Stripers evolved to handle large prey, but that bucket mouth is easily adapted to gulping schools of peanut bunker, baby blueback herring, finger mullet, bay anchovies, and spearing.

Jim Levison photo (www.jimlevisonphoto.com)

But why would game fish along our inshore waters spend their energy chasing such small forage? “Game fish are opportunistic feeders,” he says, referring to a biological premise called the Optimal Foraging Theory, which states that game fish will feed on whatever is in abundance at the time. This helps explain why we have been seeing so many of our striped bass, bluefish, and false albacore feeding on tiny baits over the past three to four years.

This phenomenon has not escaped the attention of fly tiers, either. We realize that, in order to better match the hatch, our presentations must get small—very small.

There are four patterns that I have found to be extremely successful when encountering micro baits. The first is D. L. Goddard’s Mylar Minnow. Goddard’s influence as a tier looms large in this industry, but his little minnow fly is no more than 1 inch long. It is made entirely of Mylar tubing and epoxy, and he ties the fly on a size 6 Tiemco hook. Umpqua sells the pattern in black or green. “The best way to fish my Mylar Minnow is with a twitch of the rod tip. This puts a bit of action into the fly. I also like to use the current and rips to get the fly to the fish,” he says. Goddard prefers an erratic rather than steady retrieve, noting that short, herky-jerky strips seem to be just the ticket when encountering finicky fish.

Mylar Minnow

Hook: Tiemco 811S size 6.
Thread: Danville mono .006 (fine).
Frame and Tail: Extra small pearl Mylar tubing coated with epoxy.
Eyes: Size 2 silver-and-black prismatic stick on.
Back: Black or green marking pen.
Cement: Devcon 5-minute epoxy with extra fine blue-and-pearl glitter.

Blane Chocklett’s Gummy Minnow is another small fly that seems to work wonders on these fry-type baits. This pattern has been the rage in saltwater fly fishing for the past two years, and as of 2005 Umpqua is making it available in size 8 and a variety of colors. This small version measures about 1 inch long and is as lifelike as any micro baitfish I have ever seen. The Gummy Minnow is made out of Sili Skin, which Chocklett, along with friend and fly tier Harrison Steeves, developed. [See www.saltwaterflyfishingmagazine.com; go to "Reader Bonus Archives" > April/May 2005 > and click on the .pdf for tying steps.] When fishing his pattern to blitzing fish feeding on extremely small baits, Chocklett recommends the following method.

“I have had my best success fishing the Gummy when you cast it into the melee using an intermediate or sinking line. Allow the fly to free-fall without any movement. Keep a tight line by stripping the slack out so you are always in contact with the fly. The free-falling Gummy acts like a wounded baitfish. When a game fish picks it up, be ready for the strike of your life!”

Gummy Minnow

Hook: Tiemco 811S size 8.
Thread: Gudebrod 6/0 clear mono.
Weight: .010 lead wire.
Underbody: 1/2-inch-long-by-1/4-inch metallic silver Sili Skin.
Belly: 1-inch-long-by-3/8-inch metallic silver Sili Skin.
Back: 1 1/4-inch-long-by-1/8-inch Green Splash Sili Skin.
Eyes: Size 2 prismatic stick-on.
Overbody: 1 1/4-inch-long-by-3/8-inch Mother of Pearl Sili Skin, all trimmed to shape.

Another pattern reflecting the trend toward small comes from Long Island angler and fly tier Joe Scandore. I have known Joe for the better part of 13 years, and if there is one thing I can tell you about Scandore, it is that he earned his nickname “Bloodbath.” I have been directly involved or heard through others of the countless times when Scandore ran up huge numbers on the fly. Two years ago, he told me about his new micro baitfish fly that he was having tremendous success with on blitzing Long Island Sound stripers. While others around him were getting refusals, Bloodbath Joe was cementing his reputation. He ties his Scandore Small Fry on a size 8 hook. The pattern is elegantly simple, tied with three glass beads, a bit of Fluoro Fibre, Krystal Flash, and Holographic Fly Fiber. He then covers the fly with either Haag’s Devil Sauce or Softex and some clear nail polish. Scandore ties this pattern in two color schemes: clear-and-silver and amber. Joe says this fly should be fished similarly to the Mylar Minnow and Gummy Minnow.

Scandore Small Fry

Hook: Gamakatsu SL11-3H size 8.
Thread: Danville .006 mono.
Front Body: Three size 6 amber (or clear) glass beads.
Rear Body: Root beer (or pearl) Krystal Flash.
Under Tail: Fluoro Fibre.
Over Tail: Holographic Fly Fiber.
Cement: Haag’s Devil Sauce (or Softex) and clear nail polish.

The last fly worth mentioning is a pattern that I came up with this past year called the Baby Bunny Bunker. I designed it to imitate smaller, wide-body baitfish, and it measures slightly under 2 inches long. I tie it on both size 2 and size 4 hooks. The key to this pattern’s success is the fact that the fly breathes in the water. The recipe includes a Zonker strip, dumbbell eyes, Mylar, and an epoxy abdomen. The Baby Bunny Bunker lies on its side in the water. Once stripped, it will turn and ride hook up, and when paused it will again turn on its side. My intent was to make it appear like a peanut bunker flashing.

I saw this fly perform this past November while still fresh out of the vise. I was fishing with SFF editor Steve Walburn off the North Carolina coast when we encountered pods of albies breaking on 1- to 11⁄2-inch bay anchovies. Throughout the afternoon, the fish were continuously herding and blowing up bait on the surface, but they were extremely fussy, indifferent to offerings thrown by those in our boat as well as the armada around us. I offered Walburn the only Baby Bunny Bunker I had with me, and he proceeded to hook up while most of us went fishless. Small was the key.

So make it your habit to observe while you fish. Study the water, the weather, the baits, and even other boats or fishermen. If you go to a fly-fishing show, take a look at what the professional tiers are twisting up at their tables. Talk to the guides and compare notes from this past year’s fishing experiences. Think both short and long term, and who knows, maybe you’ll be the one to figure out saltwater fly fishing’s next major trend.