For more than a hundred years, saltwater fly anglers have tackled a variety of species, matching the size of the tackle to the size of the fish pursued. Some of saltwater fish caught on a fly are flounder, drum, trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and similar species. Most are easily handled on medium-weight fly fishing tackle. But even species like tarpon, sailfish and sharks are routinely caught on heavier fly fishing gear.
Typical freshwater bass fly rods are a good choice for many of the commonly caught saltwater fish. The key, like in so many fishing situations, is to select a fly that resembles what saltwater fish eat, typically minnows, crabs and shrimp.
Saltwater species are known to be hard fighting and often have plenty of room to run. That means your fly reel should have plenty of backing, the braided Dacron line that goes on the reel first, before attaching fly line. I recommend 100 yards of backing for the smaller fish in our sounds. If you are fishing offshore or nearshore, you will want a reel with a capacity of 150 to 200 yards of backing. The potential exists to hook larger fish that make long runs, and it’s a good to be prepared.
Another difference from freshwater is that many saltwater fish have significant teeth. That means you need heavier leader than in freshwater. For toothy prey like blues and Spanish, expect to use a 20- or 30-pound piece of mono or wire on the end of a leader.
Fly fishing in the ocean or sounds, is much like fishing a large lake. You cast to likely fish holding areas like piers, rock jetties, drop-offs, surf, oyster shells and places where the tide is flowing in or out of shallow areas. In other situations, target areas where false albacore, Spanish and blues are attacking baitfish near the surface or places where birds are working.
If you want to get started fly fishing on the coast, go with an 8- or 9-weight outfit. If you know you will be targeting bigger fish like cobia, stripers, amberjack, tarpon etc., you will want a 10- to 12-weight outfit. To get flies down in deeper water, or in the surf, you may want a line with a sinking tip, or a full-sinking line. In many cases, however, a standard floating fly line will be fine.
Casting ability is more critical in saltwater. The better and farther you can cast, the more fish you will catch. The casting technique that seemed adequate for bream in a farm pond won’t measure up at the coast, where more distance is needed and wind is often a factor.
Fly fishing in saltwater will open up a new fishing adventure. Give it a shot. It will add some variety to your next vacation, and fall is a great time to fish the coast.
Richard Griggs operates Carolina Mountain Sports in downtown Statesville, N.C. The store specializes in fly fishing tackle, accessories and instruction for fresh and saltwater fly fishing.
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