Saltwater

My first Tarpon on the fly

Did a DIY mission in Puerto Rico, managed to get this guy after about a day of watching them off the beaches.Already dialed in to get another one, this time at home in Florida...

First deer hair fly

I want to catch one of these big Florida grass carp on the fly so I bought some dog biscuit flies, but I wasn’t feeling good about trying to land a 15-40lb grass carp on those tiny ahh hooks. So I tried to tie one up on a sz 6 mustad tarpon streamer hook. I think it turned out alright. Just trimmed it up with my regular straight tying scissors.

Megabass Trout Lure Alternatives

Hi guys,I’m hoping to get some advice on alternative lures to the megabass range. The reason I want alternatives is solely price, they look incredible but are very expensive. No doubt they are worth the money but I just don’t have that kind of cashflow at the moment unfortunately.

How Louis Got His Groove Back

IT'S HARD TO OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF CONFIDENCE IN FLY FISHING. IT'S OFTEN THE SPECIAL SAUCE ON SUCCESS. I squint into the sun. My eyes burn from sweat and sun screen. I take a few deep breaths and puff them back out. I stretch my neck side to side, it pops and cracks.

Flyfishing the fjords of Norway: my top 4 catches from my trip

All Pollock from different saltwater fjords from our road trip. Caught fish at all locations, started small but finally got into some bigger ones as the trip went on. 8wt echo blue boost with 8wt Rio fathom line full sink 7ips. 9ft tapered 20lb fluoro leader with 16lb tippet.

Accessible fly fishing Sierras

Hi there, my 16 year old daughter and I are new to fly fishing over the past several years… we will be headed south on 395 from Oregon to visit our family ranch near Lone Pine and the golden trout wilderness. My daughter would love to do some fly fishing in meadows, around big boulders, smaller creeks and pocket waters.

Oregon Coastal Cutthroat

Read more about Oregon Coastal Cutthroat.

Lowcountry Winter Redfish

By Owen Plair What makes the winter fishing for redfish so special? There are not many fisheries that have a winter time season, due to migratory fish, cold temps, snow, and ice. One of the many great things about the Lowcountry is that it is a year round fishery for Redfish.

First Redfish on a Fly Rod

Hopedale, Louisiana6wt Scott Centric (fun fight)Fly - Convict Killer (purple and black, self tied)Guide - Gabe Lambouhttps://www.instagram.com/gabelambou?igsh=bnN6aGJnaWUxdWk4

The Best Saltwater Wading Boots of 2026

We tested the best saltwater wading boots for saltwater fly fishing.

The World’s Most Realistic Squid Fly

A Note from Nick (@sandbar_flies): “I wanted to tie a match the hatch style squid fly with wings that imitate a real squid. I named this fly the Love Machine because when put in front of a fish they can’t resist. This particular trip i was able to test it out on redfish from the […]

Lionfish – Tasty on Pizza, Hell on the Ecosystem

Lionfish may be the mother of all invasive species. Take a moment to think about this: a lionfish (native to the Indo-Pacific) has no natural predators in the Atlantic ocean. It can live up to fifteen years, reaching sexual maturity in less than a year. Once mature, a pair can spawn as often as every four days.

Trying to start

Hey everyone,Been debating getting into tying. Doing a lot of trout fishing recently and with it comes a lot of donations to the trees. But I do a ton of saltwater fly fishing as well. So I think the next evolution I fear will be getting into tying to learn more about rivers and when to throw what, especially for trout.

Concentration, Relaxation and Communication Equal Better Bonefishing

By Louis Cahill Concentration, Relaxation and Communication. I wish I could claim those words. I'm quoting Jose Sands, bonefish guide at Andros South Bonefish Lodge. That was his answer when I asked what he thought was the key to successful bonefishing. As usual, he nailed it. Plenty of anglers are frustrated or intimidated by bonefish.

Own a Piece of Fly Fishing History in Project Healing Waters Popovics Memorial Auction

Project Healing Waters (PHW) has teamed up with the family of legendary saltwater fly tier Bob Popovics for a memorial auction. The auction’s proceeds will benefit PHW’s mission of supporting veterans through fly fishing. The auction starts May 11 at 10am Eastern, and will close on May 16 at 10pm Eastern.

The Closest Tarpon Eat Ever?

A Note from Alexander Gomez (@silverkinggomez): “That day we were fishing for resident tarpon. We happened to hit the mother load on a super calm day. Literally the perfect tarpon day multiple eats and landed a couple. I’m a third generation flyfishing guide.

Just purchased, are these good set ups?

I’m pretty new to fly fishing and just purchased these. I’m wondering if they’re as high quality as I was told. I fish off the beach primarily.

Rob Smith’s Rusty Enema

THE STASH IS BACK! Rob "The Stash" Smith is back to share one of his favorite redfish flies with us. The Rusty Enema is a proven producer anywhere redfish are found. It's a great attractor pattern that pushes a lot of water, which is like ringing the dinner bell for redfish in dirty water.

Need a cheap tying kit organizer/bag

Hey yall, just got into tying, I now have a Renzetti saltwater traveler, a bunch of tools, resins, materials, and I need a good bag/case to organize it all for storage and travel! I did score that little bass pro bait binder which is great for the materials that come in smaller bags, but not so m...

Friends Don’t Let Friends Fish Muds

"THIS IS THE KIND OF BONEFISHING THAT RUINS YOU. THE KIND OF FISHING THAT IMPAIRS YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS." The sky is a perfect robin's egg blue. Reflections of the morning sun dance on the underside on the mangroves giving the bright green leaves an unnatural glow.

One Fly, One Cast, One Tarpon

The bow of the skiff rises and falls under my feet as my eyes scan the vast expanse of blue and green. We call this riding the bull. Balancing on a casting platform as the boat bobs and shifts in the surf. Out on the ocean side, that’s where you find migrating tarpon. These big fish push past in schools, often single file.

Florida Sportsman - May/June 2026

Florida Sportsman is known well for featuring articles on all types of fishing, ranging from fly fishing and other types of inshore angling to fishing done in deeper ocean waters. These articles inform the magazines readers on what types of fish are in season…

Joel vs The Shark

Max Pressure Photo by Louis Cahill MY GOOD FRIEND JOEL DICKEY WAS NOT RAISED BY WOLVES, BUT YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE IT IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN HIM ANGRY.

Catch More Fish By Listening To Vinyl

Is there a link between vinyl records and fly fishing? I'm prepared to make a completely unreasonable argument. Whether or not you agree with it, it might actually help you catch more fish. If not, it will absolutely make for a better music listening experience.

7 Reasons I use the Double Figure 8 Loop Knot In Freshwater And Salt

By Louis Cahill This easy fishing knot will help you catch more fish. I learned the Double Figure 8 Loop Knot when I started getting serious about tarpon fishing. It quickly became the go-to knot for all of my saltwater and streamer fishing. I even use it to attach nymphs from time to time.

Tarpon!

I caught this guy on a bow and arrow cast.

Excerpts from The Believer: An Interview with Thomas McGuane

- - -Fishing apparel mentioned: A tarpon-wear shirt Old bib-front overalls Bow ties and club blazers Jean shorts - - -It will come as no surprise to longtime readers of Thomas McGuane’s work that while I was spea…

One traveler focused on fly fishing, the rest not

We loved our trip to Belize last spring so much we are thinking about returning for Christmas.

Rattles? Craft Fur Minnow

Recently bought some Hareline small plastic rattles for fly tying, but haven’t seen much info on them or patterns that incorporate them. Wanted to see if anyone else ties with rattles and if they see success with them? Also would love any other general feedback.

How are my trout flies?

Grew up fishing in Florida, so 90% of my tying has been big saltwater/bass bugs. Going to Montana this summer and had to start learning how to actually tie bugs. How am I doing? Any advice on how to improve or must have patterns? What do you wish someone told you when you started tying trout bugs?

Coastal Cutthroat

Nice little resident cutty on my local water. Mostly small guys this time of year but managed a few 14”s. BWOs out in serious numbers with the odd caddis, but caught this one on a blowtorch variant. Gotta love the warmer weather.

How to Fly Fish Straight Sections of Trout Water

It's your lucky day. You've somehow managed to get away from your busy work schedule and find time to spend a few days fly fishing for beautiful cutthroat trout out west. You've brought several trout to hand fishing a series of S-bends, and you feel like a hero.

My trout setups for this season!

The trout season here in Scotland has already begun.

Polar fiber minnow

https://youtu.be/UevFAKWBhek?si=kiDnPZ8JuI762 U9An older pattern nowadays, certainly underrated. Trout to tarpon eat these and everything in between. They're durable, easy to tie and 100% foul proof if tied right.

Budget 8wt reel for big freshwater and light saltwater

Made a dumb mistake replacing a 5wt trout setup with an 8wt and didn’t switch the reel out. Bought it cause I liked the but had the cork on it. Have a new 5wt coming so what reel should I buy

DIY Bonefishing

Landed this beauty on Exuma. 9’ 8wt with 9wt line and on an ugly little fly I tied before the trip. 4th bonefish I’ve ever caught and god damn do they put up an amazing fight. Exuma Point Beach around 5:30 for anyone on the island 🤘

Newbie Questions: Can you find trout in streams/rivers leading to the ocean?

Hi all!today is the first day of the fishing season in Nova Scotia and I was hoping to get some tips for a trout newbie.I usually fish Williams Lake (Herring Cove Area) and Grand Lake (Sambro Area) as well as their rivers and streams. I have been told by acquaintances that they hold trout but i have yet to catch one.

Chokoloskee Trip

Last weekend went on a tarpon trip ended up with Redfish and snook started the trip out with Captin Taylor Schaeffer ran outside. We posted it up with his mourning bouy , but the water was too cold. Tarpon were acting weird. I was hoping to use the new one piece Hardy I picked up from Ole Florida Fly Shop but unfortunately nothing wanted to play.

Shark River Chickee Trip

This post is long overdue. This was the weekend of February 21. But just wanted to share some of the awesome photos we got and the fish we were able to jump. I was with the boys from the Ole Florida fly shop in Boca Raton, Florida. We got lucky because the wind knocked down, and it wasn’t awfully cold. We ate well, drank well.

Carving a Life Size Tarpon Out of Wood

A Note from Ross Curington (@rosscuringtonart): “I’m a big supporter of the Coastal Conservation Association. Their largest fundraising event is held in Bradenton, Florida, an area renowned for its tarpon fishery. Inspired by this event, I decided to carve a fish and donate it to be auctioned off in front of 1,300 anglers.

Yamame

"Yamame" is a dwarf riverine form of cherry salmon/masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou). Almost all Yamame are males, and they participate in spawning with sea-run females.On Sakhalin, we call them "podkamenka" (literally "under the rocks"). They inhabit mountain rivers in large numbers and bite well on all types of lures.

Spinning rod recommendations

Due to unfortunate events fishing on my lunch break today, I find myself in need of a new spinning rod. More often than not I fish BFS but today decide to try the spinning rig, and the top half of my rod went down the river. So now I’m shopping.

The Drift: My First Taste of Salt

Tarpon rolled all around me, while a bull shark cruised off to my right. Further up the shore, a pair of dolphins slammed mullet into the bank. A half-hour before, a manatee floated close enough I could have reached out and touched it. This was about as far as I could get from my trout […]

Gear check

Fish for your attention. Im considering an 8wt rod for steelhead and some ocean beach casting. Im thinking tfo nxt, tfo ntr3, cortland sl 444, two aventik 8wt sink lines and a cheap aventik reel for poverty level ocean beach casting.I am spending more on steelhead, but would like the option of some beach casting if i end up over there.

Some saltwater streamers

Read more about Some saltwater streamers.

Coastal River steelhead

Heck of a fight on an 8wt

Making The Connection- Saltwater

By Louis Cahill How do you connect your leader to fly line when the pressure is really on? This is sure to be a lively topic. I wasn’t aware this was such a hot button topic until I published an article by Devin Olsen titled, “Making The Connection,” and watched the comment section light up.

Bonefish in Kauai tips

I'm going on a trip to Kauai, Hawaii at the end of April and looking to fish Anini beach and maybe another flat.I don't have experience fly fishing fishing saltwater, but I'm a fairly experienced in trout waters.

Finally got a shanty and a finder. We were fortunate enough to have some good ice this year. Out of all the fish I went after, I have to say that I liked fishing for lake trout the most

Read more about Finally got a shanty and a finder. We were fortunate enough to have some good ice this year. Out of all the fish I went after, I have to say that I liked fishing for lake trout the most.

First tarpon on fly

Hit the Everglades for the first time and ended the day with a couple of these guys and a snook. The first one in the photo was a freaking rocket, it must have jumped 6ft in the air and almost landed in the boat twice. First tarpon I ever casted at was 80+ and I ripped the fly right out of his mouth.

Lamson Liquid S in -5+ for 7wt rod, with further plans for a 5wt?

Hi!I recently got a Maxcatch Gold 7wt floating line. Mostly for testing, but also for trying trout fishing in rivers/small lakes. I'm not rich, so splurging for a 4 or 5wt kit is not an option yet, considering how I 90% of the time fish in saltwaters. But the end goal is to buy a 5wt rod. My question is...

FRESH WATER EQUIVALENT OF SALTWATER FLATS

So I love bonefish I love all the saltwater flats fish but I live in Cali so I don’t think there’s any flats near me but lots of lakes whats the equivalent to flats in freshwater?

The golden snitch

Chum fry variation for Searun cutthroat on the beach.

Shoutout to the boat dogs. I just lost my net-man of 12 years 🎣

Tucker, named after the Tuckaseegee River in western North Carolina, floated many streams and kissed many fishes in his 12 years with me. He’s seen everything from tailing redfish in South Carolina, smallmouth in Ohio, tiger trout in Utah, brown trout in Montana, even the elusive bull trout in Oregon.

5wt or 9wt for Norcal steelhead?

My 8wt unfortunately had it's tip amputated by my car window.Getting a replacement tip in 1 week, but in the mean time should I use my5wt Orvis Encounteror my really9wt Cabelas Fish Eagle PT?The steelhead I catch here usually are 18-25", but occasionally get bigger.

Cut A Dovetail Every Day

Woodworking has taught me a few things about fly fishing. Before Gink and Gasoline I was, for a time, very involved in the world of woodworking. I was fortunate to photograph and spend time working with some of the most talented folks in the field, many of them are still great friends.

4 or 5wt for trout

I'm wanting to get into fly fishing, as I'm going to the Smoky Mountains by Cosby Creek in Tennessee. I'm just uncertain whether I should get a 4 or 5wt rod for trout and panfish.

A Tight Line Presentation is Key in Saltwater Fly Fishing

SLACK IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. When fly fishing in saltwater, keeping the slack out of the system is job one. Slack can cause missed fish, long distance release and even refusals. A tight line is key at every stage of the process, but many anglers overlook the initial presentation.

I spooleg up my first ever fly rig.

Howdy yall. After a push from the might-as-well-be-brother-in-law (I need to pop the question), I got some gear using my pro discount from Far Bank.

Rainy day Coastal Cutthroat

Read more about Rainy day Coastal Cutthroat.

Chasin’ Sea Runners, NZ style

By Chris Dore So we don’t have any Sea Trout here in New Zealand as many would know them, but we have some great sea run brown trout fishing. Our 'Sea Runners' are just your standard, wild brown trout simply exercising their efficient feeding patterns: they follow the food into and out of the salt as availability determines.

Nice sized coastal cutthroat

Read more about Nice sized coastal cutthroat.

New pb-18 inch bow out of coastal norcal stream

I was not expecting to catch anything close to this size as the fish i usually catch out of this creek max out at a foot length. Had a pretty intense fight with it since i was using ultra light and netting it was a whole other task.

Searun Coastal Cutthroat

Read more about Searun Coastal Cutthroat.

Am I an idiot?

I’m headed to the island of Eleuthera, Bahamas in about 2 weeks. I’m a novice fly fisherman. I’ve been working on my casting up at my cabin for a couple summers and would say I’m a C+ to B-. I’ll be staying right on the ocean, Atlantic side near Governors Harbour.

Ocean fly fishing - gear recommendations

I want to go to baja to fly fish for marlin, tunas, dorados, roosterfish, etc.Where do you buy gear for thiskind of fishing? Cabela’s and bass pro rarely has any wt 11/12 rods. What is the right setup for rod, line, etc for this?

My Experience At The G&G Bonefish School

By Jason Tucker I could not have been more shocked to find myself in the Bahamas than if my spaceship had crashed there. The call came on Thursday. “Can you go to the Bahamas for a week?” “When?” “We leave Saturday.” I checked with my employer, girlfriend and bank account. For once in my life the answer was yes.

So You Wanna Run Down the Man?

Roosterfish(pez gallo) in my opinion, are by far one the hardest fighting and elusive fish that can be pursued with a fly rod.

Nymphing off the mothership

I was looking through old pictures from when I was guiding from a mothership in Oman. We would get schools of fish hanging out in our lights at night, and I figured out I could drift little flies to them in the tidal current.Pictured are a Lunar Fusilier, a black tip trevally, a striped fusilier, a flagtail, a wave Garrick/dart.

Seeking a Tarpon Guide - Destin FL

I’ll be in the Destin, FL area this June and would love the chance to target tarpon on the fly. So far, I’ve only found one charter that specifically offers tarpon fly fishing trips.

Best value saltwater fishing for ≈5k?

Planning a trip this spring/summer and trying to figure out the best bang for my buck.

When the trout don’t hit the snook do.

We live in WNC and typically can’t fish to much this time of year. But the fishing down in Florida when we went down there for the holidays was great! Caught this one on a really small ep bait fish pattern. Looked like an Everglades special.

Lil sand eel streamer

Weekend project. My best friend since childhood recently got into slow pitch jigging in saltwater. He asked if I could make him a sand eel imitating fly to replace the basic mylar teasers on his rig. Was excited to try because whatever fly I’d develop for myself should slay for his purposes.

BTT and Derek DeYoung License Plate Collaboration Supports Saltwater Conservation

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) is leading the charge in terms of warm water flats fishing conservation. Since its inception, BTT has been at the forefront of conservation, new research, and habitat restoration, all to benefit tarpon, bonefish, and permit.

Florida Sportsman - March 2026

Florida Sportsman is known well for featuring articles on all types of fishing, ranging from fly fishing and other types of inshore angling to fishing done in deeper ocean waters. These articles inform the magazines readers on what types of fish are in season…

From Lakes to Lagoons: Your Saltwater Survival Guide

From Tarpon to Techniques: Chasing Saltwater Dreams

From Freshwater to Salt: Navigating the Tides of Fly Fishing

Getting Hooked: The Essential Gear and Techniques for Saltwater Fly Fishing Newbies

From Freshwater Newbie to Saltwater Sage: Navigating the Flats

Saltwater Fly Fishing: From the Flats to the Deep Blue

Chasing Silver Dreams: The Allure of Saltwater Fly Fishing Adventures

Chasing the Grand Slam: Mastering the Saltwater Flats Experience

Chasing Silver Kings: Our Guide to Tarpon Adventures

Conservation Conversations: Safeguarding Our Waters and Fisheries

Mastering the Flats: Saltwater Fly Fishing Techniques and Adventures

Chasing the Big Ones: A Saltwater Fly Fishing Odyssey

First time fly fishing in the salt

Just came back from La Paz BCS. Hired a guide in Ensenada de Muertos for some fishing. We trolled lures for a few hours then Capt said change of plan and we hit the beach inside the lighthouse. He threw live sardines to get them frenzied and I cast into the fray, tuck the rod under my arm and two hand retrieve fast.

There are good days... and then there are giant Tarpon days 😎🇨🇷🇨🇷

Saltwater bug

Got my birthday present a little early. Headed out to the beach today. Make no mistake, I am as newbie as they come but I just couldn’t stay out of the water. 9ft rod, 9line, rio saltwater leader…just used the chartreuse fly today. Looked like a fool for the first 30 mins, but got to feeling it after that. Had one hit and miss but that feeling.

Sage Unveils Limited Edition Enforcer Grand Slam Reels: A Collector’s Dream for Flats Anglers

The three-model collection pays tribute to the legendary saltwater "Grand Slam"—the rare feat of landing a bonefish, permit, and tarpon in a single day.

Podcast: Trout, Tarpon, and Other Critters in Costa Rica, with Kevin Jackson

Did you know you can catch trout and tarpon in the same trip, along with exotic jungle species? I didn't either, but Kevin Jackson [42:22] of Fly Fish Costa Rica shares...