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Saltwater Fly Fishing -- The Tide Runs Through It
By E. A. Edwards, Fri Dec 9th
Saltwater fly is all the rage these days. Thisexcitement is quite understandable because there’s hardlyanything more thrilling to a saltwater fly rodder than abluefish blitz, a tailing red drum off the coast of NC, or abonefish battle on the flats of south Florida waters. If you are just getting started in saltwater fly-fishing, thereare a few tips that will make your conversion from freshwatereasier and more productive. Get some gear just for saltwater You’re best bet is toget another fly rod and reel for your saltwater fishingadventures. Your freshwater gear is undoubtedly going to belighter than may be necessary to deliver that big fly in a stiffoffshore breeze, and you’re better off leaving your high-dollarequipment out of the punishing salt air.
Get a good 10 weight rod There are a number of reasons you needto use heavier tackle. One is because you will need to makelonger casts with larger flies in typically windy conditions.Another is because when you see that fish you need to deliverthe fly IMMEDIATELY. Doing that will be considerably easier withheavier equipment. Put your money in the rod If you have to make a choice betweenspending money on rod or reel, choose rod. You can get away witha less expensive reel but you will not get the control you needwith a cheap rod because it will flex more when you try to cast.The rod is more important than the reel. Buy a reel made for saltwater You will still have toclean it after use but it will hold up better than one designedfor freshwater. Buy the best fly line you can afford More expensive fly lineslast longer and perform better than cheaper lines, it’s assimple as that. Your lines are the one place you can’t afford topinch pennies.
Also be sure to keep your lines clean and dressedwith a good line dressing if you expect top performance fromyour lines. Keep direct contact between your rod tip and fly. Beginningsaltwater anglers often do not realize the lighting speed atwhich a marine game fish is apt to strike. Every little bit ofslack from our rod to the fly means a greater chance yourhook-up will be unsuccessful. Keep your rod tip pointed toward the water Your best chance ofhooking a saltwater game fish is by not lifting your rod fromthe water and setting the hook by stripping the line, keepingthe rod pointed down before lifting it. Eliminate as much slackas possible between your rod and the fly and you will find yourattempts will be more successful. Try the shooting head system Because of the heavy head section,a good caster can achieve a good 80 to 90 feet of distance withonly one false cast. You may often find yourself in a situationwhere an 80 foot cast is sometimes not enough for open waterfishing so a long cast with a shooting head is what is needed. Fabulous flies Keep in mind what your game fish eats and mimicit (most of the time). Sometimes the fish will only bite thebizarre, but usually you’re better off with flies that look likeminnows, shrimp, crabs, worms, and various other small saltwatercreatures. Whether you are just getting started and testing yourfly-fishing “wings” or are a veteran who simply loves the sport,give saltwater fly-fishing a try this fall or spring. You’ll behard pressed to find a more exciting fly adventure thana saltwater one. About the author:E. A. Edwards is a free-lance writer with a variety ofprofessional and personal interests. You will find moreinformation about fly-fishing and fly-fishing gear onwww.fly-fishing-guide.info.
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