One of the most common questions that is asked upon me as a fly-fishing guide is "which saltwater fly patterns are most effective for catching stripers, blue's weakfish, and false albacore along the New Jersey coast". With an overwhelmingly wide array of fly patterns being stocked in today's cutting edge fly shops, the average angler is faced with a number of options on what to purchase. One look at all the flashy new patters stacked neatly in their bins will temp ever the most frugal angler to drop a few hundred bucks in a matter of minutes. Don't "sell the farm" just yet! For one of the most commonly practiced mistakes that most flyrodder will face at one time or another during their many "seasons in the suds" will inevitable be not having the right assortment of flies for the current situation. Most of the time along the Jersey coast we have more than one particular baitfish prevalent in our waters. Because of this, the savvy angler must be prepared with an assortment of effective saltwater flies that will get the job done regardless of what the fish are feeding on. Rather than stocking your fly box with patters that catch more fishermen than fish, here are seven patterns that are proven effective and a must for every flyfisher's box.

1. The "Surf Candy"

We begin with the Surf Candy not because it is on the top of the list but rather because its inventor, Bob Popovics, revolutionized the fly tying industry with his keen knowledge and understanding of realistically imitating baits. Bob's ingenious breakthroughs with the use of epoxy and synthetic materials have changed the way in which we fish. His designs combine a simplistic approach with and effective outcome - catching more fish. Period. The beauty of the Surf Candy lies in its "match the hatch" ability. When slender baits such as spearing and rainfish are around, this fly gets the job done. The fly is composed of a synthetic material called Ultra (or Super) Hair that adds a translucent appearance much like these slender baits. In addition to its translucent appearance, the fly also has an epoxy head that gives it a more realistic shape and definition. Add all of these factors together and what do we have? A fly that is identical to its matching baits, durable, and foul proof. When choosing colors for the Candy, I have found that natural baitfish colors work best. Olive over white or tan over white should be the colors of choice.

2. The Clouser Minnow

The Clouser Minnow, or Clouser Deep Minnow, was invented by fly tier Bob Clouser. The fly was originally developed to catch smallmouth bass at Bob's home along the Susquehanna River in Central Pennsylvania. Little did Bob know that his design would become one of the most widely used saltwater flies in the world. No other fly has caught as many different saltwater species today as the Clouser. But is it effective along the Jersey Shore? Absolutely. The beauty of the Clouser minnow lies in its use of weighted dumbbell eyes. Hence, the "deep minnow". Like the Surf Candy, the Clouser best emulates smaller, slender baits. Because the weighted dumbbell eyes are tied on top of and toward the front of the hook shank, the fly does two things that most other do not. To begin with the fly swims hook point up which makes it virtually snag free. More importantly however, its weighted eyes allow the fly to "dart and sink" when stripped. These up and down movements give the fly a "third dimension" that drives fish crazy. Its directional movements emulate injured baitfish thus creating an easy target for wary gamefish. Because the fly is tied in lengths from one to eight inches, it is important to clarify which size is best for our waters. I have found that Clouser's in the three-inch range do the most damage. In addition to size color is also important. Chartreuse over white is the first choice. Followed by all white.

3. The Lefty Deceiver

Lefty Kreh, the originator of the Lefty Deceiver, has given more to the sport of saltwater flyfishing than any person has. His fly, the Lefty Deceiver, is not so much a fly pattern as it is a fly design or concept. The fly can be tied to imitate baits from one inch in length to one foot in length. Tied sleek and slender it can imitate sand eels, silversides or rainfish. When tied long and wider in profile, it can emulate bunker, herring, snapper blues, or hickory shad. For the waters of New Jersey, and to round out our "seven effective flies", we choose the latter, larger version of this well proven design. A Lefty Deceiver in the eight to ten-inch range will cover our bases when these larger baits a prevalent. Don't be afraid to throw this fly when waters seem dormant of baits. It is a well-proven fact the big fish love big flies. One point that should be noted when casting these larger flies;
Slow your casting speed down a bit to allow the fly to extend threw your loop. A fly of this size will challenge our casting abilities by creating much greater wind resistance than our smaller patterns.

Extend your casting arm further in both directions and end with and abrupt stop in movement to give the fly momentum in the air. If casting speeds and movements do not directly correspond with your line extension the rod will not load properly, thus restricting the power needed to throw the fly. Color choices for the "larger" Lefty Deceiver should be two-toned darker backs with white or yellow bodies.

4. The Jiggy

My favorite of the seven, another of Popovics designs, is the "Jiggy" fly. I started using the Jiggy with my client's three years ago and was greatly rewarded. Close to seventy percent of all the fish that we caught last season came on this new innovative pattern. This fly dives, darts, and dashes much like the smaller baits that infest our waters. Bounced slowly of the bottom it looks just like a sand eel burring itself on the ocean floor. Stripped with a longer more erratic technique and the Jiggy looks identical to and injured spearing. When using a faster two-handed retrieve I have seen false albacore and bonito change course to devour this fly. The beauty of this pattern lies again in Bob's approach to its design. Simple yet effective. By using a weighted, cone-shaped head directly at the tip of the fly's head, all of the weight is evenly transferred to the front creating the up and down motion. Because the cone head is weighted and permanent on the hook it can never break off of the fly. All of the materials (either bucktail or synthetic hair) are tied on the bottom of the hook shank forcing to fly to ride hook point up and snag free. The eyes are epoxied to the fly directly where the cone-head meets the materials making it durable and strong. As far as colors go, chartreuse over white and Yellow over white seemed to have been the hottest this year.

5. The Siliclone

The early fall along the New Jersey coast triggers the infamous mullet run. If you have never witnessed this spectacular event, you are truly missing out on what fishing along the Jersey Shore is all about. This spectacular event creates heart-pounding excitement from Sandy Hook to Cape May. It is the beginning of our fall season and the "wake up" call for our resident linesiders. Hooking up during this time of year however, can be frustrating if you do not have the right fly. Because the mullet's shape is so unique, gamefish will zone in on a profile and movement that is only emulated by this particular bait. Shaped much like to human finger, the fly must have a full, rounded profile.

Again, Popovics delivers the identical match. The Silicone head creates the rounded profile and gives the fly the "broad" appearance needed to emulate this bait. Underneath the silicone Bob uses trimmed fleece. The silicone acts as a "trap" to ensure no air or water penetrates the inside fleece. When choosing colors all white is the choice by day and black at night. A Black Siliclone is without a doubt the most deadly fly along the Jersey Shore at Night.

6. The Half and Half

What do you get when you combine the Clouser Minnow and the Lefty Deceiver? Probable one of the most versatile, effective saltwater flies of all time. Bob Clouser and Lefty Kreh combined efforts to bring us the half Lefty Deceiver half Clouser Minnow fly. This fly is second on my list for most effective behind the Jiggy. It is important to understand however, that for our fishing these flies both represent different classes of baits. I use the Jiggy for the smaller more slender baitfish. The half & half however, should be used for matching mid-sized baits. What makes this fly so deadly is its combination of weighted eyes and longer saddle hackles. When retrieved, the fly creates an action in the water like no other. The Clouser "dumbbell" eyes give the fly the up and down motion while the feathers create a "fluttering" effect similar to that of a baits tail. Now, we have a fly that moves both "up and down" and "side to side". When large pods of bait like peanut bunker are packed tightly together in pods, You need a fly that will get underneath the school and flutter downward to the bottom like an injured target. Creating this point of difference in this situation will provide an easy target for stripers, blues, and weakfish. The fly should range in length from four to six inches. Effective colors are olive over white and chartreuse over white.

7. Bob's Banger

No Saltwater fly box is complete with out an effective topwater popper. Once again the nod goes to Popovics for his deadly creation. Bob's Banger does exactly what is implicated in its name - bang, bang, and more bang! Taking fish off the surface is one of the greatest thrills in the sport, and the Banger always delivers when fish are feeding on top. The beauty of this fly in relation to other poppers is the fact that it is designed to be "tier" friendly. No paints, glue's epoxy, or specialty tools are required. It is assembled on the tying bench in minutes. Using a two handed steady retrieve will product the greatest results. Colors? They are limitless. But silver holograph and white will always drive em' wild.

Well there you have it. Seven of the most effective saltwater flies for the Jersey coast. All of these patterns are readily available at our local New Jersey fly shops. Lighted up your load next season and give these patterns a try.