Here’s a look at some of my favorite flies of late, along with the best way to fish ’em:
Crab Flies in the Flats
Crab flies seem to be the hot fly for bonefish these days. I like crab flies because they’re easy to tie and easy to fish.
In general, if you find a school of fish, anything that looks like the resident crab, lobster or even shrimp will work.
Just remember, if you’re casting in the shallows around structure or salad, try to go with a weedless fly and avoid plopping the thing right in the heart of the school.
Cast past the school, then let the fly sink toward the bottom before hopping it once or twice before making your retrieve.
Heavier Shrimp Flies for Permit
Crab and shrimp flies are also big for permit, but you’ll want to be a little more aggressive in your presentation with these bad boys.
So rather than casting around a permit, plop the fly nearby to draw a reactionary strike. If a light weight fly doesn’t seem to do the trick, draw a bigger splash with a beadhead or lead-eye fly.
Clouser Minnows and Poppers for Stripers
For striped bass these days, you really can’t go wrong with the old standby, olive and white clouser minnows.
Hitting stripers on poppers in the surf can also be a blast. I like the look of the Big Boy Popper by Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Deep-Diving Flies for Bottom Feeders
Looking for something that gets deep? Deep-diving flies like the Mrs. Simpson are meant to look like bottom feeders and can also catch some bottom-holding fish such as halibut and flounder.
Tied with an underbody of lead wire, over water-absorbent chenille, these flies get down and dirty where the bottom dwellers dwell.
