When I transitioned from spinning to fly, I was overwhelmed by the multitude of options for rods, reels, and lines.  Like spinning gear, there is no one fly rod, reel, and line for all species, spots, and conditions.

For rods, I would recommend St. Croix Avid Series or Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO).  There are not shortage of fly reels on the market.  I would strongly suggest taking a look at Lamson reels.  For lines, I like products produces by Scientific Anglers (e.g. Mastery Series Streamer Express).

In terms of presentations, there is no greater diversity than flies.  I keep my fly box populated with proven flies.  For example, when targeting striped bass I cast Lefty Deceivers, Clouser Minnows, Half-and-Halfs, and sand eel patterns.

Casting a fly via fly rod is not magic; it’s a skill. And like any other skill, it can be learned and mastered. A great learning resource is the Lefty Kreh on Fly Casting DVD.

When targeting large predatory fish in shallow and calm water under the blanket of darkened, a fly rod is a great tool of choice because you can place a tasty fly in the strike zone without spooking the fish.  Add a fly rod to your arsenal! 😉

The first two striped bass that I landed on an artificial presentation were on a plug and teaser rig. The first fish hit the fly teaser! The second fish hit the plug!! The bigger of two fish hitthe teaser!!! The most commonly used teaser rig has a 12 to 16 inch segment of monofilament or fluorocarbon line tied to the same swivel eye as the plug line. This rig helped me land my first two fish on artificials. But, when when the wind picks up or when the surf is rough, the teaser line tends to wrap around the main line (especially braided lines).

I now use a teaser rig with a dropper loop. This rig casts better and keeps the teaser from tangling on the main line. The key is to use a teaser hook with an eye large enough to pass a 50 – 80 pound monofilament or fluorocarbon loop. Most flies on the market have hooks with small eyes. I have am now leaning how to tie my own flies: Lefty Deceiver, Clousser Minnow, and Half And Half.

Tony Stezko landed his 73 pound striped bass from the Nuasset surf on a black fly teaser just ahead of an eel. Teasers catch fish! Give them a try!! 😉