What Flys for sea trout estuary Bay Area .? Should I use ?

[Determined Dan]

Hi all as it says I'm going to try with a fello fly fisher man for sea trout . In a bay / beach area. I've fly fished before for small brown trout but not sure what to use for sea trout . Any help welcome also any pics of ,flys for sea trout very welcome. Thanks.

[chuckaroo]

hey Dan, have a look at pages 5 and 6 of the SWFF Fly Database here: http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bull ... 8&start=80
i have had great success with the sandeel patterns, falkus sunk lure, the rogans gadget, and the storm fry on page 5
and with the sandeel patterns on page 6
hope this helps

[Determined Dan]

Thanks chuckaroo , they look great flys. I'll keep my eye out for something like them but fly fishing where I'm from is based on a bibio and bloody butcher . . Did it take you long to tie them?

[chuckaroo]

no problem Dan. ok, yes the bibio and bloody butcher are popular flies but i'd associate them moreso with fishing in rivers for sea trout. regardless, im sure they could pull a fish or 2, i hope they work for you

the flies i tyed don't take long to tye at all. its the wee shrimp ones that would have taken longer but i haven't used them yet. maybe 20 minutes to tye a fly
if you are fishing amongst a lot of small s.trout (maybe averaging 1lb) then i'd really recommend the storm fry. bigger fish can be targeted using the bigger sandeel patterns.
if you want to PM me an address i could post you a couple of flies if you wish

s.trout can be a fickle species, especially when fishing for them in open, clear, still water. they may be easier caught in moving water/surf or in estuaries, and indeed at dusk or dawn. they are also harder to catch using the fly - small metal lures can be more productive, but less fun!.
in calm, clear conditions fish can come right up to the fly and eyeball it. they ain't stupid... it's a great challenge. they are great fighters and good at getting off the hook!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzbQV2t52-8

good luck

[Determined Dan]

Thanks very much chuckaroo . I really appreciate the offer. I'll keep a eye out for some marks with moving water and give them a go. What lb line would you use for tieing on the flys. And would one or two flys be best?. Sorry for all the questions , but I'm itching to go fishing.

[chuckaroo]

no prob. i'd use 8lb line, maybe 6lb if im fishing in amongst the wee fickle trout. you could step it up to 10 or 12lb line of you are fishing into a current and/or hoping for bigger fish and it would be important to use this heavier line if there are potential snags about, like rocks and weed beds.
don't worry about tapered leaders or any fancy stuff, keep it simple
as for 1, 2 or 3 flies, well that it totally up to you and what you are confident with. sometimes i tie on 2 flies if they are small flies but its nice to just use one fly - its just easier to throw less tangles - i usually just use one fly
and i use old fly lines when fishing the sea a lot, and old rods and reels. its not essential but i know that the sea will 'eat' them. they perform fine anyway
of course, you can invest in some nice SWFF gear if you wish.. if you want to spend the money on it
its great fun when you get in amongst the fish. plenty of other species to catch too