Saltwater
Fly Concepts Part III
By Richard
Carter
Previously….
We discussed some speculation
as to why a fish takes a fly in Part 1. Then in Part 2 we discussed
the intended species to be targeted and how its characteristics
should be considered in fly design, selection and use.
Lets now look at prey types….
And how their characteristics
should impact on our fly tying (and fly fishing).
Where does the prey live? A food
item that stands out different from its surroundings doesn't
last long. Most food sources for a predator exist in typical
locations. Prawns in shallows, weed beds and within mud banks.
Crabs in rocks, buried in the sand and hiding in weed beds. Yet
I often see fly patterns supposedly representing these creatures
cast in places the real thing would never be found in. Your
choice of fly should reflect the location you are fishing not
just your personal choice.
It would be like a trout fly
fisher casting a hopper pattern in late winter, yes he may get
a few hits but surely there would be a better fly choice for
the time and location when the hopper pattern would be best use
late summer, especially if the trout are focused in on hatching
midges or smelting during the pre-winter period. 
In saltwater too we need to not
only know about our target fish species but the food sources
it eats and the characteristics of those food sources. What are
the food source's life cycles which would then impact the fish
pursuing them. When do they mass for breeding purposes? Are they
pelagic? What type of substrata do they prefer to build their
burrows in? Why are they located where and more importantly when?
How do they move about? If we don't know the answers to some
of these question how can we design, tie, choose and use the
appropriate fly given the particular circumstances and the time
of year?
Baitfish travel from location to location, so are more tidal
movement orientated. All their markings and colours match their
surroundings. A baitfish is scared of everything. Danger comes
from behind, above, below and from the side, but it must eat.
The best and most food for an estuary baitfish is in the shallows,
while the shallows are expose at low tide, the baitfish hold
out in the deeper water in dense schools. As the tide rises they
invade the shallows. They must pass certain points in the channels
and drop offs. This is were flathead and other predators like
mangrove jacks and giant trevally plus many others wait. Therefore
we should present the fly were the baitfish would exist at different
points of the tide.
Baitfish are hardly ever flamboyant
in markings or colouration, to be so would mean instant death.
They have reflective sides and dominant eyes, lateral lines and
gills all which when by themselves are a hazard but when in a
dense school an asset. So design your fly with these features,
when you are next attempting to imitate a wounded baitfish, those
highlights will attract the predators.
Our flies should have the same distinguishing features as the
prey they are imitating. Estuary prawns have large dominate eyes
with lots of legs and feelers which are coloured depending on
water clarity and substrate type (sand, mud, or weed). The rest
of the body is clear except for maybe a few blood vessels and
the stomach which occasionally is pinkish or bluish. Then we
have offshore reef prawns and shrimp are far more colourful as
is their environment. When tying a prawn imitation we should
keep this in mind, just don't tie a pattern and hope it will
fit into the environment you will next fish, why not try and
tie a pattern specifically for the next location and species
to be targeted.
The motion of any fly as it rests,
is a factor most Australian tiers are yet to take full advantage
of. It was previously thought the best way to catch tuna was
with a very fast retrieve, two handed if you had to. Beginners
just don't cast far enough for a two hand retrieve, by the time
beginners have used both hands three times their fly is at their
feet, if not before. Now patterns are being used that are taken
nearly motionless in the current with no stripping of the fly
and have given beginners a chance at a long hard fight too. This
due to subtle motion of a stationary fly (Eyes fly) or an exactness
for the pilchard chunks floating down a berley trail (Foil and
Foam Pilchard head fly for example).
In estuary waters motion filled stationary flies have a place
too. I suggest next time down at the waters edge you catch a
small live crab, place it in a clear container of saltwater and
look at it. How does it swim and move? So should your crab fly.
When stationary, is it motionless? No, its mouth and gills are
constantly in motion. These characteristics should be duplicated
in your flies.
I tie a good velcro button crab
pattern. Cast out and left still, it constantly gets taken. Why?
I believe it to be the small bunch of marabou tips, tied in between
the stemmed plastic eyes, that suggestively waft around in the
current adding motion just like the mouth of the real thing always
in motion. To confirm this I tied in tandem two velcro button
crab patterns on my tippet. One with marabou mouth parts and
one without. Results where 7 takes on the marabou version and
one on the standard. Even bream can be selective, so should you
be in your fly tying and use.
Taking this type of observation still further. In a saltwater
tank with trevally, bream and whiting in it, we fed the fish
live yabbies, or nippers by another name. Observing the swimming
action, evasive and defensive actions of the food source helps
us create a standing yabbie pattern for use in SE QLD sand-mud
flats for trevally, bream and whiting. A light, realistic pattern
with feelers, swimming appendages and dominant egg cluster. Weighted
near the hook eye it will sink almost motionless tail first,
then stand erect defending itself with upturned feelers and claws.
Just like the real thing did in our fish tank tests.
This type of investigation and
fly development needs to continue as Australia develops its own
saltwater fly fishing techniques, flies and methods for its own
particular species, prey/food sources and locations.
Conclusions
Most saltwater species
are opportunistic in their feeding habits. Usually, if they don't
eat it, their brother or cousins will. So when in a large school
even if your fly is only remotely like its normal prey the fish
will bite first and ask questions later such is their heightened
state.
But now consider this, if you
can catch them when they are not in that mood, when they are
all by themselves taking their time picking and choosing their
breakfast or dinner, you will nearly alway catch them when they
aren't. This by focusing your fly design, your fly tying and
your fly presentation as a dry fly purist would for a large speckled
feral (aka. Mr Brown Trout) in an inland stream or lake. Lets
get as focused in our fly tying and fly use for our saltwater
species, they rightly deserve the respect. Strangely enough your
fly fishing results will improve too!
There is much more you need to
know about saltwater flies, the prey they represent and the fish
you cast them to. Just consider this series of articles a starting
piont of developing your own theories. What a fantastic journey
it is. Every time you fish, tie flies, read an article or when
discussing fly fishing with your angling companions you are taking
another step. So keep stepping forwards by putting your fly
in the water as often as you can.
With that done, I am off to find
some more local fish food types to represent in fur and feather
(and synthetic of course).
