Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing Salt Water Flyfishing question(s)

I've fished freshwater streams, rivers and lakes for trout, salmon and lately my new fav is Northern Pike. I've ran rods all the way up to #10 that I've used for salmon and Pike. I'm taking off to Belize in a week and hear the salt water fly fishing is phenomenal. This is looking like a potential retirement destination on my list of several and was curious what is a good set up for salt water fly fishing for say bone fish and such that I may encounter. What weight rod/line and what I need to consider for salt water vs fresh. What kind of reel do I need to look for to use in salt water vs fresh. Never fished the salt so I'm green all over when it comes to salt water fishing.

Short of some composite salt water reel, I'd be inclined to dunk and seriously rinse things at the close of each day. It just eats sh-t up.

On bones, a 9 or 10ft 7 or 8 weight forward should suffice. Bones are leader shy, so find something transparent. A couple hundred yards of backing it good to. Those should handle the smallish tarpon they have around as well. Can't speak to larger fish.

I am no expert on salt water fly fishing but I have fished with a fly rod for bonefish and tarpon in the Florida Keys a few times, and have fished in salt for redfish, trout, snook etc. for many years. In the Keys guides like a 9wt for bonefish, not that a 9wt is needed for the size of the flies or the size of the fish (although my understanding is Keys bones are larger than those in Belize), it is the constant wind that needs a heavy rod.

Most people recommend an 8wt for bonefish and that would be what I would suggest. If you can swing two rods my next suggestion would be a 11wt. With an 11 you can handle tarpon plus it is not greatly oversized for permit, large jack, etc.

Now for reels. Saltwater is very hard on reels. As 1minute said above you must flush the reel (and rod for that matter) after each use. A salt water reel with construction to hold up to a salt environment and have a drag suitable to handle bonefish and tarpon are expensive, I am talking $500 to $800 each according to size. This is much different than a fresh water reel which a good one can be had for $200 to $300. I would recommend Nautilus NV reels as a good quality saltwater safe reel.

just to add to what the others have said a good flouro leader in a must for site feeders like bones permit and tarpon. learn to tie your own or buy the premade or knotless leaders. also a reel with a good consistantly smooth drag over it entire range is a must no herky jerky drag should pull smoothly. My buaer m5 has a wet cork/ composite drag that is silky smooth on every setting

A buddy of mine fishes saltwater a LOT and he swears by cheeky reels. He spent some time this winter in the Christmas Islands and he slayed the fish with his homemade flies. Nailed a real nice tuna in the surf, about a 30lber.

Most of his fish were caught on this pattern.

Thanks for all the advice. Seems like the big difference is investing in a good real and clean it after each use. FishinHank; thanks on the pattern suggestion. Not sure if you meant to but that link opened your entire photo bucket. Remind me to give you a PM when I get back into trapping.

If you're going to fish salt water, gotta rinse it every time. That should be one of the first things you do when you get back after each outing.
Lean them up against a wall or fence and spray them down with the hose. Turn them upside down and let the water drain off of the reel.

Repeat at least one more time. Your gear will last a lot longer, including reel, rod, line.

Have caught a lot of bones, stripers on 6 7 and 8 wt rods. Wind is your big concern. I use a 12 wt for tarpon, 14 for bill fish. I like flies with big eyes when fishing salt.

I have lamson reel and a Loomix IMX mega 9 weight and have been fishing salt regularly for over 20 years with this rod and reel. As mentioned rinse every time. I use an old tooth brush and warm soapy water to hit the reel footing and rod guides where salt can accumulate.

Be ready to pay for a decent reel. I like Ross now for the money and TFO CRxi 8-10 weight great salt water rod for the money

Learn to tie good knots, learn to use a stripping basket if wading, use a two handed retrieve. Rod tucked under arm as the salt water species, some of them, like a very fast retrieve. Learn to strip strike and drive home the hook. Always carry a hook sharpener and keep your hook sharp. Learn to cast from the front of a moving boat into the wind and with a strong cross wind. I hold rod in right hand and fly in left hand with line at feet while in a boat with a guide.

I like clear intermediate lines for bones, tarpon, stripers, jacks, I like to use a running line with a sinking head for deeper water. Takes some getting used to to cast. I like the teeny 500 series line.

I could go on and on. Pm if any specific questions.
Heading down to Baja Mexico this week, for dorado, marlin, jacks, rooster fish on fly rod

Get a very good pair of polarized glasses.

Well I fish inshore cold water for striper, blues and bonita, because I live with in 20 min of the Salt! I will say that the salt is hard on tackle! I clean mine right after use, I hose every thing down, out side then I put rod and reel in the shower with the line stripped down and let the shower run for a bit, then dry clean lube, other wise the salt will just eat the metal fittings and reels! I fish old Fin Nor Fly reels, had them for years now! My main rod is a 9 wt if the winds are not to strong and a 10 and 12 if they are, I spend a lot of time fishing at night when the tides are right! Bone fishing is the different ball game from what I do, but the care of your rods and reels would be the same! I found that things wear out faster in the salt be cause of the abrasive nature of fishing environment!

The Puglisi sp? flies like the one shown are amazing in the salt. The tiny Micro Minnow is a killer on inshore fish like trout and snook.

Thanks again fella's. I have a Ross reel right now on my rig but will upgrading in the future to something a bit more high end.

I have used a ton of Ross reels in the past. If you keep the bearing and the drag clean and lubed they are fine. If I was fishing for wahoo or tuna, I would go with something more stout. I use Tibor some but functionally does not effect my ability to catch saltwater fish any better.

A nine foot, eight or nine weight rod, with a mid or tip-flex action will handle the majority of bonefishing situations. If the majority of the bonefish are large, a 9-weight outfit is the best choice. Also, if you are going to a bonefish destination during the windy season a 9-weight will make the job easier. If most of your fishing will be for smaller fish with smaller flies, or you don’t expect a lot of wind, an 8-weight will do just fine and will give you an added measure of delicacy—bonefish can be spooky!

Fly lines for bonefish should be floating, with a weight forward taper, matched to the weight of the rod. Choose a bonefish taper – these lines are specially designed to be fished in warm tropical environments. In hot weather conditions, a standard fly line can become sticky and too soft, and will neither cast nor shoot through the guides as well.

Yep I used a regular fly line for Bone fish in Bahamas 20 years ago. The heat made it cast like spaghetti lol

That's good info. The kind of thing you don't think of until you're there and wondering WTF is going on. Being that bonefish are spooky I assume you will be using a good chunk of leader. What weight do you use and what type.
I have become a fan lately of fishing for Northern Pike using big gaudy flies. Completely requiring a different style than bonefish I'm sure as with pike the louder the splash the better. I actually use a steel leader or a toothy critters leader. They don't mind as they are cranky mean fish.

I like the Mirage Fluorocarbon for bonefish. 8-12lb depending on conditions and fly size.

flyphishr gave good advise to use a Fluorocarbon leader if fishing for bonefish. Not only does it reflect less light in the water, which is suppose to make it less visible, it sinks faster than nylon, and the biggest plus is it is more abrasion resistant. The grasses that bonefish are found can be very abrasive.

Have you ever ran a "toothy critters" leader. I know they are wire but was wondering if bonefish would spook on them. I use them for fishing for pike and they are a blessing when dealing with them. I'm betting they would be the cat's pajama's for barracuda.

Bonefish would not have much love for a wire leader. You might find a dumb one but there is no need for it.

Years ago swithed to a 60 lb fluoro leader for pike and muskies vs a wire leader. I feel my hook up ratio increased quite a bit. I will sometimes have bite offs but will trade for more hook ups

I really like clear intermediate lines for ocean and freshwater lakes.