Im very new to salt fly fishing in fact ive only tried it once in rather shallow water for a hour just to play with my new rod…caught nothing.I plan on taking the boat out this coming week in the Tangier Sound area(Chesapeake Bay) and was wonder what would be a good fly?
Im after whatevers biting ,im not picky at this point . A big rock would be nice but id settle for some croakers, perch or blues to start. Im gonna try a spot that drops quicky from 4 ft to 18ft .
Ive also began tying so any suggestions on colors?
Id also like to know how many of you ever actually just put some peeler or spot on a hook and fish it on your fly rod?Perhaps it takes the fun out of it but its still fishing.
The one fly pattern that I would have for fishing saltwater anywhere in the world would be the Clouser Minnow, in chartreuse and white. I have caught more than fifty species, in cold, warm, and tropical waters, on Clouser Minnows. It helps that these are easy to find as just about every fly shop I have been in carries them in the basic colors. After chart/white I would want olive/white, tan/white, blue/white, red/white, and all white.
Clousers are about all I use. I tie them with different size eyes and with different colors. I’ve tied them with bead chain eyes on a number 10 hook and I tied them in a standard olice and white pattern on a 2/0.
Someone sent me a picture of what looks to be a Clouser that is mostly pink with a small amount of white in it. They call it a pink wonder becaue it’s a wonder it catches anything, but it does.
Im very new to tying and I have been working on my clouser because I was waiting on
(first salt rod) a St Croix Reign with a Trion reel to arrive.Im going to be heading out Tuesday for my first try and just hope all is well.
Heres a couple of the clouser and a sand ell ive tied so far …nothing great I just hope they catch fish.
Something you might want to try… the fellow tha taught me to tie Clousers passed this on to me. Use red thread, at least to finish with. he claimed the red got him a little more action. It might be worth a try. I’m not sure I’ve personally noticed any difference as of yet though.
Of course I did catch a baby tarpon tied in red though.
I don’t have the salt water fly fishing experience of others, but I have a clouser on almost all the time. I have a lot of confidence in it. Around NJ, the conventional wisdom is char/white in stained water. If the water is clear, more natural colors are better – olive/white, for example. I’ve met a lot of people who firmly belive in white/white.
The only thing about clousers is casting them. I shortened and stiffened up my leaders, and that helps. I’ve decided to tie all my clousers with white thread, and then use a marking pen if I want a different color. Helps with the thread inventory.
Clousers and decievers are standard flies for me in the salt.Joe Bruce’s crab colored Clouser is a good pattern for the bay.Its white,tan & olive bucktail with gold crystal flash and copper flashabou between the layers of bucktail.I see you are located in Pittsville,MD.I suggest you drive to Salisbury to the Salisbury Fly Shop and talk to Mason.He is a good man to deal with and can steer you in the right direction.The # for the shop is 410 543-8359.
Skips -Any chance your in that Delaware fly club?
I have dealt with Mason in fact Ive tried to keep some buisness his way because of the service. Stopped by last week so I could get some help with my cast on this new 9 wt I got from him .I gave it a try off the bank earlier that day and well …blood was spilled …ouch. I wish my bait and tackle shop guy had that kind of service.
I always try to get some advice from several folks just to get a feel for what everyones doing.
I’m with Nick on this one, for the past five years or so I’ve gotten away from using Mr. Clouser’s Deep Minnow when ever possible. I fish for my own enjoyment, and I don’t enjoy throwing Clousers
When choosing salt water flies think in layers.
You need some for top water like poppers, sliders, or guglers.
Some mid level flies like deceivers, Ray’s flies, or surf candies.
And some weighted bottom flies like the 'fore mentioned Clouser Deep Minnow
Where I was fishing yesterday, the bluefish were busting on huge schools of small bait.
My little streamer was lost in the mass.
I put a popper dropper in front of my deceiver to cause a disturbance and attract added attention.
I went from catching nothing to getting a fish on every cast, including a number of doubles
Gurglers are a saltwater fly that also just happens to work great in the sweet water too
They were developed for baby tarpon.
A foam slider or a deerhair slider, like a snake fly, is just the thing swung on a tight line in current, especially at night. The fly’s wake will attract game fish from a good ways off.
JRA,im not a member of the Delaware club but I know a few of the guys and fish with them on occasion.I agree with what Dudley said.Right now I have been doing pretty good on stripers with topwater poppers.All my Clousers and decievers go untouched but they smash a popper worked quickly across the surface.Im glad to hear you have already been dealing with Mason.I met him about 11 years ago when he had his shop in the old Salisbury mall.He is a very good guy to know and do business with.
Ill assume the stripers your getting are mostly morning/evening? Where are you catching them at? I went out Yestarday after work at about 10 am and didnt have much luck .I was fishing the Manokin and tried fishing differeent depths between the shallows and deeper water mostly on shells . I then moved over to a small creek that had a 14 ft deep spot with alot of tidal movement …no luck :?
I did meet another guy fly fishing who suggested I try it earlier in the day and give it a few weeks for the stripers to pick up.
Maybe the water is still just a little to warm …I didnt even catch much on peeler or fish bites. Yes I had a hook and line over …just do tell everyone…lol
JRA, I have a couple flies I am going to tie and send your way. I think you will like them. Try them in the salt and let me know what you catch with them.
…ouch. I wish my bait and tackle shop guy had that kind of service.
including a number of doubles