# Fishing flies in rough surf



## Sam James (Aug 19, 2005)

Changed my mind about fishing the surf in rough weather after fishing Surfside surf with a friend that had been doing well in spite of less than stellar conditions! We waded out to knee deep and fished black and white Clousers into the waves and visibility was so low I expected to get skunked. Most of my fly fishing has been in the White River in Arkansas where you have water so clear you need to try to sneak up on them. After the third speck was caught by me I realized I had wasted a lot of days that were left unfished. Also , to add to my doubt about catching anything that day the weather was cold and raining and when I drove up to meet my friend the first words I said to him were "are you sure you want to do this?" I glad he said "yes" ! I'll be doing again!


----------



## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

That's awesome! Glad you overcame your bias against sandy, rough water. 

I didn't start my fly fishing learning to fish in clear trout streams so I didn't come into fly fishing with the must fish clear water bias. Rough, sandy surf can be great for trout. So can muddy marsh and bay water. The fish are pretty good at finding flies in off color, dirty water.


----------



## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

These were in pretty rough conditions in the surf. That's a nice trout karstopo.


----------



## Outearly (Nov 17, 2009)

This is a really intriguing thread. To the OP - was this recent, like within the last few weeks or this winter?

Also, WFF line or something else?

Thanks for the post, very cool.


----------



## Outearly (Nov 17, 2009)

Outearly said:


> This is a really intriguing thread. To the OP - was this recent, like within the last few weeks or this winter?
> 
> Also, WFF line or something else?
> 
> Thanks for the post, very cool.


It just dawned on me that I was asking the "hey where'd you catch them, what did you catch them on?" question- my apologies...

Still a very cool, intriguing set of posts.


----------



## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

Caught em in the surf on Clousers. Pick a Texas beach and go for it. There really is no secret spot. I have caught them on almost every beach on the coast you could drive to and even some you can't.


----------



## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Fishsurfer said:


> Caught em in the surf on Clousers. Pick a Texas beach and go for it. There really is no secret spot. I have caught them on almost every beach on the coast you could drive to and even some you can't.


I'm with Fishsurfer, pick a spot. Sometimes, I will drive Surfside or Bryan beach and look for sign or something in the way the bars set up that looks promising. I haven't fished this early in the year. I usually start in April or May.

I like to use baitfish I make from Steve Farrar and sometimes a Craft fur tail. Most are unweighted on a size one stinger hook. I've used clousers, too. Olive, Chartreuse, Pinks, Gray, purple, black backs over white bellies. I might put a pink craft fur tail on.


----------



## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

Pink is good for the surf!


----------



## fishing83 (Mar 24, 2010)

Interesting thread. I am relatively new to fly fishing, especially Saltwater. I too would have passed on a lot of days had I not seen this. Thanks for posting. What size Clousers do yall use in the surf? Thanks!


----------



## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

fishing83 said:


> Interesting thread. I am relatively new to fly fishing, especially Saltwater. I too would have passed on a lot of days had I not seen this. Thanks for posting. What size Clousers do yall use in the surf? Thanks!


Size 4

I use these baitfish more than clousers. This has been a good sandy water color pattern.


----------



## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Get there early and the fish will often be in the first gut. I stand on the shallow bar or in the gut and cast to sign. I don't need to make long casts normally, just wade along and cast to any bait that's getting harassed. A lot of folks try to cast as far out as they can, but it usually isn't like that. Just tune your eyes to the little bait sign and cast into it.


----------



## fishing83 (Mar 24, 2010)

karstopo said:


> Size 4
> 
> I use these baitfish more than clousers. This has been a good sandy water color pattern.


Thanks. I am going to give these a try in surf.


----------



## fishing83 (Mar 24, 2010)

karstopo said:


> Get there early and the fish will often be in the first gut. I stand on the shallow bar or in the gut and cast to sign. I don't need to make long casts normally, just wade along and cast to any bait that's getting harassed. A lot of folks try to cast as far out as they can, but it usually isn't like that. Just tune your eyes to the little bait sign and cast into it.


Well, I am one of those guys that has a hard time getting over the mindset I was raised on that I need to cast as far as possible to catch fish. Thanks for sharing this strategy. I live 15 minutes from surfside. You just opened more fishing days for me. Thanks.


----------



## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I think my normal casting in the surf is anywhere from 30-60 feet. Mostly I use 7 or 8 wt rods. I'll bring along a 10wt just in case of jacks or major wind. Mostly floating line, 10wt is strung with intermediate clear tip. I could go lighter, sometimes I use a 5-6wt in the marsh out of my kayak, but in the normal wind it's nice to have some extra casting pop.


----------



## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

Outearly said:


> This is a really intriguing thread. To the OP - was this recent, like within the last few weeks or this winter?
> 
> Also, WFF line or something else?
> 
> Thanks for the post, very cool.


use a sinking line in the surf if it's real rough (like an SA wet cel II if you are fortunate enough to be able to find one) and a clear intermediate slime line if it's moderately rough. whichever sinker you go with, make sure it's soft/flexible so it will lay well in the basket.

floaters are best for that one day a year when it's real calm.

normally i can't stand stripping baskets and i'd encourage people to learn how to manage their line and not to waste time with one, but when fishing the surf they are indispensable.


----------



## fishing83 (Mar 24, 2010)

Ish said:


> use a sinking line in the surf if it's real rough (like an SA wet cel II if you are fortunate enough to be able to find one) and a clear intermediate slime line if it's moderately rough. whichever sinker you go with, make sure it's soft/flexible so it will lay well in the basket.
> 
> floaters are best for that one day a year when it's real calm.
> 
> normally i can't stand stripping baskets and i'd encourage people to learn how to manage their line and not to waste time with one, but when fishing the surf they are indispensable.


Thanks. Any recommendations on a stripping basket?


----------



## Joe. T. (Jun 7, 2008)

Linekurv is great basket don waste your money on the netted ones they blow.you could also make your own the linekurv run about 60 bucks if you plan on fishing the first gut you can get away with using a floating line but if you move out to a jetty i would recommend a intermediate or sinking.


----------



## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

fishing83 said:


> Thanks. Any recommendations on a stripping basket?


sorry, just saw this.

i have and love the l.l. bean one, but i don't think they're made anymore.










mine's just like that one, except i got the tan one for distance casting.

you might try this one:

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/117682?page=llbean-stripping-basket

if you order one, be comforted knowing that back in the day I paid $19 for mine, new.


----------



## fishing83 (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## dpeterson (May 3, 2007)

*better late than*

never to break out my 8 and 9wt and get in the golf cart and drive 1/2 mile to the surf and fish. After reading this thread i realize I need to get moving and fish. When the bigger fish come around I'll break out the 12wt. Thanks to all of you that responded to the OP. I have new inspiration!


----------



## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

Karstopo,
On that EP pattern do you put any weight along the hook shank? I know these flies are usually pretty dang light, so I've debated adding some lead wraps to help get the fly down deeper. Just haven't actually done it yet!


----------



## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

you talking about using lead wire to wrap the shank?


----------



## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

yep, thats what i'm talking about


----------



## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

Intermediate or sink tips for streamers in the surf. The problem I have been having is all the trash fish near the surface on my streamers so if I can get them down fast I have a better chance at something larger. I will usually start out with a floating line so I can see if something will hit near the surface or try poppers. Most of my Clousers have larger dumbbell weights so they will go down fast even with a floating line.


----------



## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

I've got the intermediate line on my 10wt and I do have a lot of heavier flies, for the exact reason you stated - I want them to get down to the fish I want, haha. I was more referring to just the EP baitfish style flies. I'll probably just tie one up with some lead wrapped on the shank and give it a shot the next time I get down to the coast, just because


----------



## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

TXyakker said:


> Karstopo,
> On that EP pattern do you put any weight along the hook shank? I know these flies are usually pretty dang light, so I've debated adding some lead wraps to help get the fly down deeper. Just haven't actually done it yet!


On those baitfish, not usually. Most of those like in the photo I use steve Farrar blend and I might put a craft fur tail on too. I make a thin brush in a dubbing loop with the Steve Farrar, like an EP brush, but with less material. They are sort of see through, but the Steve Farrar has coarse and stiff fibers in the mix so they stay fish shaped and don't collapse or balloon like EP can do when wet. Because of the low amount and density of fibers, they don't trap pockets of air and the fly tends to sink pretty fast. Not lead weighted Clouser fast, but they don't hover just below the surface unless I add strips of foam. I can't fish them real shallow because they dig in to the sand. I don't trim them much at all. Just loose or odd angle fibers so that's different than a lot of EP baitfish patterns.

I did do a few on an inverted hook and with a 3mm rattle on the underside and I put some lead wire around the rattle.

I try to use floating line just because I enjoy floating line. Sometimes, I'll put on long leaders with pretty fine fluorocarbon tippet and that helps it get down. I've used a clear tip intermediate line while the rest floats. I've got some sink tips but never really use them.


----------

