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Flies for Rip Trip

2K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Craig 
#1 ·
Is there any other flies I should tie for the Rip Trip beside the Deep Sand Eel?
 
#2 ·
Sometimes I think it's more important that you just have the discipline to let your line sink before starting your strip than what kind of fly you have on. That's where Nate & I started dreaming up the Barbie & baby doll fly ideas last year.

(Where the hell is Nate?)

Hawkeye has great success with squid (pink, oarnge). I always want to start throwing everyhting else I have in my fly box (big herring & mackeral patterns) but I'm never able to break myself away from the fishing to change flies.

One thing I ran into this year - tippet/ leader material.
1. I was using a 30# mono butt section with 12# fluro tippet - loop to loop connectoin. THe loops grabbed too much mung so I went to just the 12# fluoro - 5 ft section.

2. I've never had a tippet break out there until this year - 3 times and then I went up to 20# fluoro. Hell I've even landed an anchor out there...

Just my $.02

Best of luck to you all!!

Roop
 
#3 ·
Roop (veteran) offers great advice. I hope the Estey's are going to be out there as well(?) Bring some of everything, but make sure you bring some flies that are bright. My interpretation of bright is a strip of chartreuse and some flash, or sparkleflash on the back, but Gregg's squid are bright flouro pink and stand out in the rip visually. They work.

The best advice is that the presentation is similar to winter steelheading in deep winter without the rocks... s-l-i-d-e the fly as deep as you can get it right on the bottom, there is so much current a ten pound anchor won't hold so believe me stripping fast will only bring the fly to the top.

Jolt the line occasionally with the strip hand to send out a pulse, but the fly should be fished beneath the current. As you know the current is slowest on the top and on the bottom. In the middle it is very forceful. The bass are working their way along the easement of water that the bottom contour provides. The fly must be presented in this soft current layer right on the sand. I like the addage - try to catch a crab, but not literally. If you actually do it means the current is too soft for this technique.

I showed Gregg and Mike this steelhead-esque presentation for stripers at the Outer Limits Clave in '99. They ran back to get sand eel flies from their truck and went from zero to non-stop action in the surf. I was on my 20th fish or something like that then, but you know the Estey's - they soon left me in the dust!



Last year prior to the rip trip they kayaked out to the point (yes, you heard right) to scout the area for us and reported that they scored well with the swing on the tip's rip, thus I dubbed this presentation the "Estey Swing" and the name stuck. This tip led us to the bonanza we had.

In any case, once the rip forms heavy make sure you use a high-density line and keep the fly in the soft stratus just above or on the sand, and jolt the fly with one hand to send out the "I'm alive" signal.

Criag is the chaperone and his role is to help everyone understand how to get fish in the rip.

Last tip: also feed the line out of the basket before the end of the swing to extend the presentation, you often get hit during the hang-down (common steelheaders term for extra straight down presentation at the end).

GOOD LUCK!
 
G
#4 ·
The last Trip I had good success with a chartrusess clouser, tied with three chartrusess grizzlie hackles for the tail, white buck tail for the belly, chartrusess buck tail for the top of the body, and barbell for eyes. The key was to tye it sparsely. I use this fly almost exclusively before the Rip set up when scouting the beach. When the rip set up I went to the deep sea eel, fished as discribed above. You must be "one with the bottom", let the fly sink and twich it on the swing.
 
#5 ·
Yes, be "One with the Bottom" grasshopper!

I would concur with all of the above & say presentation is everything. Couple of weeks back I switched lines to the teeny 625 but forgot to change the fly - 5 inch flatwing sandeel pattern. Didn't make any difference - first cast Wallop! I figured the bigger the better so switched to an 8 inch flatwing in squid colors which worked fine.

Oh, and I did catch a crab!

Sometimes the takes can be very subtle - my advice would be hit everything - if nothing connects just let the current do it's thing and your back in business. It took me a while to figure that out and I must have missed 20+ before it clicked. Just my 2c.

Have an awesome time guys!
 
G
#6 ·
Just an additional note, after making your cast, mend your line up current until the majority or all of your fly line is out. This gives the fly time to sink and get down to the bottom before it starts the swing.
 
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