If you are a fresh water fly fisherman, looking to try your hand at Salt Water, better learn the “Strip Strike”.

Freshwater fly-fishing requires you to raise your rod tip when your dry fly gets smacked or your strike indicator goes under. Fly fishing in saltwater is quite another technique and this month’s tip of the month will help those of you making the transition to Salt water understand the concept of “strip striking” a fish after the take.

First, most freshwater fly fisherman are fishing streams or rivers. This would require that the angler cast either up or downstream and watch the floating fly line for a strike. In saltwater, unless you are fishing a fast moving channel or rip, you will be creating action and motion to your fly by stripping line while drifting or stationary. In addition, you will be using a sinking line and your fly will be much deeper in the water column, giving you less time to react. As such, it will require much concentration, an inert sense of timing and proper rod placement to set the hook. By following the simple techniques listed below, You will increase your chances of hooking that saltwater fish of a lifetime.

1.      Slack line causes major problems with the hook set. Always keep slack line at a minimum. This can be accomplished by working your fly with the rod tip pointed in the direction of the fly and low to the water. Keeping the rod tip high will create problems and unnecessary slack line. If you are drifting, allow the fly to sink and work the fly on the upwind side of the boat. 

2.      Strip with your weak hand and hold the rod with your casting arm. A drifting boat in a good wind immediately helps with slack line control because the boat is moving and essentially dragging the fly. Strip and allow the fly to sink, repeat and repeat until the strike occurs.

3.      Never raise the rod tip on a strike. First, the water is deep in the water column and even the stiffest of fly rods don’t have enough backbone to raise heavy line through the water for the correct hook set.

4.      On a strike, using your stripping hand pull the line back straight behind you until you feel the hook set. Once this is accomplished slowly draw the rod either right or left, but not straight up. (Get any loose line on the reel and play the fish from the reel whenever possible). 

5.      When fishing from a stationary location and stripping line, make sure you make short strips and always leave enough motion in your stripping hand to leverage the strike. For long strips, you might have to reach almost to the stripping guide and come half way back leaving the rest of the motion to set the hook should the fish hit at the end of your strip.

Solid hookups are a must in any fishing situation. To effectively hook fish on the fly in saltwater you better know the ‘strip strike’. Hopefully these tips will help you hook and land more fish this season. This technique will work on tarpon, bonefish, permit, weakfish, stripers, blues and just about any species you pursue in saltwater. Don’t carry over your dry fly techniques to the salt, trust me, it doesn’t work and will frustrate you to no end.