Fly Fishing & Sightcasting on Baffin Bay
Capt. Sally’s 2012 “Ibis”
Shallow water sight casting with either lures or flies on the undisturbed shorelines of Baffin Bay, the King Ranch, the Upper Laguna Madre, Rocky Slough, the Land Cut and the 9 Mile Hole is quite an adventure.
Be some of the first shallow water anglers to fish “Site 55″ of the Laguna Salada, Drum Point at Cayo del Grullo and the back bays of Alazan, including the Cayo del Infernillo. Never heard of these places? That’s because almost no one fishes the shallow water there. It is very undisturbed and pristine.
The 9 Mile Hole and the Land Cut are legendary for the gigantic redfish and trout that live there. Tough to get to, yes, but definitely worth the ride. Pole, drift or wade ankle deep on these long, shallow expanses for a day that you will never forget.
Capt. Sally is an Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide
Sight casting and fly fishing in the saltwater is an art and it all starts with seeing the fish.
Watch the video below to get an idea of what it takes to get a fish to take your lure or fly:
Beginners and intermediate saltwater fly casters, practice short, accurate casts at 20, 30 and 40 feet with only one back cast if possible. The least amount of back casts to present the fly, the better. There’s not much time to think while standing in the casting basket of the boat. The boat is moving and so is the fish, so, get the fly to the fish in the shortest amount of time possible.
Polarized sunglasses in amber, brown, copper or vermillion are essential for a successful day of sight casting.
Flyfishing and Sightcasting Checklist
Fly Rods, Reels and Line
- 9′ 6 to 9 weight, medium fast/fast action fly rods
- Quality fly reel with smooth drag and 100-yards of 20lb Dacron backing
- Weight-forward floating fly line designed for salt water and warm temperatures
- Fly Line Tapers: Saltwater, clouser or redfish tapers work best
- Line cleaners and treatments
Leaders
- 10-15 lb 6′-9′ tapered leaders, either knotless or hand-tied, furled or braided
- 8-16 lb tippet, either mono or flourocarbon (Note: Flourocarbon sinks and may make your flies harder to manage)
Fly Selections
- Shrimp, baitfish, crab patterns all work well in sizes #4 or #6
- Clouser minnows in white/chartruese, white/pink, white/olive, white/natural in #4 or #6
- Spoon flies in gold, plum, peach, chartruese in #4 or #6
- Popper flies in white/chartruese, gold, white/red
- Sea Ducers in natural, chartruese/white, pink/white in #2, #4 or #6
Your guide will have flies that are working, but, make sure that your fly rod is rigged with a good leader before coming to fish.
Be prepared to have fun and learn a lot! Watch the video above and remember the “right” and “wrong” ways to present to a cruising, tailing or laying fish!
