Freshwater vs Saltwater Fly Fishing
Freshwater vs. Saltwater Fly Fishing
With summer in full swing, most likely you will be fishing in freshwater lakes or streams, although some of you will have access to a saltwater environment in which to do your fly fishing. Both fresh and saltwater hold many exciting adventures for fly rodders.

What are the differences with regards to fly rods, fly lines and fly reels? The 5, or 6-weight fly rod that you use for trout and bass in freshwater can be used for fishing some in-shore locations, depending on the size and type of fish that you are after. The 8-weight rod that you use in freshwater for northern pike, salmon, or steelhead is perfect for much of the wade fishing that you’ll be doing on the flats or from boats— depending on what size fish you’re fishing for.

Gear differences really come in when you head out to the deeper water fisheries. That’s where the denizens of the oceans reside, and you have to be prepared for them. When we, and our clients, fish in Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize for adult tarpon, big jack crevalle and large permit, San Diego for shark and Hawaii for giant trevally, we go equipped with at least 10-weight rods. Although, usually 11 and 12-weight rods are preferred. We specifically fish some of these destinations in the spring, so we are likely to encounter the 100+ pound Tarpon that migrate through the waters in Mexico, Cuba and Belize.

Just as with any other fly fishing, your reel must match your rod so that it balances the rod when you cast, and so that it can hold the weight of fly line that the rod requires. Therefore, the reels for saltwater fly fishing are much larger and stronger than the ones we use in freshwater. Fly lines, of course, must match the rod weight for the rod to cast well, so heavier rods require heavier fly lines, which may be floating, sinking-tip, or full-sinking lines.

A word of caution: all of your gear will need to be rinsed in fresh water after you fish the brackish water in estuaries or the saltwater farther out. Also make sure that your reels are anodized to help prevent the saltwater from corroding them. When at a lodge, we rinse our equipment in the “gear shower” as soon as we come off the water, and then, when back at home, we disassemble the reels and soak and rinse them in warm water in the bathroom sink to remove salt left in the nooks and crannies.
Many more fly fishers have been found enjoying both freshwater and saltwater fly fishing in recent years. It is not at all uncommon to hear of fly anglers traveling to trout fishing destinations in Canada and the United States during the summer months and then to warm settings like the Bahamas, Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica to fish for saltwater species during the winter. Those who live near saltwater probably also fish their local freshwater rivers or a favourite lake nearby.

Most fly fishers are eager to catch a new species, experience a new location, or experiment with new flies. Fishing lodges exist everywhere these days and make it easier for us to explore all that fly fishing has to offer.

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