I'm a greenhead, i mean horn

[rckrego]

Hey- I'm totally new to this. I've been fly fishing for 17 years, and surf fishing for longer, and just never put the two together. I recently got into two-handed fly fishing and that led me to the surf. I have no idea what I'm doing. Can anyone point me in the direction of some good resources to learn quickly? Is the equivalent to a 9 weight enough rod? How does one go about fishing the bays, sounds, estuaries, intercoastal? Do I need intermediate, sinking or sink tip line? HELP!

[venture]

Apply all your surf skills in the finding fish and present them a fly instead of a lure. For starters, it is as simple as that. Nothing fancy needed except for a stripping basket fastened to your waste so your line will not become tangled.

Depending upon the conditions, an 8 - 10 weight single handed rod with a floating line is all you need for most shore casting. You can land a decent fish on even a 5 weight, although you usually match the rod to conditions rather than the size of the fish. Lines are easy. Fish first with a floating line as it will be easier to handle from the shore line. Getting fancy with intermediates or sinking tips will only complicate matters at first and not be necessary in most shore line fishing.

Use short leaders ( 7 - 9 feet) with a 10 - 15 pound tippet matched to the size of the fly. Good flies to start with are 3" - 5" deceiver types in white/blue, white/green, or all white or all yellow. Black or darker colors are also good sometimes especially at night. You can get fancy later.

There are many books on fly fishing the north east shorelines. Get one and read it. The spring is coming. Many north shore exposures are filled with migrating bass. The north shore exposures are usually fly fishing friendly, with the water being calmer and the prevailing winds at your back...... Good Luck