Steve with a 59.5cm Bas from the Camel Estuary (note the small chest-pack)

Steve Lawes is a qualified Level 2 fly fishing instructor and avid saltwater fly fisher, both in the UK and abroad. He was the joint winner of the biggest Bass prize in the 2023 Orvis Festival. He has recently moved to Cornwall from Dorset and has begun to explore the numerous opportunities to catch Bass on the Cornish coastal marks, including the Camel Estuary, where he is now based.

SALTWATER FLYFISHING FOR BASS

I have been a fishing nut since the age of 7 and, like a number of fly fishers I have met, I started as a course fisherman and occasional sea angler. I came to fly fishing relatively late but have been fly fishing for over 20 years and as part of that journey I have developed a real passion for the saltwater and specifically pursuing Bass.

I have fished for them successfully in North Devon, Portland Harbour, Chichester Harbour, Poole Harbour and now on both the North and South coasts of Cornwall. Saltwater fly fishing in the UK is becoming increasingly popular and there is now a large community of saltwater fly fishers, many of whom get together at various festivals during the Summer. I have found this community to be hugely inclusive, supportive and helpful to everyone, including newcomers to the sport.

I absolutely love fly fishing for Bass; the fish are plentiful, powerful and handsome, you get to spend time in the most beautiful locations and best of all, once you’ve invested in some basic kit (more of that below) the fishing is free! 

RECONNAISANCE – FINDING THE BASS

There is an old adage: ‘Bass are hard to find but easy to catch, Mullet are easy to find and extremely difficult to catch’ and I have found this to be mostly true. For anyone wanting to catch Bass on a regular basis there are no easy short-cuts; you will need to find a handful of (ideally local) marks that work at various states of the tide. Michael Recorle’s recent, excellent guest blog covers this stage and I don’t wish to repeat that other than to reiterate the need to:

• Spend plenty of time on the water exploring likely marks
• Find-out which state of the tide and weather works best for each mark
• Keep a log/make notes relating to height, time and state of tide when catching, along with the weather

As a general guide, I tend to fish my Bass marks either 2-3 hours before low water, or 2-3 hours before high water. Either way, there is still good tidal water movement in which the Bass will be running-in or out of the mark.

ESSENTIAL ITEMS OF KIT

When starting-out in saltwater, it is possible that some of the items of kit that you have already used for freshwater species can also be utilised for Bass. In addition, most of us that saltwater flyfish would recommend travelling as light as possible. The following is a list of the essential items of kit that I use:

• Waders & boots. If not ‘wet wading’ in the height of Summer, I wear a set of lightweight, breathable chest-waders and a pair of lightweight wading boots. To the sole of these I always add tungsten studs, which I have found to be invaluable for moving over wet and slippery rocks
• Wet wading kit. When the sea water warms-up (around late June) I often dispense with my waders and, depending on the mark I’m fishing (e.g. beach, estuary or rocky) I wear a pair of swim shorts and a lightweight pair of neoprene boots. If I am fishing a mark for an extended period, I also often wear a set of compression tights (these are like those used by long-distance swimmers and are readily available these days).
• Rods. The ‘standard’ rod for UK Bass is a 9ft #8 and I have several of these. For windier days you may go up to a #9 and for flat-calm conditions a #7. Many of my friends, who fish mainly for Stillwater trout and only fish for Bass occasionally tend to use their reservoir trout rods (9ft 6in or 10ft #7) and these will work fine.
• Reels. Ideally, these should be saltwater proof and with a sealed drag. If you do use an existing freshwater reel, you MUST give it a thorough rinse with freshwater immediately after the saltwater trip and dry it thoroughly.
• Lines. Many flyfishers who target Bass use a floating line. Unless I am using a surface lure or sight fishing for them in shallow water, I tend to fish with an intermediate line (mid-glass or fast-glass) or even a Di3 if the mark is deep enough. I usually favour a baitfish imitation fly, I feel these fish more naturally through the water if they are well below the surface and being retrieved on a relatively even plane. Also, I think it is easier to cast with a sinking line/light fly combination, than a floating line/heavy fly combination.
• Leader/Tippet material. I always use a tapered leader for Bass fishing. It is often windy on the coast and this helps with ‘turnover’. Unless you are ‘sight fishing’ in clear/shallow water, a long leader is not necessary. I cut a standard, tapered leader short to around 6 feet. To this I add a 1mm tippet ring on which I then tie-on my tippet material of varying lengths (this method means I only need one tapered leader and can remove/add tippet material as I please for each trip). For most Bass marks I use either 12lb or 16lb fluorocarbon tippet. Overall, for my intermediate or slow sinking line set-up I normally fish with a total leader length of 8 or 9 feet.
• Bags/packs. I find it best to travel really light, so a small bum/hip pack, chest pack or sling pack will work. The fully waterproof ones are best, as saltwater will play havoc with material and zips! As long as you have enough space for your fly boxes, spare spool or two, spare leaders/ tippet material and a bottle of water. These days I favour a chest-pack, as it is easily accessible and out of the water, when I am wading.
• Line tray. These are absolutely essential, especially when using intermediate and sinking lines in moving water and waves. The type you use is purely down to personal preference, as there are a number of different designs available these days.
• Net. I use a floating net with soft, rubber mesh that is attached to the back of my chest pack with a magnetic release
• Accessories. Nippers and forceps (Bass have huge mouths and are greedy fish, so very often you will need forceps to remove the fly, especially if you will be returning the fish unharmed). Stripping gloves are also a very useful accessory to protect your hands from the sun, line burns and the spines and gill rakes of the Bass.

FLIES FOR BASS

I tend to tie all my own flies for Bass, for me it certainly adds to the pleasure of fishing for and catching them. In much the same way as we ‘match the hatch’ for trout, we are trying to imitate the main types of food that the Bass feed on. There are really only 5 main types of Bass fly: Baitfish, Sandeel, Shrimp, Crab and Surface Lures (‘Gurglers’ and ‘Crease Flies’). All of the flies that we tie-up or buy will be in one of these categories. The baitfish, sandeel and surface lures that I use will be in size 4 all the way up to 2/0. The shrimp and crab patterns tend to be tied in smaller sizes 8 to 4.

To this I would add that, a number of the flyfishers I know that target Mullet with small shrimp or bloodworm patterns (in sizes 16 to 14) regularly hook and land good sized Bass, especially when sight-casting in shallow water. Whenever you see schools of Mullet, the Bass will not be far away.

Steve’s favourite baitfish fly pattern

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD CASTING

Although it is by no means essential to be an expert caster to be able to flyfish successfully for Bass, being at least competent is extremely important.

There are really only two techniques for Bass; casting ‘blind’ and fishing the water and sight fishing to specific fish that you can see. The former normally requires a long cast and the latter a shorter, but very accurate cast. Many marks do indeed require a long cast, so you can fish across the tidal movement and put your fly across the running fish. If site fishing for Bass in shallow, clear water, precision is key.

When blind casting, try and stay mobile and ‘fan-cast’ in order to fish as much water as possible. In essence, you are trying to ‘ambush’ the Bass as they are moving to/from their feeding zones, often with a tide running either in or out.

Another good Bass in the net

MEASURING, PHOTOGRAPHING & RETURNING BASS

Although any Bass over 42cm can legally be taken in UK waters, I always put my fish back unharmed as quickly as I can. Bass take a long time to grow to any decent size here in the UK and I feel it’s important to play our part in their care and conservation.

I have an adhesive Upavon fish measure on all my Bass rods, so that I can quickly get an estimate of their length by holding the fish up against the rod sections, before returning them. In most situations, this is done over the water, just out of the net.

 Why not browse the excellent range of saltwater tackle and wading products available from www.upavonflyfishing.co.uk and enjoy 10% off your first order with discount code WELCOME10.