Whether you are on a planned guided trip to fish the flats and surf zones or a leisurely holiday with the family, the excitement of casting a fly while walking on the beach is excellent!
As simple as it sounds, saltwater fly fishing from the beach can have its challenges. It helps to know a few things when fly fishing in the surf.
Knowing the difference between low and high tide and understanding the wave sets and surf environment contributes positively to catching fish.
As fly anglers, it pays to know your saltwater fish, especially the surf species, when saltwater fishing.
Reading the water
Reading the water is one of the most important things to learn for any fishing format. Fly fishing rivers help read the water and cast the fly accordingly. Surf fishing with a fly rod is no different; reading the water is key to surf fly criticality.
Fishing fish on an incoming tide is a general rule of thumb. The once shallower reefs and sandbanks flood with water, and the predators move into these zones to feed.
Identify the rips (undercurrents) in the surf zone; the outgoing wave wash usually reveals them. You can generally see the angle and direction the water is going. Often, a rip current cuts across the outgoing water and forms a ripple (rip).
This is a great place to fly fish, but it carries a heavy weight on the conscience as it isn’t the safest, and the water can often be overpowering. Especially on an incoming tide when the waves are getting bigger. As tempting as it is, avoid these areas and instead focus on the safer gullies.
Waves are continuous when surf fishing; they generally come in sets of 7, with the 7th one being the biggest of that set, and as the tide comes in or goes out, the waves increase and decrease in size accordingly.
Knowing the tide chart and times for the day’s surf fly fishing is essential.
Identifying the feeding zones
A gully or hole is where there are slightly deeper holes in the sand bottom; this is where smaller fish feed and the larger ones come into the zone to eat. These can be very productive areas. Casting a floating line with a shooting head system and heavier flies often produces the best results.
Blind cast to these areas with fast retrieves.
Surf can be a very productive area for fly anglers when beach fishing. The surf zone is where most foods get washed around and fed on by the smaller fish, and this is the area where surf perch, false albacore, or striped bass would concentrate. So be sure to bring some striped bass fly patterns.
The backline is the zone just behind the swell where the wave starts to form. This is usually a deeper area and sometimes will be unreachable when fly fishing from the beach. Fly fishermen would need to cast a long line out to reach the zone, and this can be achieved with the help of a shooting line,
The fly angler can use surf candies or a closer minnow in these areas for that extra weight for casting and a good sink rate.
Treasonableips Surf Fly Fishing From The Beach
Watch for signals
Birds are the best signal and a fisherman’s companion when out fly fishing on the beach. With a fly rod in hand, follow the birds and move where they move. If the area has no birds working the zone, chances are there isn’t much for the angler to fish, either.
If the birds are diving or hovering and are within your casting ability range, you will surely catch something.
Look for structure
When structure is mentioned in surf fishing, it can sound a bit odd. But watch for rocky underbanks, dips, or holes in the sandbank. These could hold some extra potential.
Try to find out a little about the area you are fishing in, as there may be a sunken boat, barge, or rocks beneath the surface that aren’t visible from the beach. These fish-attracting areas are great places to start your fly fishing session.
Move around
One of the keys to becoming an effective surf fly fisher is having the desire to explore and move around. Standing and waiting for the fish to come on the feed at a specific spot is fine, but you could miss out on more action over the next dune.
If nothing is happening, then move! Walk, ride whichever, but move on to new areas. But do this with a watchful eye on the water.
Successful surf fly anglers plan their day and know where they will start. If none of the previously decided places are producing, then the swift move to a new, possibly more productive stretch of the beach is in order. Who knows, you could find your small piece of surf heaven.
Change up your approach.
You need to be flexible in your approach. Changing tactics to suit the conditions and water is the key to possibly finding the fish and getting that eaten. Many giant fish have the same feeding areas as before, so adapting to these areas is critical.
You may encounter deep holes, river mouths, tidal creeks, and salt ponds, all of which have a specific way to fish. These locations can be very productive, but keep your distance and use those longer casts to prospect.
Apply what you know from the land.
Using the lay of the land to work out what lies below the water’s surface is a crucial skill and something worth learning. Generally speaking, following sloping terrain leads to a hole or deeper water sections. If this water is in casting range from the beach, you could very well be in time.
These deeper water sections are prime baitfish locations, meaning the predators could be cruising the water column. The San Francisco Bay Area is a prime example of this type of fishing, the surf with a fly rod.
You will need to get down fast enough for the deeper water sections. If you are fishing the Florida surf, Spey rods could be an option for distance.
Scouting the area on a low tide would be the best thing to do as you would then get the bottom looks and possibly work out where the fish would feed on the high tide.
Timing is key
What time you fish is significant. Catching the tide at the right time is essential. The incoming tide is a good one to fish; it’s when the fish come onto the feed looking for food. Clouser minnows are ideal for this type of fishing; these fly patterns sink fast enough to get into the zone. If just one fly were used, then it would be one.
For the incoming tide, start in the shallow water, casting just behind the breaking wave. The big fish hang out there, waiting for more water to flood the sandbanks to feed. Crab patterns can be very, very effective when this happens.
Dawn and dusk are prime times to be out on the water with fly gear. Besides the obvious times, they appeared not to overlook the daytime to focus on the fish cruising the sandbanks. This can be very tough fishing, but it is the ultimate challenge.