Fly Fishing On A Jetty Safety Tips!
Here's some great tips for you saltwater fly fisherman out there....
Be Safe and Tight Lines,
-Michael
aka "The Duke"
=============================
SHORE CATCH ON THE FLY
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 05/19/06
BY JIM FREDACORRESPONDENT
Surf temperatures in the last week have been teetering in the upper 50-degree ranges, so it is time for striped bass to take a look at and hit a fly.
This makes jetties one location the fly fisher will want to be.
Jetties become a great equalizer, as these structures provide an avenue for the fly fisher to hook into fish that would ordinarily be unreachable from the beach. The extensive crevices, hiding places and myriad of marine life around these structures establish an ecosystem that is highly productive and makes these jetties an ideal place to shoot a line into the suds.
When planning to fly fish from any jetty, it is imperative that you put your personal safety as your No. 1 consideration. You must begin with the mindset that catching and landing a fish along the rocks is not as important as your life. Proper footwear and attire goes hand in hand with personal safety on a jetty. This would include a rain jacket, bibs, short boots, and korkers.
You should also familiarize yourself with the wave period and the location of sandbars around the jetty as these factors will impact both the number of waves striking a jetty and their heights.
Also look for any rogue wave formation that can lead to washovers.
Predetermining a landing location and the path you will take to move down or off the rocks if a big fish hits your fly is also a good idea.
Remember, it will be much more difficult to move from rock to rock when you are hooked up and a force is trying to pull you in the opposite direction.
Jetties can often become crowded very quickly, so fly fishers will have to be cognizant of their space so as not to place another angler in harm's way of a backcast. Be aware of the fact that a fly fisher can take up space that normally three good spin fishermen could occupy, particularly if you are fishing at the jetty's tip.
Travel light when fly fishing from any jetty as this will increase your mobility. A stripping basket is a must as this will prevent your line from dropping into the rocks below, but be sure to push it behind you when walking from rock to rock or when fighting a fish. This will give you a better field of view when you look to take your next step.
Your workhorse line on the rocks will be an intermediate sinking line. Because the intermediate line has a sink rate of one to two inches per second, it will present the least opportunity for getting hung up. However, if strong currents are present and the water is deeper than five feet, a 200- to 300-grain sinking line can also be used without snagging the rocks below.
Finally, always retrieve your fly by pulling it to the very edge of the rocks regardless of where you are positioned on the jetty. Bass and blues will attack a fly close to the rocks in a last desperate attempt to capture its prey as it appears pinned in with no escape.
Capt. Jim Freda is co-owner and operator of Shore Catch Guide Service, Manasquan.
Check out www.shorecatch.com for further information or e-mail jfreda@bytheshore.com.
Be Safe and Tight Lines,
-Michael
aka "The Duke"
=============================
SHORE CATCH ON THE FLY
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 05/19/06
BY JIM FREDACORRESPONDENT
Surf temperatures in the last week have been teetering in the upper 50-degree ranges, so it is time for striped bass to take a look at and hit a fly.
This makes jetties one location the fly fisher will want to be.
Jetties become a great equalizer, as these structures provide an avenue for the fly fisher to hook into fish that would ordinarily be unreachable from the beach. The extensive crevices, hiding places and myriad of marine life around these structures establish an ecosystem that is highly productive and makes these jetties an ideal place to shoot a line into the suds.
When planning to fly fish from any jetty, it is imperative that you put your personal safety as your No. 1 consideration. You must begin with the mindset that catching and landing a fish along the rocks is not as important as your life. Proper footwear and attire goes hand in hand with personal safety on a jetty. This would include a rain jacket, bibs, short boots, and korkers.
You should also familiarize yourself with the wave period and the location of sandbars around the jetty as these factors will impact both the number of waves striking a jetty and their heights.
Also look for any rogue wave formation that can lead to washovers.
Predetermining a landing location and the path you will take to move down or off the rocks if a big fish hits your fly is also a good idea.
Remember, it will be much more difficult to move from rock to rock when you are hooked up and a force is trying to pull you in the opposite direction.
Jetties can often become crowded very quickly, so fly fishers will have to be cognizant of their space so as not to place another angler in harm's way of a backcast. Be aware of the fact that a fly fisher can take up space that normally three good spin fishermen could occupy, particularly if you are fishing at the jetty's tip.
Travel light when fly fishing from any jetty as this will increase your mobility. A stripping basket is a must as this will prevent your line from dropping into the rocks below, but be sure to push it behind you when walking from rock to rock or when fighting a fish. This will give you a better field of view when you look to take your next step.
Your workhorse line on the rocks will be an intermediate sinking line. Because the intermediate line has a sink rate of one to two inches per second, it will present the least opportunity for getting hung up. However, if strong currents are present and the water is deeper than five feet, a 200- to 300-grain sinking line can also be used without snagging the rocks below.
Finally, always retrieve your fly by pulling it to the very edge of the rocks regardless of where you are positioned on the jetty. Bass and blues will attack a fly close to the rocks in a last desperate attempt to capture its prey as it appears pinned in with no escape.
Capt. Jim Freda is co-owner and operator of Shore Catch Guide Service, Manasquan.
Check out www.shorecatch.com for further information or e-mail jfreda@bytheshore.com.
posted by The "Duke" at 11:42 PM
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