Saltwater fly fishing is a great fishing experience when you’re fishing on the shore. These are tips for those who want to learn how to saltwater fly fish and are interested in trying it out. We offer our own fun fishing experience on the Kona Fishing Charters, where you can rent us out and book an offshore fishing trip!
Casting
The first thing you will need to learn is to cast. Casting is different with saltwater fly fishing than it is with other types of fishing. There are many video on Youtube and other websites that teach anglers how to properly cast their reel when fly fishing. However, we’ll try to explain what you should do here in case you find the videos unhelpful or need to supplement what you learned in a video.
First, you need to understand that you’ll be casting something called the “Double Haul”. This casting method allows you to lengthen the cast so you can reach fish farther out in the ocean.
How To Perform a Double Haul Cast?
- With a short downward pull, draw down about five to eight inches of fly line on the back cast.
- Bring up your hand and line everything up. Let the fly unroll behind you like you would do in an overhead cast.
- Do the same as you did in step one. Draw down about five to eight inches of fly line in the back cast (however make it equal length to the length you did in step one). Do this in acceleration of the forward cast.
- Bring your hand holding the fly line quickly forward – then complete the cast.
Keep practicing this until you have the hang of it.
If you’re still having trouble then you should consider casting lessons at a fly shop. But before you do that, you’ll need to have a saltwater rod. Saltwater rods are very different than other types of rod, and they will require practice.
The farther you can throw your line, the more likely you’ll catch a great fish! And this is especially true when you’re working in saltwater because you can only get so close to the fish. That’s why it’s so important to have a long cast.
Pick a Quality Fly
Of course, to really start fly fishing, you’ll need some artificial flies! The point of fly fishing is to get the fish to bite on an imitation of a bug or bait fish on or just below the water. Flies are typically made up of thread, wire, beads, feather, yarn, and hair and are created to look like insects and bait fish. You can purchase the right flies for the right fish as all fishes are attracted to different types of insects and bait fishes at different levels of maturity.
Fly selection is also very dependent on where you will be fishing. There are certain fish here in Hawaii that won’t be attracted to the same flies in other parts of the United States, and you need to take that into consideration when planning to fly fish. That’s why there are literally thousands of different fly patterns out there that are designed to imitate specific insects in an area. Others don’t imitate anything at all, actually, but look delicious to many fish. Some flies sink to the bottom and others float to the top – it all depends on what kind of fish you’d like to catch.
There are three basic fly patterns: dry, nymphs, and streamers.
Dry flies float on the surface of the water (that’s why they’re dry) and imitate adult insects. These flies can vary in shades, shapes, and sizes in order to imitate specific types of adult insects.
Nymph flies are flies that land just below the surface. They imitate insects as it leaves the larvae stage. Many fish feed on nymphs so it’s good to have some nymphs available in case you’re having a difficult time catching fish.
Streamer flies imitate smaller fish and other types of aquatic life, floating in the water rather than just below or above the surface. These attract larger fish that are waiting for their next meal.
You’ll learn plenty more about the different types of fishing on the Kona Fishing Charters boat when you come out to fish with us. We can tell you about fly fishing and the best types of flies while you learn how to fish offshore. At Kona Fishing Charters, you will have tons of fun fishing with. Call us at (808) 960-1424 to book your fishing trip!