Saltwater Fly Fishing Techniques

If you’re going after the big fish of the sea you better get yourself a sturdy, stiff, fiberglass rod and not be too disappointed that the rod is a little more difficult to cast with. With these sturdy rods and great techniques experienced saltwater fly fishermen are catching huge game fish.

These strong fiberglass rods were created after World War II ended and they revolutionized the sport of going after the big fish. Applying a significant amount of pressure on a consistent basis to the big fish has become a huge factor in reeling them in as opposed to simply tiring them out. This strategy has enticed more fly fisherman to get involved in fly fishing in the ocean, thus saltwater fly fishing has increased in popularity.

Tackle Considerations

Knot tying is a high priority when going after these large saltwater fish because most big fish are lost due to poorly tied knots. The next biggest reason for losing your large fish during your battle is due to hooks that simply are not sharp enough for the task or not big enough to deal with the large fish you have on the line. Fiberglass rods used for big game fish are quite sturdy so if you loose your fish due to a broken rod the problem is probably your technique. You should spend some time learning how much stress the leader system you are using can deal with if you don’t want to loose your fish during the battle.

Saltwater fly fishing experts suggest that you need to apply about 7 to 8 pounds of pressure on big game fish such as tarpon or tuna and if you don’t you will significantly increase the amount of time it takes to bring in your big fish. If you are going after a fish that weighs more than one hundred pounds you might want to consider using a twenty pound tippet. This will allow you to pull the huge fish backwards by pointing your fishing rod straight at the fish you have hooked and walking backwards in your boat.

Saltwater Fly Fishing Along the Shore Line

Before you begin saltwater fly fishing along the shoreline, look around for breaking zones which are the areas of environmental change. The water becoming darker or shallower or the water temperature getting warmer are some of the factors to look for. Saltwater fish tend to hang out in these boundary edges in search of food and for hiding.

While searching for breaking zones look for changes in the structure of the waves such as height and the length of the waves and their velocity. Saltwater fly fishing in troughs off the shoreline can be great places to find the large fish. You can locate these troughs by looking for flattened wave activity between sandbars. These are a few ideas that can improve your saltwater fly fishing results along the shoreline.