With their snapping teeth and take-no-prisoner attitudes, bluefish have delighted fly anglers from Maine to Florida for many years. These chum grinders with tails have given more than one angler his first taste of saltwater fly fishing . . . myself included.
Living on the Outer Banks for the last 25 years, I've met countless blitzing, jumbo bluefish. Back in the '70s and '80s, when the big bluefish showed up everything stopped on the island. Businessmen in suits rolled up their trouser legs, and carpenters dropped their tool bags in the sand, joining surf fisherman as they chased blues down the beach. Opportunities like these naturally led the adventurous to try the fly rod.
As the Atlantic waters cool, croakers, gray trout, menhaden and other fish move south for the winter. While on their journey south it is quite possible they'll be ambushed by the snapping teeth of jumbo bluefish. Whether it happens in the surf or in 50 feet of water, it's quite a show to behold: half eaten fish, screeching birds, and fish beaching themselves to get away from gnashing teeth. Tossing a fly into the middle of this melee is as close you're going to get to fly-fishing Nirvana.
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