Question:
I have a trip to the Outer Banks N.C. planned in a week. I need surf basics
101, as I have never FF the surf, or "regular" fished surf.
Do you just launch & pull 8-12 inch strips in?
Answer:
Been fly fishing the surf for a long time now.
I have a few suggestions.
Get a shooting head setup and a stripping basket. In the surf sometimes
distance is critical, sometimes not. We like to use 9-10 WT rods with
intermediate shooting heads and mono running lines. The basket keeps the line
out of the water and makes 70' casts easy (no wind). As far as how to
retrieve, you will develop your own "working retrieve", but when using the
basket you strip the line hand over hand into the basket, which is typically
worn around the waist. Stripping speed depends on the species and the
conditions, just keep varying your strip until you start to get hits.
Experiment with fly size and weight - decievers, clousers, etc. Sometimes
matching the size of the bait is good, sometimes not; try different fly sizes.
Pay close attention to the area where waves are breaking. Sometimes make casts
parallel to the beach, etc.. A great book for getting started is Lou Tabory's
Inshore fly fishing.
