Advice needed - recommended saltwater flies for Cape Cod in mid August?

[Kurt]

Hi guys. I'm asking for some advice from any of you saltwater guys on fly patterns, primarily. I'm going to be in Cape Cod (family vacation/first time there) beginning August 20th for a week. I'm very inexperienced in saltwater, and willing to target anything that's catchable there and then, but I'd really like to tangle with some stripers, and anything else I can get into. I'm not overly hung up on the size of the fish...schoolies would be fun, and anything beyond that would be a bonus. Likely I'll be fishing from shore and probably wander fairly aimlessly; I just don't have the time to prepare for the trip as I'd like to, so I'll have to hope for a lot of luck, I'd imagine.

I'd like to be semi-prepared with necessary flies, and after a bit of research, I'm overwhelmed as far as possible patterns. Can anyone sort through all of that and cut to the chase for me? A reasonable list of flies/colors/sizes would be so helpful to me.

I appreciate any advice related to this post, from anyone knowledgeable. Hopefully I can return the favor.

Thanks!

Kurt

[Salter]

Kurt,

I grew up on the Cape (Wellfleet) and know it well. Couple of Questions - Where are you staying on the Cape? Do you want to spring for a guide/boat or do you want to go at it solo? How much time do you want to spend chasing Bass/Blues? Are you fishing alone or do you have kids that will be with you?

Michael

[Kurt]

Hi, Salter...thanks for the quick response. We're staying in Hyannis, I believe (wife booked the trip, and I've been too busy to ask too many questions of her...normally I'm not this clueless). I was considering booking a guide for one outing. I do have the family coming; wife and two young girls. I usually try and sneak out at least 3 or 4 times during a week stay, even if it's just for a couple of hours or so, but this is the first time I've really been able to get to a really fishy ocean area during a time when there may actually be some fish there. I did catch a handful of schoolie stripers and piles of shad last summer during evenings, fishing from the shore near Rehobeth Beach on Clousers. I've caught fish, also, in Cape May NJ fishing from the jetties near dark (not stripers though).

I hope this info helps. Thanks!

[SlowNDeep]

I am not an accomplished salt water flyfisher but have had success with Blues and Stripers using Decievers and Clousers.

All white, white with (chartreuse, dark blue, green, grey, or black) and black Deceivers at night.

Here is a site I came across a long time ago which describes a bunch of places to fish from shore. Dont know if much has changed in recent years.

http://www.flyfishing-the-salt.com/secrets.html

[Salter]

Kurt,

Since you are staying in the Mid-Cape area I would try the fishing the Bass River in Yarmouth, or Scorton Creek in Sandwich, both are good spots for the wading flyfishermen. Fish the outlet where both rivers dump into the sound/bay. Early morning and evening are the best bets on the first 2/3 hours of a falling tide (I don't have a tide chart in front on me so check the high/low tides in the local paper) If you fish Scorton Creek you may also have a shot at Sea-run Brown Trout that are often caught while targeting schoolie Stripers. SlowNdeep is right on for flies. In August night time is the best time for bigger Stripers, fish all Black flies S-L-O-W, you might be surprised by a BIG Striper!

Here are two good websites with info on Fly Fishing the Cape:

http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/cgi...ultimatebb.cgi

http://reel-time.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=3

And here is a plug for a friend of mine, Jeff Smith who IMHO is a great giude! He also runs the first website, flyfishsaltwaters.

http://www.finaddiction.com/index.html

Good luck
Michael

[Kurt]

Thanks for all advice, guys. I'm trying to do quick research on a subject that probably doesn't suit itself to "quick". I'll heed all advice here.

On the flies...what sizes are most important, and what sizes then are secondary to that, but may be necessary? I need to order Saltwater hooks...that's the reason for this question. I'm a freshwater guy primarily (Pennsylvania), and there's no sense buying a box of 50 #4/0 hooks if I don't need them otherwise.

So I can assume that bucktail, marabou, and saddle feathers can be the mainstay of the patterns? I spent half the day staring at EP fibers, FishHair, 20 different grades of flashy mylar fibers...and a hundred other things, and my mind is spinning.

[SlowNDeep]

Bucktail, saddle, and a few strands of flashy suff here and there. Of course, you CAN use fish hair EP stuff, or any other awesome materials out there. But for one trip and your first experience, tie with what you've got - you'll do fine if you find fish.

I think my bigger decievers are 1/0, maybe 2/0, and my smaller Clousers are size 6 or 8. You can really go crazy, but a few sizes/colors of each should be OK.

Bring some big Muddlers if the Sea runs are around - they love Muddlers (and broke back brown Rapalas), I think they look like mummichubs.

[JUICE]

Wow guys, thanks for the quick and EXTREMELY thorough answers. Kurt has been a great friend to TPO and thanks for returning the favor! I knew I could count on you guys! Wish I could help one bit, but I would be totally in the woods.

[Kurt]

Thanks so much, guys. I appreciate the help. I needed advice to help me "cut to the chase" to help me catch a few fish on what is really a family trip. I'll let you know how I do. If anyone else wants to chime in with anything helpful, I'll be checking the thread for a while.

On another, unrelated note...the Fly Fishers Paradise forum, a fairly longstanding an HUGE forum in PA based in the limestone regions of PA was recently aborted due to misuse and abuse by many of the users. The store (which I am not connected to, btw) who managed the site as a service for users to share information, etc., got tired of constant fighting and general nastiness, and closed it down. The fact that it's been closed down shows us everything that can be wrong about a forum. This forum, although I'm new here, seems to have a good bunch of guys, and jumping through the threads the smallish amount that I've had time to, bears that out. Keep up the good words, fellows.

Once again, I thank you for your help.

Hi, Juice! Thank you for the kind words, too! I hope to return any favors to any of you in the future.

Kurt

[Troutbum from Griswold]

Your standard flies i.e clousers and decievers are fine. However, DON'T forget your sand eel patterns specifically to imitate a sand eel. I have 2 great sand eel patterns. Here's one of them. If you tie, take a size 6 hook. Wrap body with pearl body braid. Simply tie sparse white bucktail in at the head. Then tie in some rainbow colored flashabou at the head, sparse. Then top it off with sparse tan bucktail at the head. Make them ranging from 2 inches to 6 inches. Sand eels have a tendancy to be longer on the Cape than in LI Sound. Simple but deadly pattern especially if your on a flat. Tight ones..............