Saltwater Bottom Fish on the Fly

Lately I've really been enjoying catching bottom fish on the fly during the day when the stripers aren't really eating in close and the blues aren't around, which seems to be the pattern there year. I've caught three non-snapper bluefish this year... that's not so great. But these bottom fish, they are fun! The methods I have to use to target are not the most glamorous... it's pretty much the saltwater equivalent of nymphing. Worse, when there's heavy current, I have to get really dirty and use weights that are more at home rigged on a spinning rod for a deep smallmouth lake. I don't really want to get into the details of my rigs and flies because this is something I'm really into figuring out right now and it's kind of uncharted territory. I'm not willing to give up some of my hard earned knowledge yet, at least as far as targeting sea bass and tautog goes.

The other day I went out with Sonny, originally intending to target stripers and bluefish. After a fairly short morning bite it became clear that bottom fish were going to be either gap fillers or the targets for big chunks of the day. The first I caught was a sea robin, one of the first saltwater bottom fish I learned to target.The one I got this time was a giant compared to most. 

One thing has been the rule with every place I've been fishing lately. Small bait s abundant! When the fall run really ramps up it's going to be awesome!

The third spot Sonny and I fished is an albie hot spot, of course they are not around yet. One of the other fish this spot is good for is Tautog. This time I caught two of the biggest tog I've caught on the fly.

These little fish are incredibly powerful for their size. Even on an 8wt the battle you get is crazy! Sonny got his first tog.

Aside from tog, I also caught this gorgeous little black sea bass and a big fluke that didn't want its photo taken.

Yesterday morning, after a failed attempt to get to the chub mackerel in our kayaks, Noah and I ended up bottom fishing a very popular spot for big bluefish. It's not the kind of place I hear about bottom fishing, but it is a place where weird stuff could show up. No weird stuff today, just some sea bass and porgies which were very mean to me. I hooked two and land neither.

After that we went to a jetty I hadn't fished in a couple years. It was just barely worthwhile... one lil' tog for our efforts.

These are all species that aren't traditional fly rod query. Ask fisherman if tog and sea bass can be targeted successfully on fly gear and they will probably say no. Well, let's just say it's not the most fun way to fly fish but boy does it feel got to set into an angry wrasse or grouper.