BigBendFishing.Net

I am getting ready to move back into the area and picked up fly fishing the last 2 years while living around the Ozarks and love it. I am wanting to try my luck and combining it with my true love, saltwater. Are there any patterns that you would recommend? Would you recommend starting dry or wet flies? Any other tips for the transitioning into salt? Thanks

We have a few well seasoned Buggy whippers on this site, maybe they'll chime in. good luck.

I'm far from an expert at inshore fishing but if I was going to recommend a half dozen patterns, here they are.

Clousers Minnow - chartreuse and white, red lead eyes
Duprees spoon fly
Kwan
Borski's slider
Popper
Small tan crab pattern

You'll need to read up on how to retrieve each of them. Lord Google is your friend.

Good luck!

Clousers - #2, #4, chartreuse over white, olive over chart. over white (or tan) with gold,pearl and copper flash, all white, all black. Sometimes a pink, red or orange fluoro fiber 'throat' added to the clouser really sets therm off. Bead head or light barbell eyes is what I use.
Gartside gurgler - white or tan. Trout on a topwater is a blast, but reds will take it as will spanish and ladies (and Tarpon!)
EP Minnow - chart over white, olive and/or tan over white (pinfish colors), all white, all black, black over purple, etc -
a shrimp pattern - FC sand shrimp is an easy tie and works well
seaducer
redfish crack pattern - olives and tans

I have my favorite colors, but I don't think that makes a big difference as long as it's dark over light and has a good contrast. The brighter the day and clearer the water, the lighter color the fly.
Flash - sometimes they want a flashy fly and sometimes not - bring both versions.
Retrieve - varies as well. trout will hit a fly drifting with the tide, as will spanish - they will slash a drifting fly. But start out fast and then slow down if needed.

Agree with above. Might add crafty shrimp and deceiver.

Thanks guys,That helps out tremendously. I'm jonesing to get back on the flats and trying them out

The other responders covered the bases thoroughly. I like shrimp patterns for trout, along with small poppers (balsa or foam). Spoon flies for reds, along with some deer hair flies like Dahlberg Diver to move some water.

Epoxy minnows are great for Spanish.

I just got a new vise to start creating a few of my own. Have fun and post up the results of your research.

Silverking, if you like Shrimp Patterns, you might like this one. I've done pretty well with it so far and the price isn't bad either.

https://north40flyshop.com/fly-shop/fly ... shrimp-fly

Thanks for the link. Yes, I have some similar ones to that. Pretty realistic. I've also had good luck with Cook's Critters, a small bead chain pattern.

Going to play around with the vise and some others while I listen to the Braves on the radio.

Dave,
If you can conjure up something that looks like a mud minnow or finger mullet, you'll have a customer in me. Have decided to get back into fly fishing this summer, as it is a division in the FL CCA Star Tourney. Have not buggy-whipped since college days in Colorado Springs, so I'm rusty as tetanus.

Glutton for punishment, huh Gary? I know, you're going to pace yourself during the STAR this year, right?

There are some good patterns available. My tying skills are rusty, but feather-craft or enrico has some realistic mullet flies readily available.

Those bottom patterns look like Murdich Minnows. Catch bass and pike also. Originally a striper pattern. Keep forgetting to try them here.