Hot Patterns:
Tomaso's Jetty Fly

Text and Photos by Craig Smith

How about a fly that imitates a lure?

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Background

Summary & Tying Notes

Tying Instructions

Fishing Notes

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Fishing Notes

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  (Click for larger image)
  This fly pattern was intended to be worked around structure, particularly rocks and kelp. The fly has also caught fish when bounced on the bottom. To date, it does not seem to be as effective for calicos in open water. Calico bass chasing bait in open water tend to favor baitfish imitations.
  
  
• We like to fish this pattern in the ‘trees’, often drifting through the kelp forest and plopping it into holes in the kelp or lanes between kelp stringers.
  
  
• The fly is heavy and wind resistant. We like to use a 9 wt. or heavier rods and shooting heads or integrated lines of at least 350 grains to cast this fly. A 10 wt. with a 400 to 450 grain head is nice for the larger sizes. The heavier rods are also useful to muscle fish away from rocks or through the kelp.
  
  
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  Tom Phillips with a
  Jetty Fly friend
  (Click for larger image)
  When drifting through the kelp, we often make short lob casts to likely spots. These casts may be as short as 20 feet. Strikes will often come on the sink. If you intentionally make a cast that dumps, or make a tuck cast, you will end up with slack line near the point that the fly entered the water. This slack allows the fly to free fall vertically. Watch the leader and end of the line for jumps or twitches that may indicate a strike. Calico bass will often dart out from under the kelp canopy and grab the fly.
  
  
• The fly performs best when connected to the leader with a loop knot.
  
  
• Experiment with retrieves. I like a stop and go retrieve of various speeds, with pops and pauses
  
  
• Don’t be afraid to use larger sizes. A 12” calico can inhale a 6” Jetty Fly tied on a 3/0 hook.