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3. Speckled Trout on North Carlina's Outer Banks?

In about two weeks I'm heading south with me lady to vacation on the Outer Banks in Salvo NC. I fish primarily mountain streams and rivers, and I've been reading about the speckled trout, and other fish which can be caught fly fishing from a kayak and in the flats.

Can someone please send me some sage-like advice on the following:

Leader and tippet recommendations?

Where to fish, I've read where inland waters flow into the flats, and large holes and runs?

Any pattern recommendations?

A good local fly shop, which sells tying materials?

I'm planning on bring a 5 wt and my 8wt. Will this cover it?

Finally, I don't have the $$$ for a guide right now, any good spots I could start in?

Thanks, and if you are looking for WV info, please let me know.

Brian

Hi Brian,

I've done it, but so long ago I can't give you too much help. Here's what I can say.

Take Clouser minnows in chartreuse and white (bottom color). Ask shops about other flies. Your rods, if 9 ft. should be adequate. You'll probably use the 8 weight the most, if not exclusively. Make sure you can double haul a weighted fly without beaning yourself, or add a football helmet to your gear.

I'm at work, and will have to check my gear at home to give you tippet recommendations, but you can use a pretty heavy tippet. Many use fluorocarbon, which I was using then, but I'm not sure it's necessary.

I'd do some google searches to find a shop. That's going to be the best source of information. If you go in and buy some flies and tippet it'll be very easy to get info on where and when to fish. A rising or falling tide is often good, and I caught specks in inlets etc. I asked around at several shops--it doesn't have to be a fly shop to know where the fish are running and when to go after them--and got good information.

I had a lot of fun. It's very different from typical stream fishing, in that you can sometimes let the waves and current move your fly and just use twitches to hold it in a productive area. There are some good books out there also--check Amazon. There may be one (or more) on flyfishing the NC coast. I got one for NJ coastal waters once, and it was a gold mine.

I didn't run into any sting rays, but I hear an encounter with one of those can flat ruin a vacation. Think about footwear and learn about how to avoid rays. Some recommend shuffling your feet as you wade. I wore neoprene waders, which may have given me a false sense of security.

Best of luck!