Saltwater Flyfishing Made Easy. Read and Learn.
By Danny Sauvageau  of Dan's Custom Flies

The world of saltwater fly-fishing is very different than freshwater fly-fishing. One of the most obvious difference is the size of the tackle. Most freshwater fly-fishing can be done with fly rods from 4 to 6 weight rods and lighter, while a 6 weight is the lightest rod you would want to try to tackle the saltwater fish with. The most common all around fly rod for saltwater fly-fishing is an 8 weight. ( I prefer a 10 weight for most of my fishing) The reason you need to use heavier tackle in saltwater is not just because the size of the fish you will run into, but more because you need to make longer cast with larger flies, and there is always some kind of wind to deal with. The lighter rods should only be used on days with no wind and on smaller gamefish like ladyfish, seatrout and small jacks. Some fly fisherman like to be MACHO and go after some larger species with 4 and 5 weight rods. The only thing these light rods do is fight the fish almost to death. Sure it is nice to see a big bend in the rod.......but at what cost ? What is the difference if you use a 4 weight rod with an 8 lb tippet, or an 8 weight rod with an 8 lb tippet ? A healthy fish that swims away.

FLY RODS
As I told you earlier I use a 10 wt fly rod most of the time. Here are my reasons; A heavier rod carries heavier fly line which is easier to load and takes less false casting to get your fly to the fish. ( isn't that the name of the game ?) Less false casting also means LESS WORK! I don't know about you but I fish for fun, so the less work it is, the more fun it is. Less false casting also means your fly spends more time in the water and less time in the air !  When I tell people that I use a 10 weight almost all the time they all say the same thing. Don't you get tired casting that rod all day? Well, most 10 weights today are not that much heavier than an 8 weight. Think about it; if you make 2 or 3 less false cast for each time you present your fly during a day of fishing using a 10 wt over an 8 wt rod, and you cast 200 times during a day of fishing, that would mean you would make 400 to 600 less false cast during a day of fishing.......... now which rod would make you more tired ? Now here is the biggest reason I prefer the heavier rod "SPEED!" I do a lot of sight fishing and your window of opportunity while sight fishing is usually small. You need to deliver your fly to the fish RIGHT NOW! The heavier rod loads faster than the lighter rod which helps you get the fly in the water ASAP. Another thing to think about...... the less your arm and rod is waving in the air, the less of a chance the fish might have to see you. Two other reasons I prefer the larger rod is; I like to cast the biggest fly I can ( within reason ). The heavier rod and line makes this much easier ( easier = more fun ). Wind is the other reason you may do better than with the lighter rod. Casting with some wind or with a larger fly sometimes make the caster try to force his cast which with a lighter rod will make the rod flex too much which makes for larger loops in your fly line and less energy transfer.

FLY REELS
When it comes to spending money on new equipment, many knowledgeable people will tell you the same thing "spend as much as you can on the rod and less on the reel". A cheap rod will have slower action and flex more when try to cast and leave you frustrated. I won't tell you to buy the cheapest fly reel around, but the rod is more important than the reel.

When choosing a fly reel you should buy one made for saltwater. ( Even thought you buy a reel made for saltwater, you still have to rinse it and clean it every time you use it ! ) The ones made out of Bar Stock aluminum are ones to look for. Find one that matches and is balanced your rod. A smooth drag is important but unless you are going for fish that take long fast runs like Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon or chasing down offshore fish like Kingfish, Albacore, Tuna or Bonita you won't need a great drag. If you fish for Snook, Redfish, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Weakfish, Seatrout or other inshore species you can get away with a reel for $100.00 to $150.00.

FLY LINES
Here is my advice to you about fly lines......... BUY THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD ! This is one place you do not want to skimp. You fly line is what carries your fly to the fish. Cheaper fly lines don't seem to be as slick as the better ones do. They won't last as long either so you will end up buying new line sooner, so get the best. Keeping your fly lines clean is very important too. Clean it and coat it with a good line dressing often. I am not going to plug many products, but the Scientific Anglers Fly Line Cleaner and Dressing is the best I have ever used.

Most saltwater flyfishing situations all you need is a good floating saltwater taper line that matches you rod specs. 10 weight rod - 10 weight line. ( If you are really new to flyfishing here is what the letters and numbers on the fly line boxes mean. If you see 10WFF on the box it means 10 weight line, "WF" means Weight Forward. That means there is more weight in the front of the fly line which helps you cast larger flies longer and faster. The second "F" means that that line is a floating line. If you see 10WFS, that means 10 weight line, Weight Forward taper and  "S" mean that it is a sinking fly line.) The second most popular type of line is and "Intermediate" or slow sinking line. Most intermediate lines are also clear and sometimes called "Mono core" or "Slime Line" These lines are great when used in the surf, when there is floating grass around, around dock lights at night or if you want you fly to sink a little bit more. There are also lines that have a "Sink Tip" which means that most of the fly line floats, but the front tip of the line sinks helping keep your fly down. These lines are easier to cast than the intermediate or full sinking lines. Full sinking lines are used for deeper waters and are difficult to use for the beginner. All lines have their place.

LEADERS
You can ask 10 different fly fisherman about leaders and may get 10 different answers. While leaders are a critical part of saltwater flyfishing, they don't have to be as complicated as some make them out to be. It would take up a lot of time and space to really get into leaders, I will talk about some of the keys to making your fishing fun and productive. If you really want to dive into more info about the leader system I use click on this link Dan's Leader System. Having a good leader can really help or hurt you when trying to get your fly to the fish. One of the most important things to consider when making a leader is the type of mono you use to tie them. Monofiliments come in different sizes and hardness. If you chose a mono that is too soft, you will have a leader that will collapse during your cast and your fly will usually end up right besides the end of your fly line in a big mess. The soft mono won't transfer the energy you developed with your fly line to your fly. On the other hand if your leader is made with mono that is to stiff, your fly may slam into the water with too much splash spooking the fish. You need to try different lines to see which one works best for your style of fishing and casting. The length of your leader is very important also. A leader of 8 to 9 feet is usually all you need, but if you can make one longer and be able to cast it, all the better. In most situations I throw a 12 foot leader. If it gets windy or you are throwing larger flies you may need to make you leader shorter.

KNOTS
The type of knot you use to tie your fly on can have a good or bad effect on the way your fly acts in the water. Most flies swim better tied on with a loop knot , while other flies act more naturally tied on with a jam or cinch knot, like the Uni or Trilene Knot. The knot you tie you leaders with can also make a difference in how strong your leaders are and how good they go through the guides in your rod. This subject would be too long to cover here, but if you want to know about how to tie and when to tie certain knots click on this link- Saltwater Knots.

THE FLIES
This is my favorite part THE FLIES !!!!! I have a very simple approach to flies........ WHAT DO THE FISH EAT ! I tie and design my flies to imitate the foods that the fish in that area eat most of the time. Oh, sure there are times when that funky pink and purple fly is all they will eat, but I put my money on a fly that matched the fishes menu. So what do the fish eat ? Well that's easy - baitfish, shrimp, crabs, eels, worms and other littler critters. The thing is there are a zillion different little baitfish and other critters swimming out in that big sea, but for the most part you can get away with a dozen or so different flies that imitate some different types of baits. Lets go over the different baits briefly.

Minnows
I like to put the different bait fish into size and shape categories first then color. The small slim minnow like Glass Minnows, Rain Minnows, Anchovy, Silversides are best imitated by flies that are small and flashy. Usually white or silver flies with green, chartreuse, olive or tan on top. Epoxy minnows and Clousers in size # 4 or # 2 can cover these baitfish. I like flies made with synthetic materials that become translucent in the water just like most small minnows do. The other common type of minnow shape is taller or minnows that are flat on their sides. The minnows include Shads, Pilchards, Herrings, Spanish Sardines, Menhaden, Whitebait, Bunker, Greenbacks. These fish are almost all silvery on their sides and sometimes darker on the tops. Larger flies with higher profiles in white, gray or silver with green, olive, blue or black on top mimic these baits best. Some of the rounder or fatter baitfish like Mullets are best imitated by a fatter fly in silvers, and whites with topwater flies working great for these baits.

Some of the darker baitfish like Pinfish, Croakers, Killifish, Chub Minnows, Sheepshead Minnows, Cacaho Minnows
and other minnows swimming around the mangroves are best imitated by darker flies with some stripes on them.

Shrimps
Shrimp come in many sizes and colors but the most common ones are the white, pink, tan and green colors. Although there are many flies that try to intimate shrimp, not many of them act or swim like a shrimp in the water. If you want to use a shrimp fly it is important to check out their swimming action before trying to fish with them. Tie one on with a loop knot, and try it in the water. If it doesn't look realistic, try a cinch or jam knot. If it still doesn't swim correct......... give it to your buddy!

There are basically three styles of shrimp flies. One is a shrimp fly that sinks quickly and is fished hopping on the bottom, or creeps along with small slow strips. Another style is a slow sinking or neutral type that is good in shallow grass flats, or can be dead drifted is an area with good current. The third type is a topwater slider type of fly that acts like a shrimp swimming or popping on the surface. Which ever type of shrimp fly you need, be sure the fly doesn't spin, sink odd or come in sideways as you strip it. A shrimp usually does not act in these manners, and a picky gamefish will RUN from a fly that seems unnatural to it.

Crabs
Like shrimp, crabs come in countless sizes and colors, and like shrimp flies, some of them look great in your hand, but can't swim or act like a crab on the end of your leader. Most crabs that gamefish eat are quite small, usually smaller than a quarter. Their colors range from cream, tan, brown, black and olive colors. Many have some kind of markings like speckles or bars to help them hide from their predators. Another thing most crabs have in common with each other is most of them live on the bottom around rocks, oysters, mangrove roots, grass or hide in the sand. Some crabs do swim with the tide, float with the current or cling to other floating debry. Fiddler crabs live most of their lives out of the water unless the tide gets high enough to flood the area they live forcing them to survive under water.

The biggest problem with most crab flies is,  in order to get the right size and shape, tiers must use some material not suited to sink like spun deer hair, wool and yarn. In order to get these flies to the bottom, they are heavily weighted and become difficult to cast. (I call these flies "Chuck and Duck" crab flies) Another problem with a crab fly that is not designed correctly is they will sink unnatural and let the fish know they are fake. Some crab flies are made with  epoxy, and sound like a rock hitting the water when they are cast to spooky fish. Although a crab fly may seem difficult to use, there are many fishing situations that they are second to none!


Topwater Flies
Most topwater flies imitate minnows and baitfish, and some imitate shrimp. There are two basic types of topwater flies. A slider, or a diver floats at rest, and dives when retrieved quick. You can also make them pop with a short, hard jerk, or pull them in slow to push a wake. The other style of topwater fly is a popper. They do just what their name says..........POP!. Pencil Poppers are smaller and slimmer, and make less noise as a regular popper.

Eels, Worms and other Critters
There are many other types of food you can imitate with a fly like Eels, Squids, Worms and other critters. There are even flies made for Bonefish that imitate Sea Urchins. All these flies have their place in the food chain, so I would suggest they have places in you fly arsenal too.

Attractor Flies
There are some flies that just don't imitate anything....... They just catch fish! Flies in bright, out of this world colors, have been catching fish for years.............so don't be afraid to try something new.