Salt water fly fishing

[davesilva]

Heading to st Lucia in August
I know it's not too renound for fly fishing like the Florida keys but I will be doing some morning shore fishing looking for fish crusing near the shore

Now my question is should I use my 8 WT?

And just the floating line that I have on it?

And what type of leaders would be good as a general salt water leader

Just the rio saltwater leaders?


And as for flys im thinking the larger bait fish type flys
Bright colored clouser minnows etc basically my pike streamers I use


What do you guys/gals think?

[ÜberFly]

Deceivers, Clousers, and other bait fish patterns (with synthetic materials) should be fine. Pick up some crab patterns and gotchas (shrimp patterns) if you will be fishing the flats. Make sure they have a salt water hook though (rinse after use). 8 weight will work, but I would suggest a Salt Specific line as the heat will wreak havoc on fresh water lines (rinse after use). I would buy some salt tippet to go with your salt leaders.

P

[Kingfisher]

An 8 wt is more than adequate for most salt water fishing. That is until you hook a permit a GT, or a tarpon. Then all bets are off.

I have used a regular dry line each and every time I have gone to the tropics. I have never had a problem with it.

As for leader I use either 12# or 15# floro straight from the fly line as a leader. I have never had a problem with it.

I buy the 200 yard spool of Seaguars Inviz X florocarbon. Only $23 for a 200 yard spool at BP.

[Okotokian]

Used my 8wt in Mexico on bonefish, etc. Worked fine. However, get a bonefish or other line made for the tropics. They are stiffer than lines made for here as the heat makes our lines go limp and floppy. Once home take it off to await your next trip down south. Clousers and other shrimp imitators are good. Just set strip like crazy, way more and harder than you think you should.

You can also use your regular fishing rod and tackle, spoons, jugs, etc. See that more often off the beach than flyrods, which are more common on the flats.