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Plenty of flies fool saltwater fish

Ask a group of saltwater fly-fishers to name their favorite flies, and you likely will spark a noisy debate.

To some anglers fly selection is a science, to others an art. Sometimes it is mostly a matter of karma.

One of my fishing buddies uses only chartreuse and white minnow flies. Ask why, and he'll look at you with disdain and say, "Because all flies should be green and white." It's hard to argue with his logic, since he always catches fish -- even when his beloved green and white minnows are so tattered that little more remains than a wisp of thread on a bare hook.

Another friend takes great pride in catching very large fish on very small flies. He has so much faith in these flies, and his skills, it's rumored he carries one fly in his pocket per trip because that's all he needs to hook a 26-inch redfish.

Most of us, however, endow our fly boxes with a variety of flies, sizes and shapes dependent on which species we're targeting, what the water and bottom conditions are and even weather (try casting a big, heavy fly in 30 mph winds).

It's not hard to pack several boxes, considering there probably are more than 1,000 saltwater flies on the market.

My favorite saltwater fly is the Clouser minnow, a simple pattern developed by Bob Clouser. It catches just about anything that swims, is easy to cast and is retrieved with the hook inverted, making it essentially weedless.

But there are many other flies worth using, and they generally fall into these categories:

BAITFISH IMITATIONS: This category includes the Clouser minnow as well as streamers (unweighted or lightweight, slender patterns) and deceivers, which are wide-bodied flies usually tied with feathers.

All these mimic baitfish and can look incredibly realistic when retrieved. Bead-chain or lead eyes will help flies sink in deeper water, but small, light flies also will sink quickly when tied so the hook point rides above the shank, or upside down.

The glass minnow, originated by the late Carl Hanson, is another great choice in clear water. Its simplicity -- mostly monofilament or Mylar wrapped around a hook with silver flash to create the illusion of transparency -- belies its efficiency. These flies are among the smallest and deadliest tools an angler can acquire and are a breeze to cast because of their small size and light weight. A combination of chartreuse and white is probably the most popular pattern for inshore species over grass flats, but tan, brown with a flash of gold and even black flies are effective in murky water or over hard bottom, such as oyster bars.

CRUSTACEANS: These flies include shrimp and crab patterns, which are designed to catch redfish, snook, bonefish, snapper and grouper. Tailing sheepshead also respond to these flies, though nabbing a sheepshead on a fly is not easy.

Recent shrimp and crab imitations are incredibly lifelike, and the growing popularity of epoxy as a tying material has made for some original creations.

I was recently given a stand-up shrimp designed to be jigged along the bottom. It has a head of palmered hackle with two epoxy eyes on monofilament stalks about 11/2 inches long. I haven't tested it, but it sure does look good.

White or crystal shrimp flies are useful at night, and darker patterns, including tans, greens and russets, work well during the day. The crab patterns are usually tan or beige, many with jointed legs.

The bulky nature of many crustacean flies make them difficult to cast, but there are smaller patterns, especially crab flies, that are relatively aerodynamic.

POPPERS AND SLIDERS: Like bass bugs or billfish teasers, these flies are meant to be skittered or jerked along the surface and can be irresistible to snook, jacks, Spanish mackerel and many other gamefish that readily will come to the surface after bait.

Poppers usually are made of foam with concave faces and feathers or bucktail tails. When retrieved correctly, they make popping sounds that attract fish. Sliders are quiet poppers.

OTHERS This category includes anything that doesn't really fit elsewhere, such as spoon flies -- not considered a real fly by many but popular in many areas, especially for redfish.

I'd also put rattle flies on this list. Rattle flies are sinking minnow patterns with a pouch of split shot or beads that rattle when retrieved to attract fish. Like poppers and sliders, rattle flies generally are most effective in murky water where fish may respond to sound and vibrations more than sight.

To me, flies are like socks. You need lots of them to fit a variety of occasions, a good portion of them will mysteriously disappear in no time flat, and choosing them is half the fun.

-- Nanette Holland is secretary of the Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club and can be reached at (813) 238-6763.

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