A dozen proven flies for four seasons of saltwater fishing.
Fly selection can be a more difficult and complicated process than necessary. This is especially true in freshwater trout fishing where the technical aspects of matching prevalent aquatic and terrestrial insects to fly choices are usually par for the course.
Some of that methodical practice has spilled over into saltwater. But the fact of the matter, is that such a degree of sophistication is rarely needed in the brine. I once encountered a large quantity of striped bass gorging on what appeared as an endless a mass of sand eels. That find resulted in non-stop fishing for an entire cycle-and-a-half of tide and the near total destruction of the fly that the fish were readily eating. In fact, the fly was so mangled that all was left were two pieces of saddle hackle and a small amount of unfurled crystal flash. Yet, it continued to catch bass, the surviving couple of pieces of tying materials still offered facsimile profile of the bait the bass were consuming.
I have long been an advocate that precise, anatomical replication of a saltwater bait species is not a critical condition for catch success. What matters more is presenting an impressionistic representation of bait size, profile, and contrasting body tones, and then manipulating the fly to appear lifelike. After many decades of tossing flies on the water and from the sand, I usually carry no more than six generic fly patterns. If pushed to classify my favorite flies, I might up that number to a dozen that I would recommend for the all-season fly wallet.
Lefty’s Deceiver
The late Bernard Lefty Kreh created one of the most iconic and enduring fly patterns of all time, the Lefty’s Deceiver. One of the greatest highlights of my angling career was a note I received from Lefty Kreh offering some kind words on my book, Saltwater Flies of the Northeast. His note gave me an excuse to call him to extend my thanks for his gracious comments. I mentioned to him that one of the things I want included as part of the fishing gear I take with me to the hereafter is an adequate supply of Lefty’s Deceivers. I told him I couldn’t imagine entering The Gates without them. At the time we spoke, there were more than 120 variations of the Deceiver on the market. Truth be told, there is simply no better style of fly on earth than the Kreh creation. In Lefty’s own words the Deceiver is a “style of pattern,” rather than a singular fly, and can be modified to mimic a wide range of bait species. Most of us who fish the Deceiver have tweaked it a bit to suit our own preferences and needs, and that is the true beauty of the fly – it lends itself to tinkering.
Clouser Deep Minnow
Bob Clouser originally created his world-famous “minnow” for smallmouth bass in his home water, the Susquehanna River. The pattern’s reputation grew exponentially as its success grew, measured not only in terms of numbers of fish caught but also in the diversity of species succumbing to its effective design. Like the Deceiver, the Clouser has taken most all fish it has been cast to, both in freshwater and saltwater. In many respects – and as is the case with most all truly great flies – there is simplicity in its design. Fundamentally, the fly is an upside-down hair pattern with a wing, some flash and a pair of barbell eyes set like those of a predecessor, the Crazy Charlie. But the genius is in the design and the way in which the components are assembled. It is one of those flies that makes you say, “Now why didn’t I think of that.” The Clouser, as it has come to be known, is a very versatile fly, adaptable to size, color, and profile preferences. While there is actually an original and specific tying recipe for the fly, it has proven successful in many modified forms
Half and Half
When one considers the enormous success of both the Deceiver and the Clouser it only goes to reason that a hybrid of the two flies would double your productivity. The fly gets its name because it is tied half as a Deceiver and half as a Clouser, utilizing the best attributes of both patterns. Interestingly, it was both Kreh and Clouser who first fused their original flies into the new crossbreed pattern. Like its parent flies, the Half and Half is so effective it too has spawned an entire class of flies patterned off its design. While a purely impressionistic fly pattern, the hybrid leaves plenty of room for creative tinkering to suit various fishing conditions. Personally, I like to tie mine heavily weighted – with oversized dumbbell eyes – so that it can be used as a dredging pattern when fish like striped bass are laying deep in currents or simply near the bottom in a neutral mood. Tied in larger sizes this is a terrific big fish fly.
The Crease Fly
While all tiers strive to produce flies that are new and different, very few ever accomplish that goal. Most “new” flies are typically designs that represent variations of existing and proven patterns. But every once in a long while we witness true innovation in the art of fly tying – a fly design or technique that is so unique it changes the way we fish, and fundamentally changes the sport. One such innovative design technique led Long Island’s Joe Blados to create of the “Crease Fly,” a pattern intended to mimic the profile of the prolific bunker. Originally conceived for the inshore fishery of the North Fork of Long Island, this fly now has an established track record, and devotees, wherever it has been fished around the globe, becoming a local staple for anglers pursuing striped bass, bluefish, false albacore, and bonito. I have witnessed the range of the Crease Fly’s effectiveness from silver salmon in Alaska to the surface-feeding gamefish of the Yucatan Peninsula and all stops in between. It is also a very effective offshore pattern for tuna and other large gamefish. The Crease Fly can be fished on the surface, under the surface, fast, slow and any speed in between, and it simply drives fish crazy.
Mikkleson Epoxy Baitfish
There is no doubt in my mind that Glen Mikkleson is one of the best fly tiers in the universe when it comes to patterns crafted with epoxy or acrylics. He has made tying epoxy flies an art form. The Mikkleson generic Epoxy Baitfish is one of the best patterns ever designed for Northeast game fish or fish anywhere on the planet. It is a very versatile fly, and when tied properly it is well-balanced, foul resistant, and extremely durable. It can handle its fair share of toothy critters as well. There are plenty of imitations of this fly on the market but none come close to the effectiveness of Mikkleson’s original. The fly’s design suggests small to medium baitfish such as sand eels, silversides, and bay anchovies. The pattern can be tied in numerous color combinations and is very effective for striped bass, Atlantic bonito, and false albacore. A red and black version is very productive once the sun goes down.
Beast Fly & Bucktail Deceiver
Bob Popovics was one of the most innovative and influential fly tyers of our time. His flies have become world-renowned, and are effective for many different species of fish. But two of his patterns are recognized for their effectiveness with large striped bass. Those flies are The Beast and the Bucktail Deceiver, and both have impressive catches of lunker stripers to their names. These patterns are tied to imitate large baits like adult menhaden and hickory shad. The appeal of the “Beast” is that it is built sparse, yet had has a large profile, and superb action. It is an oversized fly that is relatively easy to cast. The Bucktail Deceiver is built off a fundamental “Deceiver” platform and utilizes extra-long bucktail, tied full.
Generic Peanut Bunker Fly
Having a small to medium deep-body fly in your arsenal can meet the needs of various baitfish scenarios that occur throughout the seasons. An ideal pattern to mimic that class of baits is one that replicates immature menhaden, or peanut bunker. One fly that meets that objective is the Puglisi EP Baitfish. It is a light, and very castable fly that maintains its stout-body shape and profile. The fly can also be tied in a wide array of color combinations and sizes to best suit water conditions and prevalent bait.
Classic Hairwing
The hairwing class of patterns is one of the simplest of all fly designs and was one of the first to emerge during the 1950s when saltwater fly fishing began to take hold in the Unites States. Those first flies used in the brine were adaptations of streamer flies used in freshwater. Over time the flies evolved to meet the demands of saltwater game fish. One of the foremost classic hair wing patterns of the time was the Joe Brook’s Blonde, a streamer fly. The Blonde has withstood the test of time and has been the structural basis upon which many other “hair” flies have been crafted. It is a classic saltwater fly pattern, one of the styles of flies I used to fool my first striped bass on a fly. While the original tie has accounted for many varied species of freshwater and saltwater fish, the pattern lends itself well to numerous variations and enhancements.
Very simply tied, the fly sports a tail, and a wing of bucktail combined with a body of silver tinsel. The head is typically built with black thread. It can be tied in most any color combination and size. The original versions were tied as the Platinum Blonde, Honey Blonde, Black Blonde Strawberry Blonde and Argentine Blonde. Over the years the tie has transformed into many other functional forms, including multi-wing hi-ties and wide profile synthetic hair flies, an example of which is Puglisi’s Black and Purple Tarpon Fly. Through mixing and matching of hair colors, natural and synthetic tying materials and, tying methods, this class of flies can replicate, many different bait forms.
Crustacean Creature Fly
Crabs, crayfish, small lobsters, and shrimp are as much a dietary preference of desirable game fish as they are a delight to the human palate. One characteristic of creature flies is a very buggy-looking appearance and lots of movement. Fish will eat crustacean flies drifted in currents and rips off deep water or on skinny water flats as they cruise about for the next meal. As an impressionistic fly that creates the illusion of an arthropod life form, the creature fly will often draw many strikes. Size and color variations to match the prevalent crustaceans and bottom conditions are helpful under diverse fishing conditions. For example, when fishing areas where crabs are present it always pays to carry at least a light and a dark version of the pattern to match the bottom conditions and the carapace coloration. Bonefish, redfish, permit, and striped bass are especially partial to creature flies. Some excellent examples of this design are: Caolo’s Green Diabo and Pink Lady, Borski’s Chernobyl Crab and Curcione’s Beach Bug, and Harvey Cooper’s Crabs.
Rhody Flatwing
The origins of this fabulous fly are attributed in part to the coloration of Ray’s Fly and the flat wing tying concepts of Ken Abrames and Bill Peabody. The combination of those two features resulted in a fly that can replicate an array of baitfish and be tied in any number of productive sizes. The fly fishes and casts exceptionally well and the flat wing hackle design adds an illusion of body mass when viewed from a fish’s upward-looking perspective. The fly is a favorite among striped bass anglers and it is a wonderful pattern to experiment with, varying size and color to match prevalent baitfish. This is also a great pattern to swing in currents using grease line mending techniques.
Tabory Snake Fly
The avid fly angler needs at least one eel-like pattern in his or her arsenal. None is better suited to that task than Lou Tabory’s Snake Fly. The pattern was developed in the late 1970s to simulate the Leiser Angus Fly. The effectiveness of the fly is attributed to its buoyancy, action, and adaptability. By varying the amount of materials used, the fly can be tied slim to medium to full-bodied, to match the profile of the available bait. It can be fished on a floating or sinking line. The more effective colors are black, white chartreuse, olive or an assortment of blended colors. This is a great fly for big fish seeking a big meal, and it works equally well for striped bass or largemouth bass.
Seaducer
This iconic fly is one of my all-time favorite fly patterns. It is the creation of Homer Rhodes and was introduced in the 1940s as the Streamer Fly, a pattern designed for snook. It later became known as the Seaducer, and has been used for many species of saltwater and freshwater game fish. It is a very effective striped bass fly, especially when tied in red and white and fished in rips where squid are present. I refer to the fly as being delicate and deadly since it can be presented to wary fish like snook, yet it has a seductive appeal that drives most all other fish crazy. When fishing for deep striped bass I like to add a set of barbell eyes that give an already enticing action some additional jigging motions. In addition to the red and white version, I like tying the Seaducer in blended yellow, green, and chartreuse. An all-black tie is a terrific nighttime fly.
