Saltwater fly fishing is one of the best hobbies to get into to spend a relaxing day near the water. This activity will let you be by yourself and gather your thoughts while at the same time fishing to catch what could become a sumptuous meal. However, before buying saltwater flies and a set of rods and reels, it is first important to know the basics of saltwater fly fishing, especially in finding the right inshore spot to fish.
Finding the Right Type of Habitat
You do not necessarily need to hire a boat to catch saltwater fish. You can catch saltwater fish, even large predatory ones, inshore just as long as you know where to look. Saltwater predatory fishes such as bonefish, stripers, and redfish will assemble to search for prey. However, not all shallow areas near the shoreline can hold the prey these predators are looking for. To catch predatory saltwater fish, you need to find the right shallow water structures that prey fish prefer.
Shallow waters hold more important food sources such as crabs, shrimps, and bait fishes than deep water, which draws the game fish you can catch. Likewise, some game fish will come to shallow waters to escape larger predators such as sharks. Any shallow water structure that can be used as a haven for game fish and holds small bait fish can become a good spot for saltwater fly fishing. These places include jetties, rocky shorelines, docks, and even a monotonous flat beach that can become an ideal fishing spot.
For shallow flats, it is important to look for signs that larger fish have been feeding on smaller baitfish. For example, bonefish will leave depressions on the sand when they dig for crabs or shrimp. Dark depressions will indicate that bonefish are recently in the area. Likewise, patches of mangroves always have food for bonefish, tarpon, barracuda, and even small sharks.
Wait for the Changing Tides
Intertidal zones are a great spot to cast your saltwater flies. Game fish will respond to the changing tides. During low tide, larger game fish will not be able to get to the smaller food sources and will wait for the rising of the tides to come in. Outgoing tides will also flush prey out from marshes and creeks, bring them out to game fish that wait in slightly deeper water. In general, any coastal area with a good amount of water movement is an ideal fly-fishing spot for saltwater game fish.
Fly fishing vs Lure Fishing
If you have done some fishing before, you may have caught a few fish using a weighted lure. In this type of fishing, the weight of the lure pulls the skinny monofilament line off the reel to the targeted cast area. However, with fly fishing, the weight of your saltwater flies is not enough to pull the line far enough to reach your targeted fish. Instead, to make your lure go far, the line used in fly fishing is much thicker and has more mass. You are casting your line in fly fishing, and your saltwater fly goes along for the ride.
Because fly fishing will only allow you to cast your line for short distances, this type of fishing is more hands-on and more intimate. The excitement of fly fishing can stalk the game fish and cast the line exactly in front of it.
Remember, knowing the correct spots to fish at will result in a better fishing experience.