not to mention I had a scary experience getting hit by a big wave with one once.
Not bothering to learn how to tend to your line inside the rod tip as well as outiside the rod tip is about as silly as not bothering to learn the double haul. Sure you can get by without it but it makes life a whole lot easier once you know it.
From the nearest dock…
Rocketfish
I was just getting ready to search for this very topic when I saw this thread!! great tips guys!! Anybody try this in the Outer Banks of N.C.? Specifically, the Emerald Isle area?