Saltwater Fly Fishing Question

[DementedFish 0]

All right peeps. Ive just started flyfishing, so treat me like ive never flyfished before.

 

Alright, hypethetically, i go fishing in a harbor. Lets make it Dana Point Harbor in southern california. I have sinking fly line, which is 6 IPS. Attached to that, i have 5-10 ft of 6lb regular monofilament fishing line. I have a saltwater fly attached to that. Is this a good setup for harbors? What type of flies should i use?? My friend told me that when the fly hits the bottom, i should start stripping my line(taking it in).

 

ANY additional thoughts would really help, remember, ive just started flyfishing, i basically dont know what im doing lol.

[Guest]

With any sinking line your leader shouldn't be longer than 4 or 5 feet. The reason for this is that a longer leader will have a belly in it as the line sinks and could affect your hook-up.

[Guest]

DF,

 

While you will get lots of good info here, I'll recommend a couple of good So Cal focused fly fishing sites.

 

Gary Bulla - So Cal FF Guide

 

Fli Flicker - So Cal FFing

 

Both sites have good message boards with lots of people in the know specific to the area you're talking about.

 

Jason - Ex So-Cal'er

[Guest]

I would think the first thing you should be doing is practice casting.... by going out in the back yard and practice your casting.

[mitch 0]

One of the toughest things to do is being something new. I have yet to meet anyone who picked up a fly rod on day 1 and after 15 minutes, double-haul out a 90 foot cast.

That being said, swallow whatever pride you may have, travel to your nearest fly shop and introduce yourself. Ask questions. The personnel behind the counter are there for a reason and if you feel they start to make you feel uncomfortable, find another shop. They have the best information for your patch of the water.

To begin with, I'm going to assume you have something like a 6 weight rod. Your reel should have ~100 yards of 20-lb Dacron backing attached to the fly line. Your leader should be about 4-5 feet of 30-lb mono, then 2 feet of 20-lb mono, then 2 feet of 10-lb. This is just a general guide; the fly shop will be able to give you a better description. You may just need a 7' piece of 20-lb mono.

Standard flies to use are Clousers and Deceivers. The hook size corresponding to your location is important, and your local shop will be helpful because with most flies, they can be tied on very small hooks all the way up to very large hooks.

John made an important point of practice casting. One even better is to either tie on a piece of yarn in place of a fly, or tie on something without a pointy hook or lead eyes to minimize pain. Wear glasses or sunglasses to protect your eyes from the end of the line/fly.

I highly recommend using a stripping basket, especially if fishing from shore. Orvis sells them for ~$40 or you can make one from a small rubbermaid bin and a bungee cord.

Retrieval is key and you will probably spend the most time experimenting with your retrieves and their effects on the fly. It's nothing different than different approaches in dating. Some actions get their attention, some don't interest them in the least.

We've all been there and know what it's like. I hope you're ready for an obsession.

Take care,

Mitch

[DementedFish 0]

Do you guys think that a 4 wt rod is too light for the harbor?

[Guest]

If you're catching bait it's perfect. A 7-8 or 9 wt. rod is more suited for saltwater.

[Guest]

What are you targeting?

 

All good advice here, don't be afraid to come back and ask more-