# Fly Patterns for Offshore?



## bigpenguin (Oct 17, 2012)

I've booked an offshore charter for mid-July and am looking for ideas for flies. We'll mainly be fishing with bait to fill the ice chests but I'm taking a couple fly rods too. Always wanted to catch a dorado on a fly. Already have crease flies, EP Pilchards, and some big deceivers, any other thoughts? Pictures will be helpful.


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## RUFcaptain (Aug 12, 2011)

Any baitfish pattern with a splash of red is a killer.


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## fishrelish (Aug 5, 2005)

*baitfish pattern with a splash of red*

see the fly on the right


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## fishrelish (Aug 5, 2005)

*other options*

be open minded...maybe these?


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## Coconut Groves (Nov 2, 2011)

Some of those flies look like something on sale at an arts and crafts show. They are pretty, but they look more likely to catch the fisherman than the fish.

For offshore, you need bait fish patterns. I wouldn't throw a spoon, unless it was large, which is unrealistic on a fly rod. Big deceivers, clousers, sardine and mullet patters. Dorado are tough to catch unless you find them suspended along a grass/debris line. Your best bet is to hook one with conventional while trolling, then watch for others to follow the hooked fish to the boat and make a cast to them with your fly rod. They usually run together - you'll need to strip FAST though.

I caught this one on a tandem squid tube fly I tied - those are 6/0 hooks joined by a steel leader. The fly was probably 8" long.


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## CTR0022 (Aug 26, 2006)

check out bill and kate howe's flashy flies

http://www.flashyprofileflies.com/


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## Coconut Groves (Nov 2, 2011)

Looks like Flashy Profile Flies aren't taking new orders. Try this guy on ebay - he sells similar flies, especially the tube flies.


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## RUFcaptain (Aug 12, 2011)

Coconut Grove hit the nail on the head, tube flies work great offshore.


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## secondwind1018 (May 14, 2013)

blue and yellow, pink and white, blue and white, large bait patterns (5/0-7/0) and/or poppers. chum em up, get em in a frenzy and roll cast to em, then make quick sharp strips. sometimes they will smash it as soon as it hits the water, other times you have to strip as close to 7kts (trolling speed) as you can get. that worked for me recently. i don't know about spoons offshore....never tried. seems like you would want something larger but maybe a big one would work? i think you could accomplish the same effect with a flashy fly?


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