Ocean Fly Fishing Knowledge for Beginners

April 13, 2021 Fishing Guides Views: 2036

Ocean fly fishing, a sort of entertainment as well as a sport, different from other types of fly fishing, is more dangerous and exciting. As a beginner, there are several tips you should know before going to sea including the features of ocean fishing, basic preparations, choices for rods, reels, lures, and techniques of casting lures. The following information will help you better get started.

Characteristics of saltwater fly fishing

There are a lot of differences between ocean and freshwater environments, so you need to have a good knowledge of these differences before you go ocean fishing.

First, the best place for ocean fly fishing is where warm and cold currents encounter since quite a few sea fish swim with the flow of ocean currents.

Second, the tide is another feature of the ocean. After the high tide, the organic matter and fish will be brought to the coast, entailing it is a good time to go angling.

Third, to go fly fishing in the ocean, you should pay full attention to the weather. Working in a stormy sea poses dangers. You should notice the direction of the wind. Under the condition of mild wind, the headwind is better for fishing.

Last, the main targets of saltwater fly fishing are such saltwater fish as sea bass, yellow croaker, codfish, hairtail, sea eel, and so on. Most of them are more fierce and greedy than freshwater fish, thus easier to catch. However, you should not touch any kind of fish you do not know until you can guarantee they are not poisonous or dangerous.

Basic preparations for beginners

Apart from fly fishing gear, two other things should be prepared for your safety: a lifejacket or fishing vest and antiskid shoes. Fishing gear includes rod bag, fishing rod, reel, fishing line, etc.

How to choose an ocean fly fishing rod

The rod used for fly fishing in the ocean is shorter than the one used for freshwater fishing.

First, for the wind is stronger at sea, a shorter fishing rod is more convenient. Second, a short rod is lighter than the longer one which is easy for casting heavy lures in a long distance. Third, using a long rod consumes more physical strength with complex operations. The ideal length of a fishing rod is between 2.7 m and 2.9 m.

How to choose fly fishing lures

Two types of lures can be prepared. One is a minnow, another is eel bait. Different species of fish prefer baits with different lengths. For instance, 5 centimeters bait is the best lure for sea bass, saurel, and codfish. The length of eel bait is usually between 5 cm and 10 cm, a good choice for luring predatory fish. Besides, a white plastic beads string can also serve as an eel bait and it works well at a low cost.

Live shrimp is also the most commonly used saltwater fishing bait, a favorite food for many fish species, especially rare fish. They are small in size, strong in vitality, and easy to collect and store. Prawn, sand shrimp, and white shrimp can all be used as baits which can be found in coastal shallows.

How to choose reels

Using reels in offshore fly fishing has two advantages. First, it is convenient to operate and consumes less physical strength and time. Second, by a reel, the fishing range can be expanded. If you aim for a big fish, then an alloy reel is a proper choice. For simply storing the lines or for beginners, plastic reels are better and much cheaper.

Besides, three points should be noticed relevant to the longevity of reels. One is braking force, the key part of a reel. If the fishing line is too tight or too loose, it may increase the possibility of breaking off.

Another is that the fly line should be arranged neatly in the line cup. Otherwise, the capacity of the line cup and the distance of casting lures will be influenced.

The last one is that the reel you choose had better be rust-preventing, particularly for ocean fishing. Rustiness will directly affect the longevity of reels.

Learn how to cast lures

It is not the strength but dexterity that matters in learning the skills of fly fishing in the ocean. Beginners should coordinate the strength and the flexibility of the fishing rod to manipulate the angling line freely. The key lies in handling the movement of wrists and arms. Just imagine you are chopping wood as if the rod was the ax while remember to bring the flexibility of the rod into full play.

Based on understanding the movement of casting lures, accuracy is the next target. You should cast the lure as exactly as possible into the area that fishes are surrounding to catch their attention.