These strategies are sure to enhance your next warm-weather vacation
Thoughts of fly fishing the beach wander into my mind when I am sequestered by the mid-winter cold.
Fly fishing from the beach is a wonderful, do-it-yourself approach to saltwater fly fishing. Walking the beach at dawn with a fly rod in your hand feels right. While anglers target highly sought after species from the sand, a handful of the most productive flies will attract anything that swims. Load up a fly box with these seven favorites for guaranteed action from the beach.
Fly fishing from the beach embraces all that is special about saltwater fly fishing. The gear is rock solid. The casting is next level. And anything that swims in the ocean fights twice as hard as any trout you will ever catch. Fish spend their life working against the always existent tidal currents and battling against apex predators, building strength and stamina not easily matched in the freshwater.
A sampling of the fish commonly encountered from the beach can vary depending on region. Jump over to the West Coast and fly anglers in the surf target fish like corbina. Snook are the number one beach fish for places like Florida. The common jack crevalle, the most underappreciated fish to be found, will readily take a fly and show you what color your backing is. Mackerel ride the waves near the beach, slashing at bait with their sawlike teeth. Sea trout are another game fish fly anglers target from the beach.
Barracudas that lurk along the beach possess ferocious bursts of speed. Cudas for short, will try to cut your fly in half with a toothy bite. The heavy tippet used to target snook gives beach-bound fly anglers a hopeful chance at landing the fish. I often carry a rod rigged with wire specifically for barracudas. They are one of my favorite fish to catch on the fly. Never pass a 'cuda.
The No. 1 fly for anywhere in saltwater is the Clouser. Fly fishing legend Bob Clouser developed the fly in the late 1980s. This was the first fly to use lead dumbbell eyes and was intended for smallmouth bass. A wounded minnow action is achieved from the weight up front. All white or chartreuse and white are the two best colors for the beach.
The Deceiver was created in the 1950s by an icon in the sport of fly fishing, Lefty Kreh. Lefty's Deceiver was originally all white but can now be found in any color combo imaginable. This is an unweighted fly designed to ride more evenly on the retrieve and not foul around the hook shank during casting. The Deceiver is best fished on a floating or intermediate sinking line.
Sanibel Island in southwest Florida was home to Norm Zeigler, the inventor of the Schminnow. The fly was designed to target the snook that often cruise the beachfront. Norm was always friendly to me and willing to stop what he was doing to talk fishing for as long as you wanted. The Schminnow is only white and is the best fly for snook from the beach.
The black and purple fly known as the Peanut Butter was an Enrico Puglisi invention. This is a flat, upright fly that leaves a big silhouette. A peanut butter fly is a highly visible fly for both fish and fly fisher. Strip this fly just under the surface for wild strikes from the beach.
A Game Changer fly is the wild creation from Blane Chocklett. The fly has a skeleton frame formed from a connected series of hook shanks attached together, chain link style, creating a snakelike movement. Different sizes such as the mini, finesse or hybrid are just a few of the popular sizes of Game Changer flies.
he Gummy minnow is another innovation from fly tier Blane Choklett's mind. This fly provides a realistic rendition of a glass minnow, silverside or greenback and always catches fish.
A Gurgler was the creation by innovative fly tier Jack Gartside. This top-water fly causes a lot of water displacement from the heavy foam used. Commotion on the surface attracts saltwater predators from a great distance. Varied color patterns imitate everything from a shrimp to wounded baitfish.
Saltwater fly fishing from the beach gives family vacations a whole new attraction. Fly anglers will find this approach easy to achieve, frequently productive and slightly addictive. Try these magnificent seven flies the next time your toes hit the sand.