Intro to Saltwater Fly Fishing: Northeast Primer by Sean Murphy
Prerequisites: Fly-fishing 101
Course Goals: To prepare an angler for a successful first-time saltwater experience with a concentration in the Striped Bass
At first glance, fly-fishing seems an odd choice for the saltwater environment. The fly rod is generally associated with trout fishing, for good reason. The ability to cast tiny flies with accuracy and delicacy, far greater than with any conventional gear, gives the fly fisherman a sound advantage in that type of fishery. In a saltwater fishing situation these advantages are less obvious, especially when the disadvantages of the fly rod are brought to the surface. Compared to an angler armed with a surf-caster, the fly fisherman seems outclassed: the fly rod can not cast as far, is far more affected by the wind when casting, and cannot present imitations nearly as large or as deep. However, by finding situations where you can maximize your advantages, and by learning to use equipment and techniques that can overcome or minimize the fly rod’s shortfalls, you can have a successful, challenging and extremely fun experience - that’s what being a fly fisherman is all about.
(Typical Cape Cod Schoolie approximately 18”)
"Saltwater" is a pretty big place, so this article will focus primarily on Northeast sheltered waters and estuaries, for “schoolie” sized striped bass (roughly fish to about 28”.) I am writing this as a primer assuming that readers understand fly-fishing but may have never even seen the ocean. I want this to provide enough information so someone can have a good first trip in the salt should they find themselves in the striper’s range (traditionally Canada to North Carolina, though I have no doubt that this amazing fish will be found anywhere there is water to sustain it.) Larger stripers (greater than 28”) are for all intents and purposes a different fish, and require different tactics to target consistently - that is not to say they can't be found in sheltered waters because they certainly can - my largest striper to date, a 57 pound brute - was caught on a mud flat in about two feet of water.
Equipment
The first thing you should know is that salt water and equipment don’t mix. For example, I went to a salt marsh to catch a few fish before work. When I got home that night and took off my boots I found that the little metal rings the laces run through had all turned green and corroded away. This is exactly what will happen to your reels, jacket zipper, hooks, and anything metal on your chest pack. After fishing, everything made of metal has to be rinsed thoroughly with fresh water; salt water is basically battery acid. If you learn nothing else from this article learn that; it could save you a lot of money and aggravation.
The single most important equipment decision you will make concerns what type of line to cast, because without the right line you simply cannot get the fly to the fish. Distance is a challenge, but not the biggest one. You have wind to contend with and large bulky flies that don’t cast well and don’t sink well. There are two lines that I commonly use, an intermediate and a shooting-head.
Constant wave, wind and current action makes the surface of the ocean very chaotic. By sinking just a few inches underwater, an intermediate line is far more manageable than a floater. Also one should note that salt water is more dense than fresh, so nothing sinks as well; functionally, this allows you to fish a popper or surface slider with an intermediate line. I like the clear intermediates; having a clear line is never a bad thing, but more importantly when these lines get wet they are incredibly slick. I use intermediates generally in 5’ or less of water when the tidal force is fairly mild (we’ll get into tidal action a bit later.) I also use them a lot at night when the fish tend to be closer to the surface and more aggressive.
Shooting heads are a specialized line type. They function like an exaggerated WF line - the heavy part is heavier, the thin part thinner. Many people build their own by looping a length of very heavy line to a running line - most commonly braided mono; for distance it’s hard to beat this set up. The heavy line or "head" can be Cortland LC-13 or RIO T-14. Fly lines (generally two line sizes heavier than the rod they are to be used on) can be cut into heads and, of course, you can purchase them as well. I like making mine from T-14 because I can tweak them to perform perfectly with my rod and fly - I use different heads for 3" polar fiber minnows than I do for a 15" Slammer. I also have one I made by cutting an 11 wt. intermediate DT line in half (don't ask me who in the Blue Hell fishes with an 11 wt. DT line- apparently the store clerk didn't know either because he sold it to me for 5 bucks!) Keep in mind that the head will never touch the guides during a cast so buying the super slick lines is a waste; my old 9 wt. intermediate lines become 7 wt. shooting heads when they get old, cracked or nicked. A head can be anywhere from 25’ to 40’ depending on the stiffness of your rod and how you like it to perform, just remember to trim it just a little at a time when you do. The running line can be as long as you like but about 100’ is usually what the spools come in; 35 lb. braided mono is the most popular choice. The connection to the head is loop-to-loop, and the loop in the running line should be about 9", that way, if you keep your heads on small spools, you can slip the whole spool through the opening to make the connection.
Casting is simply one roll cast (to get the head to the surface), one back-cast to one forward cast with a double haul included; you are only casting the head with a slight overhang, less than 3' of the running line outside of the tip - that way you don't have to shoot a knot through your tip-top; also, too much overhang will cause an annoying hinging effect. False-casting a shooting head is a bad idea. This does take a little time to learn; it’s not hard- it’s actually a very easy cast to learn but it is different in that you will have to develop a feel for it, but once you have it down you can easily reach 120’ or more on nice days, cast on windy days, and cast with flies that may be over a foot long. Resist the urge to cast with an open loop- this isn’t "chuck-and-duck"- it’s called a “shooting” head for a reason. If you don't know how to double-haul, the exaggerated nature of a shooting head will help you learn. Despite all this distance talk the greatest advantage to using a shooting head is you'll be able to fish your flies deeply, quickly.
The down side to this setup is that some people find braided-mono running line to be a pain to work with- I’m one of them. My sausage-link fingers have a hard time with the thin material so I often use a 5 wt. level sinking line in place of the braided mono (a floating running line would be more difficult to handle in the surf.) It likely reduces my casting distance a bit, but I can work the fly better and am more comfortable fighting the fish. Scientific Anglers (along with several other companies) make shooting heads where the head and the running line are fused together. They are fine lines, they have a smooth transition point rather than a knot or loop-to-loop, but they lack the versatility of a true shooting head. For example, I used to get reels with spare spools and then change the spools when I wanted to switch from an intermediate to a sinking line; now, with one spool loaded with backing and running line, I can loop to loop connect various heads. I just keep a leader wallet with different density heads, an intermediate head, and even a floating head, though I rarely use it. I can now functionally change lines without even unstringing my rod - a great advantage on a kayak. As an added benefit, shooting heads are dirt cheap and by trimming them to length, you can get the action you want from your rod. I use shooting heads for all my bass and pike fishing too, but with a floating running line.
Discussions about rods are usually as emotionally charged as those concerning politics or religion and should be avoided at all costs, so I’ll keep this as vanilla as possible. If forced to pick one rod, I’d pick the 9 wt. A 9 wt. allows you to fish a variety of situations a variety of ways; it's heavy enough to muscle good sized fish even in a heavy current, and it's light enough that casting for hours on end shouldn’t be a problem - I find the difference between casting a 9 and 10 weights to be very substantial. As for action, I like them fast. A fast rod allows you to better overcome two big obstacles, heavy flies and wind; it also allows you to use a greater variety of shooting heads. A fast rod also tends to have a stiffer butt than a slow rod. This is necessary when you need to get some leverage on a fish, which hopefully you will.
Hatches Magazine Subscription
Price: $6.95 for each issue
The Premiere issue is ready for shipping & the Fall 2008 issue will be available September 1st.
