Retrieves

There are a number of retrieves that you can do but most will depend on the type of fish you are after. Here is a list of retrieves you can do broken down by species

 

Snapper

The do nothing retrieve. Snapper love falling or stationary flies. I tend to let my fly settle on the bottom give it a couple of small twitches and then count to around 20 seconds then give another couple of twitches or medium retrieve. There are times when they take on a steady retrieve but this is rare. Often this may happen at night when they are less shy.

 

Kingfish

Experimentation on what works for you but I have used a slow steady to medium retrieve when blind fishing but I have heard of a stationary fly also working. Talk to different people and you will get a different perspective.

 

Trevally

Slow steady retrieves to figure of 8 to even swinging. Mine have both been a slow to medium retrieve along current lines or through a burley trail

 

Kahawai

Medium to fast retrieve. I have caught most of mine on a medium retrieve. If you are getting tail nips strip faster.

 

Gurnard

Bouncy retrieve hard on the bottom.  So having a fly line and fly that sinks right to bottom and stays there while you retrieve.

 

Flounder

Twitched slowly in front of its face. Flounder will pounce it. Size of fly needs to be small as in size 8 small.

 

The best retrieves are where you mix up the retrieve with pauses and varying the speed. Imagine you are dangling a string for a kitten and teasing it to get it to pounce. Retrieving is much the same.

Blind Chasing kings

A lot has been written about chasing kings on the fly in shallow water. Most telling you it’s a waste of time unless you can see them. This is a very visual and rewarding way to catch them but I am here to tell you that yes you can catch kings blind fishing. Here is the way I go about it.

 

First just a quick bit about gear. I have a predator rod with a sage reel. These reals are good as they are sealed but the drag is not massive. However it is the line that is the most important. A sink tip can work where I fish but a full sink is probably best. The line I use has a 30ft intermediate sink tip so really acts more like a full intermediate.

 

Next is location. This will be off a good set of rocks. Normally a point or somewhere with a close edge with faster current moving past it. Burley up with a can of cat food. Yes that’s right I said cat food. It's cheap and it works. You can either take the can and open it by the water but make sure to take it home with you, or you can freeze it in a bag.

Try to time it so it has time to work before you get to prime time which is normally around mid-tide so I normally start about 1hr after high.

Someone recently asked me if burley works on kings and yes it does if not directly. I have seen kings hanging off the back of a boat cruising around for morsels however will only take the most natural of presentations. I have also seen kings zooming around in the burley trails chasing baitfish. The main thing you are after is to bring in the baitfish which will then attract the kings and also hold them in the area. The kings that are there are on the feed and not cruising which gives you a lot more time to get the right presentation

Cast your fly out and count it down to the bottom. Depending on the spot this can be about 20-30 seconds then a medium to fast retrieve back. Vary the speed with pauses. I have caught 1 kingfish every season from one of my spots every year and it always the same. While stripping back to the surface to recast. All rat kings and all right on mid tide.

The best months to try this is normally from January to the end of April but is still possible to catch them outside this time.

 

Good luck

 

Finding Clean water

Let's face it if the fish can't see your fly its game over. Finding clean water in harbours can be difficult at times. Especially in the day when the wind has stirred up the shallows. Here are some things to consider

 

1. Fish first thing in morning before the wind gets up
2. Fishing high tide
3. The incoming is cleaner than the outgoing
4. Offshore winds are better than onshore
5. Wind direction v tide direction
6. How muddy is the estuary
7. Fish closer to the mouth. The higher you go in the harbour the murkier the water
   

Finding Fish

In fly fishing the most important aspect is finding fish. This seems pretty obvious right. But trying to learn saltwater fly fishing this can be one of the most frustrating things not knowing if there are fish there or if your technique is lacking. Unlike bait fishing where you can feel the fish there fly fishing with a lure there is no way to know what's there unless you hook up.  If you are lucky you might be able to see the fish but I have not had this occur to me yet.

One of the best things I did was found a spot that had fish and fished it regularly until I had improved my technique and knew the area intimately, including when and where to fish it.

Finding the right spot can be frustrating especially as most spots have a specific best tide or wind etc. It can take a lot of trial and error until you find the right combination and that's if the spot works for fly fishing let alone taken over by bait fisherman.

I have had a lot of failures and a few successes. Most of the time you need to put in a lot of time something I am limited in. I am limited to 2hrs which restricts how far i can go. One of my favourite spots has a gate that closes at 9pm and I have been stuck behind it for 2hrs trying to get out. Long story short find the fish and stick with it until you are confidently catching fish then when you try new spots you will at least know that your technique is correct or might only need slight adjustment. 

Stay tuned for more articles on finding fish

Keeping a Diary

Keeping a diary is really important for your learning and something i have done since i started fishing. Working out what works as well as what doesn't. I try and put as much information as possible about weather, tide, wind etc and also what time i caught any fish as well as what fly. This can give you an idea on what fly could be working best in clear v cloudy water and what part of the tide e.g what weight worked in depth of water. One of the things i have found is that one spot i catch most of my fish at the lowest part of the tide. This i believe is because i can get to the bottom with very little drag on the fly. 

Another spot i fish can only be fished/reached when at low and a specific extra low tide so knowing how high the tide was on that day was important. 

I have been using a notebook but i have also have all this in onenote and an access database. So i can quickly look up notes on an area or filter a spot to be more specific. 

I regularly go back to areas i have already fished when looking into what spot i want to fish next examining the best conditions to what i expect the conditions to be on the day. 

Some examples of things i look into 

·         What is the maximum wind i will fish into without calling it a day or catching the back of my head with a fly. 

·         Do you prefer to sight fish in calm with no wind and what time of the day. Early morning is best for flat conditions 

·         What is my preferred tide for a specific spot or area. Low, high, incoming, outgoing 

·         What type of fish are at this area 

·         Do you need to burley 

·         What was the moon phase. I have had some of my best success just before a full moon 

·         Time of day. Normally dawn and dusk are very good and snapper will more likely come up from the bottom to feed 

There are plenty more things to learn so start a diary and start learning.

Gear guide

It takes a long time to find the right gear that works for you and when it comes to saltwater even more so. Unlike fresh water where there are many who have already tried and will be able to give you good advice,the saltwater market is smaller and a lot of gear hasn't been tested here with the harsh environmental factors playing havoc on your gear.

There are some great rod/reel combos out there now for getting started at reasonable prices but when it comes to other gear it unfortunately falls short with a lot of gear either coming in as really expensive or just not doing the job. This has caused most of us to make our own gear. 

So I thought I would cover some of these areas and what gear and considerations are required.

Shoes

This is one of the biggest problems I have with limited solutions. Most of the shoes are either booties for coral/flats or boots that are heavy and expensive.  My first pair was a pair of my old Teva sandals and these were great except for rock hopping where I got a bit cut up. My next pair was my old sandal/shoe and these were great for rock hopping but only lasted a season before falling apart. Most of the shoes don’t seem to have good solid soles for rock hopping. Therefore I have come to the decision it is cheaper to buy some $30 shoes and who cares if they last a season. I would have to go through a fair many pairs before I end up spending $200 which is what most of the boots are.

I have heard the best is getting an old pair of felt soled boots as they have amazing grip on them and this I would believe.

Bag

Normally I wear just a normal backpack but I have a waterproof bag inside for all my keys, phone, camera etc. But recently I was put onto a waterproof bag that wasn’t too expensive and just rolls up at the top. This way I don’t need the separate bag inside and it can be used as a flotation device if I for some reason fall in. You can if you search find them for $40

Now the other thing with having a bag is access to flies and that’s were a vest comes in. I use an old trout vest. And it only holds flies and a few other bits mainly so I don’t have to go into the bag every five minutes. But be wary about too much gear and weight.

Strip tray-line management

This one took me a while of trial and error but I finally managed to find something that works and only cost me $10. The bonus with this is that you don’t have to pull line off the water so you can cast further and I get into less tangles. A lot of the water I fish on has rocks with plenty of sharp edges that gets my line hooked up with waves crashing in making for spending too much time untangling. Please see my previous post on how to make one.

Jacket

Having something light and packable and able to hold up to the elements I managed to purchase a North Face packable breathable rain jacket. This has been a god send. No matter what the weather does I feel warm and comfortable.

Pants

Normally I just wear an old pair of cargo shorts as I can stuff stuff in the side pockets like my smelly pilchard but they also take a beating with the salt water. Come autumn and winter though and you need something to keep you warm in the water. You could use a pair of waders but that’s a lot of expense for something you may only use briefly during that season. I find I get out very little at that time of year but certainly still do in early autumn or late spring so I did come across the idea of using a pair of wetsuit pants.

Fly boxes

Most of the smaller boxes just aren't right and what they try and charge for a flybox is horrendous. It costs $100 for a large flybox that I can make for $15. what a rip. I have a number of boxes with most of them made myself. I have one C&F box that holds my clousers and I really would like another one but can't warrant another since I can make them so cheap. I have smaller ones that I put into my vest and a large one that’s in my bag for some of the really big flies. Please see my previous post for making one of these.

Measuring fish

Unlike fresh water fishing were you're more likely to catch and release with salt water we all like to take a few home so knowing what the size limits are and measuring your fish keeps you legal.

Keep a measuring tape or make marks on your rod for legal sizes. You might also want to have a cloth or a matt for measuring and releasing small fish without damaging them.

Clipper

I have currently been using a knife to cut my leader off flies but it is not very convenient. A clipper on the vest will make things easier but care must be taken to make sure it doesn't rust.

Pliers
A slim pair of these for removing hooks can be an advantage but care must be taken to also make sure it doesn't rust. Maybe oiling it after use. The pair i used to use was actually a surgery clamp.

Prepared burly
Not specifically gear but I have found pre cut up my pilchard into small bags and kept in the freezer makes it easier to keep in my pocket and chuck in with little mess or fuss.

Synthetic Wing Materials

When I first got into saltwater fly-tying I had no idea about materials and which ones to use. I became a bit obsessed with different types especially when it came to tying the good old Clouser. Although Buck tail is available here in NZ I found it lasted only a few fish, limited range of colours or easy to work with. So I started collecting different synthetic materials to see what would be the best substitute and well along the way I learnt a whole lot about all the different materials that can be used not just for Clousers but all sorts of flies.  

Here is a list of some of these materials and the advantages/disadvantages of each. 

 

Mirror Image- This has been one of my favorite materials as it is easy to work with and shape,  easily creates bulk, some translucency, has more movement than SFF and is durable. Great for smaller flies and comes in generous amount. I also use this material as the collar on my smaller interceptors. Although it does not have as much movement as natural materials it does move to some degree more than other synthetics. There is no flash incorporated but it does if you get deadly dazzle or you can blend some yourself. It does tangle a bit and needs reshaping after a few fish but last longer than natural materials. 

 

Deadly dazzle-same as mirror image but with UV flash added. I prefer mirror image as it comes in larger hank for the same price and I add angel hair instead. 

 

SFF- One of the more popular saltwater flytying materials this material is great for creating larger flies and adding bulk/profile but not so good on smaller sizes less than sz1. It comes in a great range of colours and is very translucent.  It also incorporates a bit of flash pre blended. 

 

Craft fur – another favorite material this one gives loads of action in the water but requires a wrap up under tail to prevent any tail wrapping. It can also be laid down with layers of angel hair or other shredded mylar. Although it has plenty of action I do find it is a bit fragile compared to stiffer materials. 

 

DNA – a very flashy material and very straight this material is good for slim flies like clousers and surf candies or even wing toppings and I have seen this used on large profile flies but you would be using most of a packet on a couple of flies. This material is now only used sparingly.  

 

EP – This material is a crinkly synthetic which is softer than SFF and less crinkly so it does have more movement and thicker profile but the key to this material is not to use too much. It is very easy to overdo it and have a solid coloured fly and lose the translucent effect. Bunkers and crabs are often tied with his fly but using a softer material for tail and using this material for wing would be better suited but it is great for crab patterns. E.g. deceivers/ interceptors or crabs. It also is prone to getting tangled and needs a comb to straighten. 

 

Angel hair/Ice wing/Wing n flash –most of these materials are the same but angel hair is the straightest. Used as flash in between layers or the lateral line. You can create whole flies with this material but ice wing may be best for this as it creates more bulk being the more crinkly 

 

Mega mushy – A very stiff mylar this is suited to large flies sz1 and bigger and is great for making large profile flies without using too much material. Comes in a large pack. Enough to create loads of flies. It doesn’t have as much movement as materials such as angel hair.  

 

Polar flash – one of my favorite materials. It has plenty of flash and movement and is very durable. I have fished Clousers made with just this material and been very successful. 

There are many more materials than I could ever count but I hope this gives just a good run down on some of the main winging materials.  

PS after all this work and money on different materials I am now finding that the good old buck tail still can't be beat and I am starting to get a higher hit rate on them, although this can be just more confidence in them. 

Stay tuned for further articles on flytying materials