What’s your preferred flies? I’ve done ok around here with streamers with a little flash and a long shanked hook, but I throw spinning gear more often. I’m looking to get my first spanish on the fly out of the surf on our annual (cobia-based) Hatteras trip in June. We’ve had great schools of big fish as close as the breakers the last few years, but I wasn’t prepared to toss the fly. There have been some nice albies mixed in too. I have an 8 wt and a 10 wt I was planning to have on the ready this year. 10 wt is probably overkill, but thought it might be good to punch if there’s any wind. Anyone catch them out of the surf?
I used to catch some in the Chesapeake Bay, from a boat, but not in the surf. Usually, they were targeted as opportunity allowed, and incidental while fishing for other fish. When they showed, you just had to try & make the most of it, and had to be prepared to begin with, otherwise, they were missed chances.
As far a flies, I never found it to be critical, but flies I tied specifically for them were mostly flash, and on long shank hook. Some used some bucktail, and some synthetic hair such as Polar Fibre. Cast & strip like crazy!
I used an 8 wt most, but also a 9 or 10 wt depending on wind conditions & how close we could get to them without putting them down.
I have caught them with small EP Flies, also top water poppers such as the Wiggle Minnow or Crease Flies. When using a popper a sinking line helps with the pop.
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Fly choice really doesnt matter… small baitfish… synthetics with epoxy if you wanna catch more than one fish per fly… wire if you feel like it, but you can get away with 40lb fluoro, you just have to check the leader between fish… biggest deal is to move the fly fast… double hand strip works best…
and don’t throw poppers on a sinking line… if you need that to make it ‘pop’… something is wrong with your popper… jesus help us all …
Mad Mike
"to hell with insane… I’m OUTsane!!! "
Just trying to help the guy out a little that’s all.
Have a customer every year that goes to the Jetties with a sinking like and a popper and smokes the fish.
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What Mike said.
Fly nearly doesn’t matter.
The more noise and flash the better.
Fly and leader will take a beating.
Used to hit the jetties in a 15’ whaler. Sit and watch for the small terns to congregate and start dropping to the surface → spanish and blue hitting bait balls and the terns pick up the bits left behind. Hop up on a plane long enough to get there. Drop off of plane going beside the mele’. Through across the action and retrieve as fast as possible.
You’ll pick up spanish and blues and a King once and a while if you’re lucky. Medium size king on a 6 to 8 wgt fly rod is a riot.
17’ Henry O Hornet w/ Johnson 88 spl
26’ Palmer Scott project hull
14’ Bentz-Craft w/ Yamaha 25
Thanks for the tips. Haven’t landed one in the surf otf yet, so hoping to check that off my list.