Finding The Best Saltwater Fishing Flies

Saltwater fly tying has come a very long way over the past couple decades. With dozens of specialized vices, crimps and pliers, tying is more convenient than every. But I still wouldn't call it easy. Designing, testing and retesting flies on dozens of species and under a hundred possible water and weather conditions is still the hardest part. If you're anything like me, tying flies is a fun and challenging hobby but I'd rather pay a few bucks and buy a ready made masterpiece tied by an expert to get the most out of my time on the boat or in the surf. And that's what this article is all about. We'll check out some of the best flies, for any fishing conditions and regions, hand tied by the masters themselves.

Let's do this by region. If you are planning a fishing getaway this will give you time to get the best flies you need for where you want to go. And of course, it never hurts to try a new fly at you favorite local spot. You never know...

Starting in the northeast I bring your attention to Joe "Flycatcher" O'Clair. If the name sounds familiar, you might have heard it mentioned by fly tying legend and editor of Fly Tier Magazine, David Klausmeyer. David featured Joe as one of the "top 13 US fly tiers" in his fly tying hardcover classic; "Striped Bass Flies: Patterns of the Pros."

A saltwater fly tying innovator, Joe has designed some great flies for fishing conditions common to many coastal anglers. Located on Cape Cod, he caters to the need for distance casting by beach bound anglers and saltwater flies that are visible, but natural looking, in the cloudy Atlantic waters of New England. His "Cone Head Deceivers" go the distance and sink at just the right speed. They do the trick nicely, working especially well on Striped Bass and Bluefish. http://www.FlycatcherFlies.com

If you're looking for saltwater flies that work like magic from the coast of Nova Scotia down to the outer banks of Carolina, FlycatcherFlies.com should be your first stop.

Now we head down south to St. Petersburg, Florida and fly tying great Danny Sauvageau, of DansCustomFlies.com.

We visit with Dan for one of his latest creations, "Dan's Weedless Shrimp" http://members.ij.net/danscustomflys/WeedlessShrimpPage.html. This little beauty is virtually snag proof and great for Seatrout, Snook, Bonefish, and just about anything else that will eat shrimp.

Dan has been designing and selling his award winning flies for over a decade. Next time you find yourself in his neck of the woods, a visit to his online store is a must.

Now let's head over to the Pacific Northwest and http://www.adiposflytying.com. If you're looking for great Salmon, Steelhead or Trout flies, look no further. The pros at Adipos got their experience fishing the best that British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon have to offer.

These are rugged flies for hearty fish that are as at home in the Washington as they are west coastal Canada.

We conclude our pursuit of top saltwater flies in Southern California with a visit to Gary Bulla of http://www.garybulla.com. Gary is one of the foremost experts in designing flies that work especially well for kayakers and surf casters going after Yellowfin Tuna and Roosterfish.

These are just a few of the great saltwater fly tiers out there. Most of them and countless others sell out of local bait and tackle shops as well so look around the next time you take a last minute fishing trip. There's bound to be a local legend fly tier that has just the right fly for what you're after.

Keep those lines tight!