Rookie Saltwater Fly Questions

Saltwater Fly-Fishing
1

I have enjoyed this website for some time. I recently started flyfishing saltwater. A couple of questions for you all willing to share with a rookie.

I am mostly fishing with a coppertop type fly or a spoonfly. Not to over complicate fly choices - have crab patterns, etc.

  • How close do you throw to a tailing fish? It seems hard to anticipate and lead but fear spooking but throwing it on top of them.

  • Should I fish these flys differently? The spoon fly I have been stripping with intermediate strips rather than tiny or just twitching?

  • weighted shrimp imitation or coppertops, etc - are these throw and twitch or do you strip?

  • the flats I have been fishing the tails seem to stop on the falling tide. Still seeing cruisers but a lot less tails. Maybe the fiddlers vacate after fish cruise, etc. Maybe chasing shrimps.

Lastly does higher water dictate a spoonfly vs a coppertop, etc. Sorry for what some of you consider old hat. Fished this weekend and was in a bunch of fish but only caught one having 3 takes. No one I fish with carries a flyrod other than me some am stubbing my toe as I go. Any info is certainly appreciated. Tight lines!

2

copperhead fly…

3

id toss the fly about 2 feet in front of a fish. most prey items dont try to outswim a predator but rather use its camo to hide. I usually dont twitch the fly but rather rely on “breathable” materials such as marabou or rabbit that give the illusion of movement. the light hitting the flashy flies has the same effect.
as the tide falls out of the grass, a swimming type fly (spoon/shrimp/clouser) can help u cover lots more water when the fish aren’t visable. this tech also works in the flood tide when its to deep to see tails.

www.flyfishingsc.com

4

Keep the fly in his face. He can not see far in the grass, so you have to keep the fly close. Remember, from 50’, 18" looks like you beemed him in the head, yet it may be behind some grass and he can not see it. Do not move the fly more than 12". If he does not see it, let him swim by and cast again.
chris.

5

perfect - so little movement and get it close. Thank you.

6

The question does not have a perfect answer…but here goes some of my observations and thoughts…

I always start casting the fly 2-3 feet in front of the fish…I always error on the side of a little long, then quickly strip the fly to where the fish’s direction of movement will bring it to the fly. I keep the fly still until the fish is about a foot away, then move it only enough to flutter it…this for a spoonfly, a crab pattern, or whatever you are throwing. The mistake I see most people make is moving the fly too aggressively.

If the fish gets on top of the fly before you can move it, wait. Let the fish pass and then cast in front of him again. I had to learn this the hard way by spooking way too many fish.

Always try to cast to a fish so that when you do manipulate the fly it is moving away from the predator, not toward it…this can be difficult, but prey doesn’t naturally come at the predator.

Have patience…sometimes moving for a better angle or waiting for the fish to turn will give you the best opportunity. This also comes from experience…I have made too many perfect casts to fish quartering away from me, getting the fly just the right distance in front of the fish, and having the line spook the fish.

Now these are the general rules that I have had great success with. Other factors that can control the distance you lead a fish, and how you move it include:

Type of day (i.e. bright and clear, overcast, no wind, heavy wind, etc.) On a bright clear day with no wind you will need to increase your lead, and be alot more stealthy than on an overcast day with some wind.

Aggressiveness of the fish. If a fish is rooting hard, you will have to sometimes drop the fly right in front of his nose, or wait until he moves again. A rooting fish is going after something, and it expects the prey to suddenly try to dart away.

Speed the fish is moving

Depth of the water

Water clarity

The key thing for me has been to keep the manipulations of your fly to a minimum in most