Saltwater Freshwater Fly fishing

[nimue4]

I tie my own flies as well but must admit that the odd thing is....one would think the bigger the fly the easier it would be to cast.....nnooo, opposite. The bigger they are the harder they are to cast.

Still waiting for 1st bass on the fly, loads of mackeral and they are just great fighters on a fly rod. Garfish don't fight as well but are more spectacular as they do leave the water, ohh if only they grew to about 15lbs.

Best tip seen so far..Guru Smoothie...tuck rod butt in your cuff, when things start going wrong and fly ends up in heap by my feet, butt in cuff always sorts it out....Maybe I'm just limp wristed.

Cheers, Jules.

Yesterday two of our fishermen came back from a full day on the reefs and reported seeing five sawfish (caught two), and catching sea trout and grouper (I ended up inheriting some of the grouper from the captain, not a bad perk for working at a fishing lodge).
Tonight I'm in my kayak but not fishing - will be in the annual Key Largo Boat Parade at night. Should be lots of fun.

[nimue4]

Betsy you lucky thing!
Hope you have a great evening, I nearly had a great day out today too.....see thread boat fishing Tommy and Kiwi 18/19 dec.

Keep trying they are out here!

Cheers, Jules.

Thanks - great boat fishing thread over there. My lighted boat parade in Blackwater Sound (Florida Bay at Key Largo) turned out great - nice night for weather and paddling (was a night inbetween two cold fronts, perfect timing). The canoes and kayaks at the front of the parade had company, though,......an 8 foot crocodile!! I told the crowd on the water's edge that I only worry about the ones that are bigger than my kayak (which is 11 1/2 feet long).

The sight-fishing here in the Keys is some of the best since the water's so clear and we have a lot of light from the sunny days. Personally I prefer "intuition" fishing, which is really more a combination of knowing a good spot to cast based on past experience AND on feeling (not on seeing any fish - to me, seeing them is almost like cheating ).

[Old Smoothound]

Hi Betsy,

Glad to hear the Parade went off well.

We call intuitive fishing around here... "Fishing Blind" I like this method when Dry Fly fishing.... just cast out wait 20 seconds then re-cast again... if a Trout sees the fly "Wham" they hit from nowhere...brilliant because you never know when it is going to happen! Always trying to anticipate the next "Hit".


Merry Christmas

Silly question - why recast? Can't you just let it sit there? Or does the re-presentation make another opportunity for the fish to become aware of it? I'd think each time you drop the fly, you're risking a bad cast that scares off the fish.
I was raised on freshwater fishing...crappies, sunfish, bluegills, bass, trout (the occassional stump! ). But now that I'm in saltwater, I love the idea of catching more varieties and exotic fish.

[Old Smoothound]

Hi Betsy,

The idea to re-cast is to imitate the natural "fall" of flies, that happens on my reservoir or lake. If you are a bad caster then don't re-cast if you are experienced then you never make a bad cast.

We drift with the wind behind us from Boats...called Loch Style... so you are always covering new water. The Trout feed into the wind as this is the way "natural bait" falls onto the water...they search it out... you never know if they are just below the surface waiting for the next meal.

Sooo you can fish the dry fly static...but it gets wet and eventually sinks...or you can lift off gently couple of false casts to dry the fly then make a cast for perfect presentation to fool the next Trout.

You can cover a lot of water and fish this way.....but if you fish it static then you might as well use a worms as bait under a float . Not exactly fair or cricket as we say over here.

Thanks. And here in the flats, where there's usually only 2-3 feet of water, they pole along slowly to cover the new ground. This is where the bonefish, permit, and tarpon feed. If you catch all three in a day, it's called a "Flats Slam". So far, the only part of a bonefish I've seen is a tail!

[Old Smoothound]

Hi Betsy,

I'd love to catch Bonefish..but the chances of me getting to Florida to do it is very slim.

But have read all about them....very difficult fish to catch on the fly and one of the fastest fish in the sea!

Maybe one day until then ....just dream on

[edwin]

I turned to Saltwater Fly Fishing some six years ago now having become tired of reservoir trout fishing. I started exploring the Sulfolk esturies and worked myself southwards through essex.
Because flyfishing is basically a method of luring fish by sight (Spinning has the added advantage of attraction by vibration.) clear or clearish water is required. The east coast estuaries have an added disadvantage of being over enriched with agriculural nitrates which cause heavy blooms of algae/seaweeds about the same time the clearer waters & Bass arrive.
I turned to the South coast starting at Christchurch & worked myself westwards for three years--returning to Poole harbour & Sandbanks which was my most successful venue. Fish to date have been Bass, Mackerel, Seatrout, Garfish, Blackbream, Mullet (reasonably easy) Pollack, & Tub Gurnard. (It's amazing how this bottom lover will follow a lure to the surface!)
I started with my reservoir tackle but expensive freshwater reels & line rapidly bow to saltwater use Salt,Silt & sand. Saltwater varieties, larger spooled, are available over here now. Casting distance is essential and Lures need to be big, and in tidal areas heavy (Bass) I bought a Worstershire Boron 10/11 weight 10ft Rod (I rate it higher) Two weight forward American sea lines,floater & sinker the latter having a tungsten core, weight around 14/15 but easily managed on the stiff Boron & they sink superfast fished cast upcurrent then retrieved depending on tideflow/current. I tried many American sea flies but started producing my own, some up to 8 inches long & they work for they are based on natural British livebaits/whitebait/sandeel/mixtures. Likewise with shrimp / prawn. Crabs no--I believe crabs are hunted more by smell by our fish. The endless limit size bass I have caught in Poole by any means were full off 10-20c.m hardbacks, The Gurnards & Blackbream small shrimps
I eventually bought an Avon inflatable which seriously increased catches. The best but hardest is still fishing Sandbanks surfy beaches with the heavy gear and a floater (Sinking lines bury in the sand) & watch a hooked Bass race horizontally through an aquarium like crest of clear surf. It is however hard work.
Cheers Edwin