| Are you a seasoned freshwater fly fisherman | | | | from the Gulf and approximately six hours |
| or a saltwater fisherman looking to add a new | | | | afterwards return a more diluted mix of water |
| and fresh dimension to your angling pleasure? | | | | back to the Gulf. Flats and estuaries go |
| Why not take up saltwater fly fishing? It is | | | | through a cycle of being flooded and almost |
| a wonderful pastime although it can be | | | | drained. This serves to provide the food |
| challenging. | | | | eaten by the baitfish and other prey that |
| | | | attract redfish, drum, trout, and other gulf |
| If you are already doing freshwater fly | | | | game fish. |
| fishing, be prepared to gear up for a | | | | |
| different type of fishing. You will in all | | | | This constant flooding/flush cycle generates |
| likelihood need a heavier rod, reel, and | | | | natural channels. All life forms use these |
| line. What is the reason for this? Well, | | | | channels as "roads" on which they travel. |
| unlike fishing freshwater, the ocean or bay | | | | These channels are any number of sizes, |
| tends to be windier and you need more weight | | | | depending on local conditions. They can up to |
| to slice through the wind. Additionally, the | | | | a hundred yards wide and several inches or a |
| fish tend to be heavier in the saltwater. | | | | few feet deeper than the surrounding bottom. |
| | | | Phytoplankton languidly float in the |
| For example, the best models for all around | | | | prevailing current and your baitfish come |
| use would be a rod 8-1/2 to 9 feet long. Line | | | | along next, because phytoplankton is their |
| weight? Again, for all around use a 7, 8 or 9 | | | | primary food source. The game fish you are |
| weight line would be ideal. It goes without | | | | after navigate these "roads" and feed on the |
| saying that you need to use a rod and reel | | | | baitfish, crabs, and other prey. You, as a |
| balanced to your line weight. Of course these | | | | fly fisherman, use these same roads to find |
| are just average weights. If you know you | | | | and flush out your prey, which is of course |
| will be fishing in primarily low wind | | | | the game fish. |
| conditions, you can bump your line weight | | | | |
| down three notches or so and for high wind, | | | | So you see, you are just another part of the |
| you can bump it up three notches. Since fly | | | | natural cycle of life. By becoming familiar |
| fishing equipment is expensive, do your | | | | with the local tides (you can buy a chart or |
| homework and buy what will work for you. | | | | just reference the newspaper) and the |
| | | | whereabouts of your channels, the fisherman |
| The fly patterns used in Saltwater are | | | | can find the areas where game fish are active |
| different than the ones you would use in | | | | and the when their feeding is most likely to |
| fresh water. This makes sense when you think | | | | be aggressive. |
| of it because the food available to the fish | | | | |
| is different. Remember, match the hatch. Some | | | | Now let's take a few moments to consider how |
| popular patterns are crabs, shrimp, baitfish, | | | | you are going to get to the fish. If you are |
| and marine worms. Just as with fresh water, | | | | fishing close to shore, say on a pier or on |
| what works splendidly on one day might be a | | | | the shore, you can just find a spot where you |
| total wash on the next. | | | | judge the fish to be and where you can make a |
| | | | good presentation. A popular alternative to |
| How does the fisherman find the most | | | | this is wading. If you are wading, stingrays |
| productive water? Consider that tidal | | | | can be a real problem. Fortunately, some of |
| activity is the device that modulates the | | | | the newer waders on the market are made of a |
| entire living environment of the shoreline. | | | | material that deals with this very |
| Let's consider the Gulf of Mexico since that | | | | effectively. One case of stepping on a |
| is what I am most familiar with. | | | | stingray's tail will ruin potentially a |
| | | | month's worth of fishing as you recuperate. |
| Passes and estuaries bring in fresh saltwater | | | | |