Brewster Flats, Cape Cod

[niveker 0]

Looks promising, at this point anyway,  that I will be able to spend a day or two finally hitting the salt with a fly rod down on the Brewster Flats in Cape Cod, end of June. 

Looking for any advice anyone may have first hand doing this. This will be my first time fly fishing the salt.  I'll be wading, and only in daylight.  I'll have a 9wt with floating line and 7 wt with sink tip. I'll be taking my nephew, if he's up to it.  If he's not, which of those rods are preferred and why.  I'm aware of the dangers of the tides on the flats, wind direction, ect., as we used to spend several days there every summer when the kids were younger.  

My questions specifically have to do with leader size/material for my set up, specific fly patterns, hook sizes, etc.

I know I can stop in at the fly/bait shops if needed, and I have been reading up online, but also looking for first hand experience from any of you good folks.    

Other than schoolies, what fish can expect to run into?  Are they targeted differently from schoolies, different fly patterns?

Also, stripping baskets: Absolute necessity?  Very useful, but not necessary?  

Any helpful advice would be appreciated.  

Thanks in advance.  

[johnnyquahog 0]

There is a wealth of info on the net on fly fishing the flats from flies to equipment to safety. I often read that the most important item to have is a compass.  The fog will literally kill you.  Polaroids are a must for sight fishing.  I’m a fan of rigid plastic baskets. I don’t want to lose a “fish of a lifetime” due to poor line management/stepping on my line.  Around $40 on Amazon solves that.  I think sand eel flies are #1 and there must be a hundred sand eel patterns.  Baitfish (natural or synthetic), shrimp and small crabs are also popular on the flats.  I’d include small one or two-feather flatwings in the mix..  I’m not a big clouser fan but they catch more stripers than any other fly. Verses have been written about saltwater leaders. If trying to turn over a big fly, combined with distance then you want the most energy transferring directly from the fly line to the leader.  This equates to a stiff butt section of slightly less diameter than the end of the fly line and with a 9wt line translates to #50 or #60 hard mono or fluorocarbon.  The next section of leader should also be stiff.  I use #40 fluoro.  Your leader only needs to be made up of two sections with a small perfection loop on each end and joined with an efficient knot (blood knot is good). This leader system assumes you have a welded loop at the end of your fly line.  Attach your 12# to #20 tippet using the loop to loop method. The butt should be longer than the second section and tippet combined. Example; 4’ of butt, 2’  of middle section and 1.5’ of tippet should turn over any fly in light winds.  Having said all that you probably don’t want to fish big flies on the flats. Except for the tippet a saltwater leader can last many moons. Flies should be 1/0 and smaller.

Again, there is a ton of info on the net.  Don’t get caught up in the technical baloney, like my leader description above.  Thousands of stripers have been landed on a straight shot of 20 lb mono.  Stay safe.

[niveker 0]

Thanks @johnnyquahog, for your input. 

Hopefully won't have to worry too much about the fog during the day, but the tides are forecast to be at 6 am/pm, so maybe. 

Appreciate the tips on the patterns, sizes.  Your leader/tippet advice certainly doesn't sound overly technical too me.  I like to keep it simple.  Like my vision, 60/20/20, more or less.  .  

[DFoster 0]

23 hours ago, niveker said:

Thanks @johnnyquahog, for your input. 

Hopefully won't have to worry too much about the fog during the day, but the tides are forecast to be at 6 am/pm, so maybe. 

Appreciate the tips on the patterns, sizes.  Your leader/tippet advice certainly doesn't sound overly technical too me.  I like to keep it simple.  Like my vision, 60/20/20, more or less.  .  

Good for you and enjoy-  If the salt fishing doesn't pan out don't forget Red Brook at Buzzards Bay has sea run Brook Trout.  Good luck!

[cphubert 0]

johnnyquahog is spot on. Clouser's on the smaller side (#2's 1's and 1/0), I have had a few fluke / flounder in the troughs with the school bass, also like a gibbs striper fly and a few flatwings (I carry white & chartreuse  then an all black pattern for low light) to add to the surf candies. He is also correct I carry a pin on compass and whistle combo, the fog can come in pretty fast. I do use a hard basket for line management and waders for jellyfish. 9 weight is my choice. I should be on the sand in mid to late July but probably more around the canal.  

[niveker 0]

23 hours ago, DFoster said:

don't forget Red Brook

I wish I was going to have the time, I'd love to catch a salter or two.  

[DFoster 0]

6 minutes ago, niveker said:

I wish I was going to have the time, I'd love to catch a salter or two.  

I only live a hour and a half (without traffic) from Red brook but have never been.  Everytime I'm on Cape Cod it's with family so fishing isn't on the agenda.  It's on my list of places to fish though.

[niveker 0]

11 hours ago, cphubert said:

Clouser's on the smaller side (#2's 1's and 1/0) ... also like a gibbs striper fly and a few flatwings (I carry white & chartreuse  then an all black pattern for low light) to add to the surf candies. 

Thanks for the added info CP.   I'll be starting to tie up some patterns soon.  

[cphubert 0]

On 6/3/2022 at 7:48 AM, DFoster said:

from Red brook

As a kid we used to fish Buttermilk Bay and  Buzzards Bay tributaries for white perch and salters, hate to admit how many we ate, used to use grass shrimp.

[DFoster 0]

On 6/5/2022 at 2:21 PM, cphubert said:

As a kid we used to fish Buttermilk Bay and  Buzzards Bay tributaries for white perch and salters, hate to admit how many we ate, used to use grass shrimp.

Childhood fishing memories are some of the best!  It's been many years since I've caught a White Perch.  Not that their not nearby but they don't seem to like the rivers I fish.

[niveker 0]

Spent one full day earlier this week blind fishing the flats on both sides of the tide.  Beautiful weather, light breeze, lots of walking, then lounging with family, then walking, but no fish.    

My nephew did hitch a ride on a neighbor's sailboat, where he caught a few small ones while trolling, so he was pumped. 

   

 

[Moshup 0]

This little jewel works on the flats.

[niveker 0]

On 7/2/2022 at 11:21 PM, Moshup said:

This little jewel works on the flats.

That is a little jewel.  I had tied up mostly a few sand eel patterns using bucktail in various colors, topped with peacock.  There seemed to be schools of them all over the place, but no signs of anything feeding on them.   

Next time I'll do a few sparse flat wings like yours.     

[DFoster 0]

On 7/1/2022 at 8:07 AM, niveker said:

Spent one full day earlier this week blind fishing the flats on both sides of the tide.  Beautiful weather, light breeze, lots of walking, then lounging with family, then walking, but no fish.    

My nephew did hitch a ride on a neighbor's sailboat, where he caught a few small ones while trolling, so he was pumped. 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Wow! You can't complain about the scenery even if the fish didn't want to play.  The smell of the salt air at the ocean is wonderful!

[niveker 0]

1 hour ago, DFoster said:

Wow! You can't complain about the scenery even if the fish didn't want to play.  The smell of the salt air at the ocean is wonderful!

Yeah, it a nice spot.  My sister's in-laws have a small cottage in one of the private communities down there. Was  a great place to spend a week or two every summer when all the kids were younger, miles of flats and pools to explore at low tide, digging clay in the freshwater springs. Good times. Now there's grand nieces and nephews, still as much fun but with a little free time to fish.

The best was casting without the worry of snagging a tree branch.  Of course you had to keep your eye out for the maroons who sneak up behind you when you're flinging 60 ft of line in the air with a large, barbed hook.