Yellowtail snapper is an excellent species for a fly fisherman ready to fish deep.
January 13, 2025
By Mike Conner
Conventional tackle anglers, and too many fly fishers, mistakenly chalk off fly fishing as a “topwater” technique. But it’s not really that limited. For fish that either make their living in deeper water, or fish that occasionally hole up well under the surface due to myriad reasons—cold water and hot water in particular—fly fishing works if you fish a sinking line.
Sinking lines are available with various sink rates. The slowest rate can be had with both clear and opaque coated intermediate lines. The clear intermediates are the most popular of the two. These clear lines sink at a rate of one inch to an inch-and-a-half per second (IPS). In cases where you want to fish a fly near bottom in over 4 feet, it’s better to pick a line with a 4- to 6-inch sink rate. (Check the box for the IPS sink rate). There are numerous brands to choose from, for rods in the 6- to 12-weight class, suitable for Florida fishing.
Two Sinking Line Scenarios Chum-line fishing calls for sinking lines. Spanish mackerel and bluefish inshore, and bonito and kingfish nearshore, readily come into chum lines and take flies from a few feet under the surface to greater depths. These species rise to the top when “fired up” by blood chum, frozen glass minnows and live baitfish, but the sinking line is still king.
At anchor, peak tidal current will attract more fish, but you’ll be casting down-current from the boat, and your line will tend to rise toward the top, so a medium- to fast-rate sinking line is best. Just make a short to medium cast and allow the fly and line to be carried back by the current, keeping light line-hand contact on your line to detect a pickup.
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Fish will take a dead-drifting fly, just as they take chum scraps.
As you strip your fly, if no strike occurs, simply shake loose fly line from the deck through your guides, allow it to drift back and repeat the process. Six feet of leader, including class and bite tippet, is sufficient.
Spanish mackerel caught on a fly. When fly fishing on foot at the beach close to the sand, a floating line would hinder you if the surf is up or seaweed is present. The floating line gets tossed around when there is wind wave action, or a swell, ruining the action of your fly. Floating lines also “corral” loose seaweed and funnel it to your fly.
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Most experienced surf fly fishers prefer an intermediate sinker, this writer included. However, fly fishers are starting to see the utility in going to faster sinking lines. When snook are cruising parallel to the beach at mid water column or just above bottom where it’s over two to three feet deep, it’s paramount to get your fly (one with lead dumbbell eyes such as a Clouser) ahead of them and down to their level quickly. A medium to fast sinking line settles to bottom, unseen by the fish as they get to your fly. And your leader should be in the 6- to 9-foot range, including heavy bite tippet.
Casting Adjustments Fly fishers quickly realize that sinking lines behave differently than floaters on the cast. They have relatively higher density, and low diameter compared to floaters of equal rod weight. That makes them travel faster (higher line speed) and “turn over” more abruptly as they straighten at the end of the forward cast before falling to the water surface.
It’s advisable to “open your loop” a bit to prevent the top of the loop from crashing into the bottom of the loop, which can cause “wind” knots in your leader. To do that, don’t come to a hard stop at the end of the backcast and beginning of the forward cast. Your sinking line, leader and fly will take a more circular path in the air, resulting in a better cast. And, of course, you will have to retrieve the fly pretty close to the rodtip before making your pickup, unlike with a floating line.
This story was featured in the December-January 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe .
