Fishing:

Getting Started in BTBFF - Part III: What's in the Fly Box?

The Starter Fly Box

So what flies should you pick for that "starter" fly box? Here's how we would stock a good, all-around box:

• Clouser Minnows: Start with an assortment of Clouser Minnows in 2", 3", and 4", in black/purple, chartreuse/white, olive/white, blue/white, green/yellow, and red/yellow. Add pink if you are going after calicos. You can substitute Popovics Jiggies or Half-and-Halfs instead of traditional Clousers, if you want.
  
  
• Lefty's Deceivers: Next, add some Lefty's Deceivers in 3", 4", and 6", same colors as above. Be sure they have EYES; a little red Krystal Flash on the throat to simulate gills wouldn't hurt, either. You can substitute the Sar-Mul-Mac, Abel Anchovy, Tuna Kahuna, Mushmouth, or Sea Habits in place of Deceivers, if you want.
  
  
• Whistler or similar bulky fly: A bulky, high profile fly for dirty water or to simulate deeper bodied baits, in 2.5" and 4". Black, chartreuse/white, red/white/grizzly, grey/white.
  
  
• Catamaran Popper or Crease Fly: When the fish are on top, feed them a popper or other surface fly. A 3-4" Catamaran popper or Crease Fly fills the bill most of the time. Throw in some slightly smaller Crease Flies (2.5-3") to work on a sinking line. Commercially-tied Catamaran poppers are only available in yellow; buy your Crease Flies in blue chrome/silver, or green chrome/gold.
  
  
• Any squid fly mentioned earlier: Buy a few of these in 4" and 6" lengths, in white or brown

If you are going to be fishing for calico bass in rocky areas, add the following:

• Borski's Bonefish Slider: Buy these in Sizes 2 and 4, in tan and chartreuse
  
  
• Creature fly: Some creature flies around 3-4", such as the Jetty Fly or the Sea-Ducer, in red, red/orange, brown, pink
  

If you are going after sharks, add:

• Generic large streamer: 6" or longer; yellow or orange, for sharks. Minimal need for flash, the fly can be mostly feathers or hair.

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"J", "Circle" or "Jig"

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Hooks, that is. The majority of commercially tied flies are tied on traditional "J" hooks, although a growing number are being tied on either circle hooks (point turned in) or 60 degree jig hooks.

Why deviate from the "J" hook? There are basically two reasons:

• Most fish that are injured by gut hooking are hooked on "J" hooks. Circle hooks tend to hook the fish in the corner of the jaw (the jaw hinge point), as long as the circle is flat (not offset). Circle hooks with an offset point will gut hook fish at the same rates as "J" hooks.
  
  
• Flies tied on 60 jig hooks tend to ride point up, and snag less than "J" hooks. They tend to hook fish in the roof of the mouth, or in the corner, like a circle hook.

Circle hooks require a different approach to hooking the fish. Rather than trying to hook the fish using a strip strike or using the butt of the rod, circle hooks are set by simply continuing to strip line steadily. No jerks. When the line comes really tight, the hook can be set normally, but it's usually not needed. Jig hooks can be set with the usual strip strike or with the rod butt.

Finding commercially-tied flies on circle or jig hooks used to be extremely difficult. However, they are becoming more common, and if you tie your own flies, you should definitely consider tying some using these types of hooks. We tie all of our Clousers on 60 degree jig hooks, as well as almost all flies that might be fished in kelp.

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En Guard

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If you are going to be fishing in kelp or in rocky areas, some of your flies should have a weedguard, or be tied on jig hooks. Mono loops, nylon bristle, or single-strand wire will all work, and each have their proponents.