Striper Mix
Among the many great attributes of the striped bass is that it can be caught all season long in all kinds of water. And they like to eat. Not that the odds are necessarily in the angler’s favor, but let’s say the angler has many options. This fly collection is meant to provide a number of options across a variety of circumstances. When targeting stripers, these are the flies we tie on first.
Twiggy
This fly caught more fish for us over the last few seasons than any other fly – hands down. It’s a gurgler variation that we originally designed for albies. On its first voyage, this fly caught an albie while blind casting. Since then, it’s worked on every species, everywhere. Fish a gurgler slow, with a subtle twitch. And prepare for an explosion.
Poppers
These poppers are noisy flies that will call in fish and elicit explosive topwater hits. They’re just a whole lot of fun to fish. Sometimes, especially with larger poppers, stripers will smack the fly with their tail first (to stun the “baitfish”), then circle back and take it in one big gulp. Twice the fun. 1 large and 1 medium popper per box.
Epoxy Sand Eel
Sand eels are the most common bait found in our fishery. They’re a staple in the striper diet. Even when stripers are feeding on something else, they will always recognize sand eels as good food. When in doubt, tie on a sand eel pattern.
Surf Candy
The most common “minnow” in our fishery is the Atlantic Silverside, sometimes also called Spearing. Like the sand eel, they can be found pretty much anytime, anywhere. If a sand eel doesn’t get a hit, try this next.
Deceiver
Deceivers are a great choice when the fish are keyed on peanut bunker – juvenile menhaden about 2-3 inches long. Peanut bunker have a deeper body than sand eels or silversides; more short and oblong than long and thin. The Deceiver provides that deeper profile.
Hollow Fleyes
When the bunker are larger, or when there are squid around, or when you just get the feeling a large fly might attract a large striper, we love a Hollow Fleye. Hollow Fleyes are tied sparsely so they’re easy to cast, but puff up in the water to create a larger profile. 1 white and 1 yellow Hollow Fleye per box.
Clouser
A clouser is the most versatile fly out there. It can be stripped fast to stay high in the water, stripped slow to hop along the bottom, or stripped medium to jig up and down in the middle of the water column. This clouser is tied thin to mimic a sand eel, which “flees” predators by racing to the bottom and burying itself in the sand.
Half’n Half
A Half ‘n Half is just a clouser with a little more bulk. It, too, can be fished up and down the water column. It’s broader profile just more closely mimics bulkier bait such as silversides, bunker, and squid.
Twiggy
This fly caught more fish for us over the last few seasons than any other fly – hands down. It’s a gurgler variation that we originally designed for albies. On its first voyage, this fly caught an albie while blind casting. Since then, it’s worked on every species, everywhere. Fish a gurgler slow, with a subtle twitch. And prepare for an explosion.
Poppers
These poppers are a noisy flies that will call in fish and elicit explosive topwater hits. They’re just a whole lot of fun to fish. Sometimes, especially with larger poppers, stripers will smack the fly with their tail first (to stun the “baitfish”), then circle back and take it in one big gulp. Twice the fun. 1 large and 1 medium popper per box.
Epoxy Sand Eel
Sand eels are the most common bait found in our fishery. They’re a staple in the striper diet. Even when stripers are feeding on something else, they will always recognize sand eels as good food. When in doubt, tie on a sand eel pattern.
Surf Candy
The most common “minnow” in our fishery is the Atlantic Silverside, sometimes also called Spearing. Like the sand eel, they can be found pretty much anytime, anywhere. If a sand eel doesn’t get a hit, try this next.
Deceiver
Deceivers are a great choice when the fish are keyed on peanut bunker – juvenile menhaden about 2-3 inches long. Peanut bunker have a deeper body than sand eels or silversides; more short and oblong than long and thin. The Deceiver provides that deeper profile.
Hollow Fleyes
When the bunker are larger, or when there are squid around, or when you just get the feeling a large fly might attract a large striper, we love a Hollow Fleye. Hollow Fleyes are tied sparsely so they’re easy to cast, but puff up in the water to create a larger profile. 1 white and 1 yellow Hollow Fleye per box.
Clouser
A clouser is the most versatile fly out there. It can be stripped fast to stay high in the water, stripped slow to hop along the bottom, or stripped medium to jig up and down in the middle of the water column. This clouser is tied thin to mimic a sand eel, which “flees” predators by racing to the bottom and burying itself in the sand.
Half’n Half
A Half ‘n Half is just a clouser with a little more bulk. It, too, can be fished up and down the water column. It’s broader profile just more closely mimics bulkier bait such as silversides, bunker, and squid.