Wading The Flats

Every angler should, at some time in their lives, spend a day wading a flat in search of bonefish, redfish, or other flats species. Even stripers can be caught in the Northeast wading on sand flats.

Fishing from the bow of a flats boat is an exceptional experience with distinct advantages. To wade, however, is to become part and parcel of the fish’s universe. You’re as much the predator as the lemon shark that glides effortlessly across the sandy ridges, then explodes in a cloud of sand when startled.

Follow The Fish By Following Tides

Water moves on and off the flats with the tide and the fish move with it in search of the billions of tiny crustaceans that inhabit the flats. Walking in water that laps at your knees, you must search for movement and shadows.

The mirror-like silver color of the bonefish perfectly reflects the colors that surround it. The practiced eye eventually begins to discern the fish as it moves and scans the bottom for food. It’s easy to find yourself looking at a fish and not seeing it. The real excitement is the never-ending surprise as the sun, the sand, the eye, and the mind suddenly conspire to give you a glimpse of the ghost.

The beauty of this is that the most difficult of fish to see must be seen to be caught. When all is right, the fish is spotted at distance. The cast is laid in front, presenting the fly in position to be pulled away, as if escaping.

When it settles to the bottom, a strip of the line puffs the fly across the sand. If you’re lucky, the fish suddenly darts to the fly and, tipping downward, inhales it. A long and gentle strip ensures the hook set, and the fish rips across the flat in pursuit of freedom.

Scan & Search For Subtle Signs

You can walk for hours in search of fish without becoming bored. Fish can give away their position in subtle ways, from the tail of a feeding fish tipped up out of the water to a push of water.

Fish in shallow water can create a wake like a boat, but from under the water. The apex of that wake is usually just above the midpoint of the fish’s back, so its head is in front of the apex. This is an important clue as to where to place the fly in front of it.

There is also nothing more thrilling than casting to a tailing fish as they are actively feeding and less likely to spook.

Learning to determine which way the fish is facing by the position of the tail is how you can zero in on where to place the fly for greatest success. Drop it behind the fish and it may never see it.

Keep An Eye Out For Predators

Predators roam these flats as well. Sharks glide on the hunt while the barracuda sits absolutely motionless in silent ambush until that moment, sparked by instinct, it explodes violently across the top of the water. The barracuda is a spectacular foe that will rip line from a reel with leaping, thrashing vehemence in its struggle to escape. It is not used to being the prey, and it shows.

Shuffling your feet in certain fisheries is a good practice where stingrays are prevalent as the vibration spooks them before you make the mistake of stepping on one. There are even protective gaiters on the market for places where rays are prevalent.

Make Sure You Have The Right Fly Fishing Gear For Wading The Flats

One of the best things about wading the flats is the simplicity of it. You don’t need much fly fishing gear, but the conditions call for just the right equipment. You can certainly carry more, but for the most part, the following list is all you’ll need:

Strategic Flats Boots

A great pair of flats boots with a hard rubber sole for support and an upper that will let in the water but keep the sand out. Wearing light socks underneath them can prevent blisters or irritation from the water, and the constant movement of the boot against your skin.



Drainage, comfort, and traction are the major components of quality flats boots. A well-built pair will last for a very long time.



Head-To-Toe Coverage

Sun protection is critical as most flats fishing is done in tropical climates, and the reflection off the water can be as bad as the sun from above. Quick-drying, UPF-rated clothing will protect you from the sun and keep you cool. Long sleeves and a high collar on your casting shirts are a big plus for sun protection.



Lightweight, quick-drying shorts or pants. It’s perfectly fine to wade in lightweight pants for sun protection. Make sure they are a light synthetic blend as natural fibers like cotton will take forever to dry and weigh a ton.

High SPF-rated waterproof sunscreen and a hat with a wide brim are necessary, and the wide brim will shade your eyes and improve your ability to see. Your nose, cheeks, and ears are highly susceptible to sun exposure. Sun gloves will protect your hands and are designed so as not to interfere with your hands while fishing.



Fishing buffs offer excellent protection for your face and neck and have the added benefit of keeping you cool through evaporative cooling when soaked with water. Your neck is where the largest volume of blood runs closest to the surface, and keeping your neck cool will keep you cool.



Polarized Eyewear With The Right Lens Color

Fishing sunglasses might be the most important piece of equipment you have so buy the best ones possible. Polarized sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays, and without them, the glare makes it impossible to see the fish.



Lens color is important depending on conditions, and you’ll always want a spare pair if not two. Amber or copper lenses are excellent in most situations. Darker lenses are great in full glare. A blue lens is also nice in clear conditions when you need to hone-in on subtle reflections and movements.



Fishing Gear For The Day

You don’t need to carry much gear, so a small fly fishing pack such as a sling pack or hip pack will handle everything—the less intrusive the better.



The Best Flies

Flats fly patterns are generally small, representing small baitfish or crustaceans. The difference in sink rates of flies is important. Wading the flats in a foot of water and wading in three feet of water will impact the amount of time it takes for that fly to get to the bottom, and timing is crucial.



Make sure you have lighter flies (bead chain eyes) for shallow water as they won’t make a big splash and spook. Heavier tungsten bead patterns are great for deeper water as they get down quicker, and fish are less spooky in deeper water.



The Right Rod

A great fly fishing rod, generally an 8-wt. with a saltwater fly reel with an excellent drag. Flats fish have nowhere to go but out, and sizzling runs are the norm for bonefish, redfish, and other flats fish.



The Right Lines

There are fly lines built specifically for flats species that can improve your odds of making better presentations and getting the fly where it belongs. Understanding the water depth and sink rate of the fly and how that works with your line is critical.



Don’t scrimp on the line! It can make all the difference, as often one shot is all you’ll get on a fish, and the right line vastly improves the odds of getting the fly in the right place.



Spares & Accessories

A couple of small fly boxes with flies, spare leaders, and tippet spools of various strengths allow you to tie on a lighter tippet if conditions require it. You may find the fish are very spooky and tying on an 8-lb. tippet to a 12-lb. leader can make all the difference.



Forceps, nippers, sunglasses cloth to clean your glasses, a water bottle, and a pair of pliers with a sheath on your belt are the only fly fishing accessories you’ll need.



There are other things you should take—spare clothes, rain jackets, a spare rod, and reel—but these can be left in the boat or the car depending on how you get to the flat.



Know Where You Can Go To Wade The Flats

There are places you can wade and places you can’t, depending on the bottom. Step off a boat on some flats and you will find yourself hip-deep in mud. Talk to your fly-fishing guide in advance and let them know you want to wade as it lets them know where to plan to take you, assuming wading flats are available close by.

Experience The Thrill For Yourself 

Stalking fish on a flat is the pinnacle of sight fishing, and while it’s not easy, it’s one of the best fishing adventures you will ever experience as it puts you in the water with the fish and you become part of the wild.

You will soon discover wading the flats offers much more than just catching fish.