Advice on flies

[landlocked]

Pretty new to saltwater flyfishing, only experience was in Belize last year. Going back in a couple of months and want to bring my own equipment this time. Was hoping to get some advice on what kinds of flies to bring along, as I'll be staying on a small island with no fly shop. Will be hiring a guide to go after bonefish, so the guide will provide the flies for that, but there is a channel right outside our hotel where I saw some jacks caught last year. Also might try for some other species around the island. Any advice on patterns and sizes would be appreciated. Thanks.

[CSJ]

Only Jack I ever caught on the fly was on the Texas coast and I caught it on a glass minnow size 4. My experience in the salt with a fly rod is limited and I am learning everytime I get to go.

[Thunderthumbs]

You can't go wrong with clousers. They're easy to tie, and very effective almost everywhere. I'd tie some without weighted eyes for fish busting on the surface, with beadchain eyes for going a little bit deeper, and then with brass or lead eyes for the fish that are down even deeper.

You can tie them in any color variation, but to keep it simple I'd find out what the primary baitfish in the area are and then tie to match them. And don't forget about the bite tippet. I use about 8" of 30# wire leader when going after toothy fish.

I don't have all that much experience in salt, what I've learned is from my limited fishing and from talking to other fishermen and guides, and not one of them has failed to mention clouser minnows as a pattern to have in my fly box.

Good luck,

Thunderthumbs.

[James Page]

You need to carry a basic selection of saltwater flies any time you travel around the saltwater. Here's the list:

1) Clouser Deep Minnows: in (hook) sizes from 6 to 2/0 in a variety of colors. My favorites are chartruese/white, all chartruese, tan/white, pink/white, brown/tan, chartruese/pink, black

2) Lefty's Decievers: in (hook) sizes 8 to 4/0 in a varitey of colors. My favorites are chartruese/white, all white, blue/white, red/white

3) Poppers: hard bodied poppers in size 2 to 4/0 ... white, or white and blue or, white and green, all yellow, all black.

4) Sliders: Deer hair sliders in size 1/0 or 2/0 ... all white,white and red, black, black and white ... you will need to use some flotant on these so take some powder flotant if yo uare going to be in the tropics .. liquid flotant is no good in the heat.

5) Crab imitations: Del Mekin crab in tan (creme), blue/olive, brown/tan, solid brown sizes 4 to 2/0

6) Shrimp imitator: take a couple of shrimp flyes in size 8 through 2

Hope this helps,

Jim

[gold_fish]

Thanks Jim for a lot of useful tips:)

[Capt. Ted Lund]

I'd say Jim gave you a pretty good starting point. One more word of advice: If you think that whatever flies you've picked out are the right size, tie or purchase some that are a couple of sizes larger and smaller. I've often gotten to destinations only to find that I had the perfect fly — except it wasn't big enough or it was too big.
Also, through a couple of Clouser/Kreh Half-and-Half's in there... they are a great compromise fly. I don't leave home without them!

[wetflyguy]

Here on the East coast it never hurts to have a few smaller size
clausers or streamers. Mostly Stripers and Blues here.
I fish Jersey waters.

Wet