WHERE AND HOW TO FISH
If I don’t see any obvious bird activity from the open coast, I typically start off by targeting deep holes or tide rips. Obstructions such as large rocks will hold fish because of the bait congregation. Favoured locations also include sandbars, rips on the incoming and outgoing tides, inshore reefs, gutters and gullies.
Small jetties or similar manmade structures can be great learning grounds to make fishing easier for new starters in fly-fishing . It’s not necessary to fish off the very end, but instead
concentrate on the back-eddies on their inside corners.
If you are fishing a surf beach with heavier rollers, try to anticipate the waves and cast just before the last in a set of three. You should cast over the top of that last wave to have a period of line control. Alternatively, wade out and cast down tide, or even back to the beach, again to improve line control.
Pointing the rod tip into the water, particularly when using an intermediate line, can improve contact with the fly.
Alternatively, casting back to, or along the shore can be effective, providing you are casting from a safe wading point.
When fishing from rocks, follow the same safety precautions as if you were lure fishing. Studded boots and a light lifejacket are a must, as well as splash proof/dry wear. Be mindful to monitor the size of that seventh wave.
I recommend a light backpack for rock hopping. If you are going to use a fly-vest, do not overload it as a matter of safety should you be unfortunate enough to fall in the sea.
Again, if the tide is moving left to right, cast to the left. Judge the ideal time to leave the fly to sink before stripping back. Change your strip speed constantly until you find the right one.
One of my favourite set-ups for the rocks would include a sink tip fly-line to match the rod rating, where the front end (10ft or so) sinks at around three inches per second. Avoid using a full-sinking line because you will eventually lose your fly to the rocks. Attach the end of the fly-line to a maximum of 3ft of at least 20lb fluorocarbon or monofilament.