FLY vs. SPIN IN THE SALT

Fly rods are designed to throw a line which is heavier than the lure (fly). The fly is almost weightless and can therefore drift with the current and readily suspend after stripping line. Spinning gear is just the opposite; the lure is the weight and it carries the line through the air with it. This lure, in most cases, will sink when you stop cranking the reel, so you must keep it moving to prevent snagging. A lure which suspends after swimming a short distance imitates the motion of baitfish and triggers more strikes than a lure which is falling.

Striped bass like rocky bottoms because they are a haven for baitfish, crabs and eels looking for food. To get these fish to bite the best, you must get a lure to suspend just above the rocks. Using a minnow imitation on a sinking fly line you can get down to the fish, then strip the line a little to move the fly slowly above the rocks, stop, let it suspend, strip, stop, suspend, etc. This slow movement keeps the fly in the strike area for quite a while. In contrast a weighted jig swimming along the bottom can't stop which means less time in the strike zone. Also a jig must be reeled in completely before it can be cast to the fish again, where a fly line is lifted out of the water by a backcast and placed back in front of the fish in a matter of three to five seconds. This also works when searching for fish. When the fly gets out of the strike zone, just make a backcast, and toss to another spot, covering water faster than a spinning rod.

Now comes the most exciting part of the game; the strike and fight. Most fly reels are direct drive; a one to one ratio, that means each turn of the handle only gains as much line as the circumference of spooled line on the reel. There is no gearing to help horse a fish in. There are some multiplier reels on the market, but most fly fishing is done without them.

Spinning reels can have gear ratios from 4:1 up to 6:1 which translates to 4 or 6 turns of the spool for each turn of the handle, a marked difference. The strike on a fly rod is another fun experience. When the strike comes you are pointing the tip toward the fish with the line in your stripping hand, thus you have the most direct link to the fish possible. At this point you must lift the rod tip, setting the hook, then let the line slip from your fingers in a controlled fashion until all of the stripped line is off the deck and you are using the reel to fight the fish. This is known as putting it on the reel, and it can be a rather tricky transition. When the fish is on the reel, you must be careful not to grab the handle, which is spinning at mach 3 from the fish's run, or you could lose a knuckle or two. Instead, you must place the palm of your hand on the rim of the reel to put pressure on the fish until you can slow the fish enough to grab the handle and start a pump and reel-down style of fighting, gaining only inches on each turn of the handle. Palming the reel is a good way of losing the skin on your hand when a big fish is running. Because of this, many anglers modify their reels to include a leather patch on the bottom to make contact between the hand and the rim.

Catching bluefish on the fly is usually a bit different, bluefish are schooled up more often than not. To catch these toothy critters the use of a steel leader is neccessary. When the blues are crashing the surface, smashing into a trapped school of baitfish,( this is known as "blitzing") the action is wild and crazy and the fishing is done close to the top, usually with an intermediate sinking line or a floating line. Just make a short cast, let the fly sink a little, strip quickly, and be ready for the ride.

Another method of catching schooled bluefish is to lay out a chum line, or slick, to get them interested. When you can see fish activity in the slick, cast a chum fly (yes, there is a fly that looks like bloody fish parts) in the slick on a sinking line and give it a little action to make it pulsate. Really big bluefish have been taken using this method.

Fly rods do have their limits however, you can't effectively fly fish in very deep water with a strong current. To do this you would need to use a spinning outfit with heavy lures. But, in conditions where you can use a fly rod it is usually your most productive choice. In the chesapeake bay region the season for stripers and bluefish usually runs from around mid-April until the water temperature drops to about forty degrees in the fall (November or December).

For those interested in exploring the possibilities in fly fishing, there are few boundaries. Today, the fly is being used to catch almost all species of sport fish in just about every environment. Many fishing clubs and organizations, such as the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association(M.S.S.A.) are recognizing the popularity of fly fishing and are including fly fishing categories in their annual tournaments and derbies.

Charter boat captains are also getting involved in fly fishing to meet the demand of anglers looking for a new challenge. Several guides, such as Captain Brady Bounds of Lexington Park Md., find fly fishing to be more productive than spin fishing for stripers and blues, which are the species most sought after by their clients. This fishing is usually close to the boat, so the angler need only to make a short to medium cast, well within range of most flycasters. For more information on fly fishing the chesapeake bay or on fishing tournaments contact M.S.S.A. at 410-768-8666 or Captain Brady Bounds at 301-862-3166. These people can put you on fish or get you pointed in the right direction.

John Hafner is an experienced angler and outdoors enthusiast from Delaware. He can be reached by email at haffamschl@aol.com.