British Saltwater Flyfishing.

Almost everyone who fly-fishes British seas does so from the shore. Catches range from tiddlers up to about ten pounds. Reservoir, sea trout, or grilse tackle can be used for the first trip or so, eventually you'll reserve a set of tackle for the job.

Here are three first articles written in 1995. They're written to guide the newcomer to saltwater flyfishing in British conditions. Probably the hardest thing is to make that first step. Once you've caught a few you won't feel so silly waving a fly rod at the surf

I do like to be beside the seaside.
Stranger on the shore.
Channel your efforts.

There's a certain amount of general knowledge that regular sea anglers already know, but which freshwater flyfishers may not at first consider.

Tides.
Hints.
Planning.

Season

The Season for saltwater flyfishing starts in the early summer. June sees the first of the year's fry inshore in their millions. They are tiny, and to be honest they're too small to imitate. Even if you did the fish you're after don't need to chase your lure, all they have to do to fill their stomachs is swim around with their mouth's open.

By the end of June the fry are about as big as a size 10 hook, now you can begin to catch on a small Gold-Ribbed Crab's Ear or a Supertough Fry. From now on the fry will grow and larger lures will become useful. In September the fishing begins to peak and 2 inch lures are about right. By the end of October they'll need to be over three inches long but the fish will be eager to feed before winter and their prey is getting hard to catch.

The fishing slows in November, but there may be fish inshore at odd times until January. The only month in which I have not caught is March. April is chancy, May often brings a better stamp of fish but now you may have to use 6 inch tandems or longer.

Storms

Sea fish are not affected much by the weather. If you can find somewhere safe from huge waves and savage gusts then the fish may still oblige.

You need heavy tackle, I often use my salmon rod. You might be wise to roll cast, back casts are at the mercy of the gale and accidents do happen.

Estuaries are fine until the flush of floodwater pushes sea fish offshore. Elsewhere seaweed is uprooted by heavy seas and tangles the line. It's full of food of course, even in crashing surf fish come within a rodlength of the shore to scavenge in the seaweed piles lifted by the tide. Prolonged rain muddies the water round the entire coast and fish move offshore until it settles. When they return, they're hungry...