Geared Up Publications

Jack Saum fights in a 36" striped bass, caught while fly fishing in the Chesapeake Bay.

The popularity of fly fishing among striper anglers has soared in the past decade. Up and down the coast, inland and on the beach, for schoolies and for cows, there are huge numbers of dedicated fly anglers. Where and when is fly fishing for stripers at its best? In short, anywhere at any time the fishing is good for other types of angling with lures. It is most certainly at its easiest when fish are feeding at the surface. A proficient fly angler, however, can match and sometimes exceed the effectiveness of other forms of fishing on the surface, come close to matching it when fish are in relatively shallow water, and can still do pretty darn good when the fish are deep if he knows what he’s doing. Note to readers: that proficient fly angler would not be me. It should be mentioned at this point that I am no expert at fly fishing by any stretch. So, I had to depend on information provided by outside sources to write this chapter. Thanks go out to Pete McDonald, Rocky Calia, Jack Saum and Aden King. I’d also like to mention Lefty Kreh. I’ve only talked to him a few times in my life and he did not contribute to this book, short of serving as a role model for me when I decided to start writing about fishing. But if it weren’t for the many books he’s written on fly fishing, I never would have picked up a fly rod in the first place. If you really want to develop your talents at fooling rockfish with flies, get some of Lefty’s books, too.

Tackle

            The most important thing to remember about fly fishing gear is that you are not attempting to cast the lure, you are casting the line. Thus, your line/rod match is extremely important. Casting the line as opposed to the lure or bait has some advantages: you do not have to retrieve the lure all the way in, every time you wish to make a cast. You can make partial casts, such as a roll cast, to re-present the lure in a specific area at a moment’s notice. You can make minor adjustments in line length and accuracy by making false casts, without ever having to reel in and re-cast. And since flies can be custom-tied (by some experts, even on the spot) you have a better ability to match the hatch than you do in other forms of fishing.

Of course, there are trade-offs. Some disadvantages fly anglers face: Wind—a common factor in saltwater fishing—can make casting a fly difficult. In some situations, casting in some directions may be virtually impossible. Getting your offering to depths beyond a few feet can be difficult, especially when current is a factor. Getting it to depths beyond 25’ or so may be essentially impossible at times. Fly casting requires a lot of room, and on a crowded boat you’re as likely to hook a fellow angler (or a radio antenna, outrigger, T-top, etc.) as you are a fish. It requires multiple knots for most lure or rig changes; complete line changes to match conditions at times; more practice to master effectively than other types of fishing; a substantial equipment investment to get started; and is greatly enhanced by mission-specific boats which can cost a lot of money. After saying all that, let’s not forget one more thing: it’s a heck of a lot of fun, too.

            Fly rods are rated by the size of the line they are designed to handle. In plain English, the higher the number is, the heavier the gear. Generally speaking, for schoolies you’ll find a seven-weight rod provides lots of fun and enough beef to get the fish to the boat. Larger stripers require nine-weights, and if you have the opportunity to go after real trophies with fly gear, you can move all the way up to a 12-weight. Serious aficionados will even surf fish for stripers with fly gear this size.

A long rod of eight and a half feet or more will boost casting range and control, but will be harder to use in cramped quarters. For most saltwater boat anglers, an eight footer is about right for an all-around rod. Remember to go on the shorter side if you spend most of your fishing time on boats, and go longer if you intend to cast more from shore.

You can get a beginner’s rod for as little as $100 but will soon outgrow it, and feel the desire for one of those zillion-dollar boron rigs. Most serious anglers trend this way, and it explains why most fly anglers have another item that the rest of us tend to ignore: a rigid rod case. If you’re going to spend all those bucks on a nice rod, remember to provide it protection.

Single-action reels work fine for fly fishing, since you do the retrieving and applying drag with your fingers. Some anglers to like to get more advanced reels with which drag can be applied, but using them effectively is easier said than done. Since you’ll often have many feet of stripped line sitting on the deck or in a basket when the strike comes, to retrieve with the reel and dray you’ll first have to either let the fish swim out with the line you’ve already retrieved until it comes tight against the reel, or crank up the piled line with one hand while attempting to fight the fish at the same time, with the other hand. Since you also need a hand to hold the rod, this can be quite difficult for most two-handed mortals. Obviously, it takes a seasoned angler to become proficient at either of these tactics. These reels also weigh a lot more than single-action reels, and can affect your casting ability. When all is said and done, it’s best for the majority of us to stick with single-action models, until we feel extremely competent or grow a third hand.

Fly line comes in many varieties and a different type is needed to match each fishing situation. Floating lines, obviously, can be used when the fish are at or near the surface. Sinking lines will be necessary when the fish are deeper. There are countless varieties of sinking and partially sinking lines, each designed to meet a different particular requirement. Fly lines with sinking forward sections, called sink-tips or shooting heads, are quite often of use to striper anglers since they allow better castability than full sinking lines yet still allow you to probe deep. These lines are, however, no picnic to cast; you’ll have to throw out the sinking part (which varies in length) then strip out as much line as you hope to cast onto the deck or into a stripping basket. Once the line’s out of the reel, you can start casting again to get the heavy section into the air. Get some momentum going, then “shoot” the line out, and its weight will carry out most or (hopefully) all of the line you have sitting on the deck or in your basket. A 30’ sink tip, for example, can be used to carry out at least 50’ to 70’ of additional line, depending on how proficient a fly caster you are.

Many anglers purchase spare spools for their reels, and load them up with different lines so they’re always ready to match the conditions they encounter. In fact, so many anglers consider line such an important part of their arsenal that entire product lines have been developed to target specific fish, including our own favorite. Scientific Anglers, for example, makes 17 sinking lines in the Mastery Striper Series, which are all designed to match specific striper fishing situations. Which one will you want to use? That question requires an entire book to answer properly. There are literally dozens of choices of lines that fully or partially sink, those that have different sections that act one way or another, and those that sink at different rates. Remember that current will require heavier lines to sink to the same depth that still water requires, and the heavier it gets, the tougher it will be to cast effectively. With many weighted lines, in fact, certain common casting techniques (such as the roll cast) will be impossible to perform. Again: we can only cover the basics here, so you should read Lefty to become truly knowledgeable on this subject. That said, here are some general rules of thumb: most of the time striper anglers working the shallows will use floating lines. Those fishing the upper to middle water column will want to use sink-tip lines, as opposed to sinking lines. These will get your fly down a few feet, but still allow you to cast well and visually keep track of the fly line. A 350-grain sink tip, which sinks relatively fast, is a good starting point. It allows you to probe below the surface effectively but by stripping the line back fairly quickly, you can also tempt fish that are sticking to structure in the eight to 15’ foot depth range. And when you’re trying to get to fish 15’ or more beneath the surface, you’ll need to switch to the full sinking lines.

So, that’s it for fly lines, right? Wrong—you still have leaders to worry about. Except that fly guys don’t like to call them leaders, they call them “tippets.” And you may have guessed this already, but there are about ten zillion different types, to match each and every conceivable situation one could ever encounter on the water. Quite often, these are a combination of different pound-tests, or a tapering leader that goes from a heavy to a lighter test as it reaches the end. Tapered tippets such as these help you make better casts and presentations, as opposed to regular leaders. The taper allows the energy in your cast loop to flow down towards the fly, and turn it over so it lands straight out. This also helps prevent the fly from snagging on the leader as the loop travels down the tippet. Using a tapered leader you’ll experience fewer wind-knots, fly line tangles, and casts that end with the fly dropping on top of the fly line.

Like they say on TV: but wait, there’s more! You may also need a shock tippet in certain situations. Usually, these will be helpful when fishing around docks, rockpiles, jetties, and other structure which can abrade the line. Shock tippets should be noticeably heavier than the main tippet, and in heavy, barnacle-covered structure, some anglers will go as high as 40 pound test. These are commonly very short sections of line, only a foot or two in length. Even so, they will make casting a bit tougher.

When fishing in bluefish-infested waters, many fly anglers will also use a trace of wire at the end of the tippet. Note: if you’re in this boat, try using Tyger brand leaders. They can be tied in regular knots, are quite flexible, and are much easier to cast than traditional wire.

When it comes to lures, fly anglers are again faced with limitless possibilities—even more so than the average spin or conventional angler, since the fly guy may well tie his own lures with unique color patterns or combinations. Most fly fishermen will be casting streamers, clousers, deceivers, and other flies which resemble baitfish as they move through the water. As usual, stick to the old adage: if it ain’t chartreuse, it ain’t no use. However, red/white and purple/black are also effective color combinations, particularly in discolored water or low-light conditions. Often, fly anglers plying the waters for stripers will find that flash adds a lot of action. Tinsel, glitter strips, and holographic eyes all work together to improve the bite ratio, particularly in bright conditions. Again, note that in low light or stained waters the flash will not necessarily help, and may be out-fished by dull, dark flies. And at times, lures with a mirror-like or metallic finish will go untouched—go figure. Anglers working in the shallows, particularly in mud flats, sod banks, and tidal tributary rivers, will also do well with crab or shrimp patterns. These can be tied at home, bought by mail order, or can be purchased in Florida where they’re sold as permit flies, but may be tough to locate in the mid and northern ranges of our target species. Poppers will prove effective anywhere the fish are apt to bust the surface. Many serious striper anglers, however, note that thin profile poppers definitely seem to garner better results than short, fat ones. Remember, we’re trying to imitate the baitfish striper eat, not frogs. In any case, when purchasing streamers and other fish-imitating flies be sure to confirm they are saltwater-grade before making the purchase. Quite often, low-grade steel and metals which are used for freshwater flies will deteriorate in a matter of hours after their first use in salty conditions.

Another factor that holds true with other types of striper fishing—you’ll want to match the hatch. When stripers are busting through schools of tiny bay anchovies, two-inch thin-profile crystal minnow will do the trick. When they’re popping schools of sand eels, use a sand eel pattern. Resin spoons, which are one of the few flies to provide their own action, are also effective in many schooled-bait situations. But when the fish are chasing larger bait go to flies with more bulk and larger profiles. Some nine-inch flies designed to imitate skipjack and bonito for marlin can be quite effective when big stripers are pouncing on full-grown menhaden. Of course, that’s a dream more often than a reality. Commonly, a four-inch chartreuse clouser is probably one of the simplest, most effective starting points when you don’t know exactly what the fish are after just yet.

Stripping baskets should also be mentioned, because they will be a necessity for some boat anglers. Generally speaking fly guys seem happier stripping their line directly onto the deck. But that requires a smooth, snag-free section of the boat. Unless you have a flats boat or a bay boat that’s designed with fly fishing in mind, chances are you’ll have cleats, running lights, rails, and hatch pulls to contend with. In this case, a stripping basket saves a lot of time and aggravation, by providing you with a snag-free spot to pile the line.

Tactics