ULTIMATE ANGLING - the Ultimate SA Fishing website
FRESHWATER ANGLING => Fly fishing => Topic started by: Nick A-S on January 16, 2018, 02:13:14 PM
-
I got my fly rod out a few times at Sheffield Beach over the holidays and caught plenty of moonies and flagtails, the usual suspects in that part of the world, and always good fun to catch. Nothing too big, but when they are there you can catch them almost cast for cast - mostly on small white, pink or green fritz or bugger type flies. There are normally a few around at any given time, but I've found over the years that on a pushing tide they tend to come closer to the rocks in numbers (probably to shelter from bigger fish) and tend to find a fly hard to resist. I've had success on both intermediate and sinking lines, with no discernible difference between the two, but what I have found though is that generally a faster retrieve gets more flagtail and a slower retrieve more moonies.
What was also encouraging was getting a few small kingies as well - blacktips and bigeyes, and a couple of shad too, all just while using small flies to target the moonies and flagtail. It's always amusing seeing the looks on the faces of the local fishermen when you catch a shad on a fly rod and small size 8 fly, while they are trying to catch the same fish with nothing smaller than a whole sardine fished with a big surf rod setup! When I then release everything that I catch, particularly shad, the looks often get even more disbelieving...
-
Very, very nice (clap)
-
Nice!! I've always wanted to try on fly at the coast but it always seems way too windy to even attempt. What gear do you use there?
-
Nice!! I've always wanted to try on fly at the coast but it always seems way too windy to even attempt. What gear do you use there?
Hi - I normally use my standard saltwater setup of a 9 foot 8 weight rod with sinking or intermediate line, but if you are targeting smaller stuff anything from a 5 weight rod would be fine. I like to have the 8 weight rod given that it is easier to cast when it does get windier, and also if there are some bigger fish around and I want to use bigger flies it is easier with a heavier rod. The smaller flies I use are normally either fritz or woolly bugger type flies (whites, greens, pinks predominantly) or clouser, crazy charlie type flies. The fritz's and woolly buggers are not too different to similar versions you would use for trout, other than the colour choices which tend to be a bit brighter and flashier for the sea.
-
:tkx: :clfoto: :bow: :toppie:
-
Nice catches. Shad on a fly rod are great fun, bite offs are a problem though. That's a nice size Flagtail !
-
nice catches and report :+ cred:
-
(clap) Lovely stuff. Thanks for posting. I'm feeling the urge to start learning about fluff chucking w;k ... It's becoming more and more appealing.