Fly fishing for bass

6.5/284matt

Well-Known Member
Anyone had a go at this or does it regular.
Im off to south Devon for a week on Sunday and thought about sticking the fluff flicking gear in once modified for salt water.

​Cheers. Matt.
 
done a bit of fly fishing off the coast, not bass, mackerel

I was using lots of flashy silver stuff and some "eels" I made from silver tubes threaded onto 35lb mono with a treble

principle is the same,
I just used a normal fresh water reel and a 9ft 7/8# rod I have that I have aspirations of taking bone fishing if I ever win the lottery!

from what I know plugs and poppers are the source when it comes to bass on the fly
I made some once from wine corks heavily shaped and painted/varnished with a few streamers for maximum tease
 
Go for it Matt. But like anything look for features.
bass are members of the perch family. So like their pike,zander and perch cousins. They will use the features as ambush points.

Fly fishing for bass also gives you the chance of mackerel!

Depending on the kind of coastline you fish. It might be a good idea to fish close to the surface if the weather stays warm. Don't dismiss over cast day ether.

Like all sea angling, a trip to a local tackle shop should be a good idea!
A good 7wgt is ideal.

Good luck let us know how you get on!
 
I fly fished for stripped bass off the beach on Cape Cod and had some very good catches.
I had to step up the gear mind and used a 10weight loomis and a reddington disk drag reel with about 300yds of 50lb braid backing....boy could those bass run.
I had two one morning at 52 and 54inch that each stripped about 200yds of line on the first run...great fun.
I'm sure our european bass with the right gear will give a good account of themselves
 
I had a bass of leap beach that stripped all the backing(150 yards of 20lb power pro)
it weighd 2lbs!
Great stuff!
 
done a bit of fly fishing off the coast, not bass, mackerel

I was using lots of flashy silver stuff and some "eels" I made from silver tubes threaded onto 35lb mono with a treble

principle is the same,
I just used a normal fresh water reel and a 9ft 7/8# rod I have that I have aspirations of taking bone fishing if I ever win the lottery!

from what I know plugs and poppers are the source when it comes to bass on the fly
I made some once from wine corks heavily shaped and painted/varnished with a few streamers for maximum tease

+1 spot on bewsher !
Except that if you used a treble to catch mackerel you would spend most of your time trying to get the blighters off the hook and it may drive you insane.. . .
Poppers for bass are good in open water, rubber sand eels in the surf, fish the low tide in, for bass and the high tide turn (2 hrs before to 2 hrs after) for mackerel and you will be out there 24/7 - mind you you will probably break a fly rod with 6 good sized mackerel on it if you use set of 6 "feathers" - try just two ;) I have a zipplex bass rod and it bends double with full salvo of mackerel on, or a 4lb bass - oh and get ready for a workout ;)
Andrew
 
I was a bit species specific actually with my OP. I should of put salt water fly fishing, as it will be my first time I'm not that bothered what I catch.
I never really thought of mackerel but I suppose they would be a more realistic target
???
Matt.
 
Good sport, but you are more likely to catch mackerell which will fight just as hard and taste very good too! There's a saying in Devon that you can only catch Mackerell if there isn't a 'R' in the month which basically equates to May-August. You may also catch Garfish toward the end of the summer. Pollack stick close to the rocks and could also feature. Try a small rubber sandeel on the fly rod. MS
 
Ive caught polack on the fly. a 5lb pollack on an 8wt rod is a fight alright. I fished in deep water off rocks over kelp beds. fast sink (di 7 or 8) shooting head with 2-3 foot leeder and a booby. worked a treat. Must have a stripping basket or you will knacker your line.
 
I know of excellent bass marks along the South Cornwall coast if you were headed down this far....
I catch plenty of bass with spinning gear from the rocks, it's fantastic sport.
Best time and place to fish depends on the tide and weather and moon phase. A sand eel imitation is what I'd recommend for bass.
Silver tinsel shrimps works for the mackerellies, catching them individually on fly gear would be great fun!
I keep planning to do a day of roe stalking / bass fishing / pigeon shooting - kind of like a Cornish McNab
 
Beige coloured minkey, just under the surface 6 Ib 7 ounces later off of Hythe in kent my personal best bass on fly.

Don't think I will ever forget that one, fought like a tiger on a 5wt hardy

We were down here mackereling off the beach and a pair of em were cruising up and down the tideline feeding on the whitebait being pushed up by the mackerel

My three favourite fish in one day. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
 
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Not tried fly fishing for Bass yet Matt, that's one of my plans for this year (re-learning to fly fish that is!).

The Bass are in down here at the moment though, sand eels of one type or another are catching well!
 
Where the river Otter enters the sea at Budleigh Salterton, chance of bass, and also free Sea Trout fishing up to the first bridge!
Cheers
Richard
 
Fly rod of 7 weight or, better still, an 8 wt is what you need.
As for line, an intermediate or the slowest sinker you can get hold of, or one of those clear sink tip lines.
Flies, well someone mentioned a minkie - hard to argue with that or try one of these http://tyingnfishingssd.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/flashtail-clouser-tying-instructions.html
If your reel doesn't have a sealed drag wash it well after use and give it a proper service when the trip is over, even a sealed drag reel will need a good rinsing to get rid of salt, sand etc.
Hard to beat a bass on fly gear for a bit of fun fishing, and other species can be caught too, even flatties.
Mullet are like the "poor man's bonefish" but you'll need small/tiny flies - shrimp patterns - for them.
Best of luck and let us know how you get on.
 
yup we do it off the manmade airport test island in the thames good fun on a brook rod and some silver flash sand eel flys i use flounder hooks and a
tinsel tails
 
Fly rod of 7 weight or, better still, an 8 wt is what you need.
As for line, an intermediate or the slowest sinker you can get hold of, or one of those clear sink tip lines.
What about a floating line and use a popper?
Not that I am an expert in this field, I have only ever caught Pollock!
Cheers
Richard
 
Any of these any good? I got these for pike bashing.
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Matt. ​
 
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