Saltwater fly fishing is by far my favorite hobby. The constant thrill of throwing long casts at big fish is one that I cannot ignore. Additionally, I am able to couple my hobby with my passion due to my background in marine science and my passion for marine. However, my first introduction to saltwater fishing came as a boy before I had developed the strong conservation ethic I follow today. Salt water fly fishing is part of my identity and it has frankly become an obsession. I only hope to grow my obsession and subsequent conservation of saltwater fish as I age.

My First Saltwater Fly Fishing Trip

My first fishing trip in salt water as a fly fisherman came the day after I turned 13. At this point I had been fishing since I was very young in both fresh and saltwater. However, I had only ever gone fly fishing on freshwater rivers and ponds and I had little idea of what saltwater fly fishing entailed.

My dad heard of an Orvis-endorsed outfitter in the Bahamas called H20 Bonefishing. After vigorous research along with the desire to embark on a long overdue father-son trip, he decided to pull the trigger and book us a week in the Bahamas to chase the coveted grey ghost. That trip changed my life.

Most importantly the first trip to the Bahamas marked my first trip out of the country. I fell in love with the Caribbean the moment I landed, and have been back several times since both as an angler and as a researcher. My dad and I were woefully unprepared for the rigors of this trip. We could both cast with relative decency, but we had spent so much time fishing for trout that we did not have the skill to cast into the Bahamian wind with an 8 weight rod consistently. Each of us also fell suspect to the treacherous “trout set” that so many anglers employ when targeting saltwater fish for the first time. Still we persevered and we each got one bonefish to the boat on the fly in our four days of fishing.

I would be remiss to not mention how frustrated I was as a 13 year old boy. I am sure my dad can attest to my grumpiness after a few of those days on the water. But it did not matter. I was hooked and my competitive nature could not be tempered. I had to have more of this action. The entire experience from sight casting to the fish – to feeling the weight of their tug on the end of the line – was enough to start a lifetime of obsession.

Improving as a Caster and Angler

Over the next several years I returned to the Bahamas and other tropical destinations with my dad. By the second time we went down I was 15 years old. I had grown more physically and mentally tougher to handle to rigors of this type of fishing. Not to mention both of our casts had significantly improved.

The next few times we went bonefishing we absolutely crushed it. The difference was primarily in our ability to cast. We each had solid understandings of fish behavior and best angling practices, but the hours we had put into practicing our casting afforded us more opportunities consistently. Those trips gave me confidence and gave me a vision for how I would like to live my angling life. Why continue catching 12-20 inch trout when I could chase 5-10 pound bonefish and other saltwater species?

Making the Leap

The saltwater fly fishing in the Pacific Northwest leaves much to be desired. Since my salt water fly fishing opportunities were limited, chasing saltwater fish remained somewhat mystical to me until I moved to New England for college and discovered the striped bass fishery.

I went on a couple chartered trips with my dad when I first arrived in New England and immediately fell in love with fishing for stripers. I threw myself into studying striper life history, migration patterns, and feeding. And of course I checked out videos from Orvis and other outlets to gain a better understanding of how to specifically fly fish for stripers as well.

Fly fishing for stripers was a slippery slope to targeting the plethora of other saltwater species New England has to offer. I rarely fish for trout anymore because I crave the need to make long casts for big fish. Not to mention I am a man who prefers the sea over the mountains and I feel at home when I am around saltwater.

Changing My Life

My entrance into saltwater fishing has truly changed my life. If it weren’t for saltwater fishing opportunities, it is likely I would have returned to the Pacific Northwest upon graduating college. Instead, I doubled down on my interest in saltwater fly fishing and it has truly become an obsession. It has kept me grounded in New England in a way that I would have never imagined and I am unsure that I will leave the region as long as the saltwater fisheries are in good shape.

Saltwater fly fishing has also afforded me numerous opportunities to engage with new communities of people and make new friends. I have met several people both on social media and in person who share my love for saltwater fly fishing. If you like big fish, big casts, and big water then saltwater fly fishing is for you.