Fly Fishing, It's More Than Just Trout

My fist salt water fish on the fly Jack Crevalle St. Lucie river Florida

   When you hear the words "fly fishing", what do you envision? For many, their minds will be filled with images of a cold mountain stream, lined with trees in full bloom. The songs of birds chirping and squirrels chattering are only muffled by the waters constant flow. The warm sun's rays casting shadows of fish in the riffles and runs before them. But what if I told you there is more to fly fishing than just trout? An entire world full of adventure and fish from around the globe are just waiting to be caught.

For years, my main focus with a fly rod was trout. After all, I live 30 minutes from some of the most beautiful trout waters in the state. The rest of my fishing was done with conventional tackle. From South Florida to the St Lawrence River, I'd chase anything that would bite. Sure I watched the shows like the Spanish Fly, Buccaneers and Bones, and Saltwater Experience but I never really put much thought to fly fishing for anything else other than trout. However, the first time I had a bass crush my fly and I watched my fly line race across the waters surface, I was hooked.

Right away I needed more. I started researching all sorts of new flies and set ups to chase every type of fish I could possibly catch. I found myself looking at other rivers in my area very differently. The rivers that I once considered off limits to my fly rod suddenly became a whole new playground. Today you will only find fly rods in my truck. I'm always ready to catch what ever the North Country will let me hunt down. Through networking with other guides and fly tyers, I've been fortunate to be able find folks that are very knowledgeable about fly fishing for many different species and are willing to share their wisdom with me.

Photo credit Jill Beattie (@girl_withthe_muskytattoo) on instagram

However, I will say that if you are interested in catching a multitude of species, you must first be somewhat prepared. Here are a few things to consider before you decide to wander from the trout stream to catch other fish.

The first thing to think about is your rod. Not all fly rods are made to catch all species. My little 3wt rod is great for a battle with a trout but it would never survive repeated abuse from even a bass. So you will need multiple rods that are designed to take the beating the fish you are chasing will deliver. There are rods made for everything from sunfish to tarpon so do your reseach on the recomended weight for your prey. I personally recommend a 6wt rod for people that are looking for their first rod. Sure it's a bit heavy for trout but it's a good rod weight for the majority of fish the North Country has to offer. To put it into perspective, I carry a 3wt, 5wt,6wt,8wt, and for salt water a 10wt and I'm still looking to add a few more to the arsenal.

The next thing to consider is your reel. Like rods, reels are designed with different weights in mind. They also have different drag systems and conponents that will match the fight you are expecting to have. Your 5wt reel again will be great for a large trout but will struggle with the repeated exposure to larger fish like a steelhead.

Photo from the fall 2025 veteran's fly fishing weekend. I was so proud to be part of this great event.

Another thing to consider is your line. Again, lines are also weight dependent. But with lines you also need to consider what kind of water depth you are fishing in. The fly line most peple think about are floating lines. However if you are looking to target fish in 20 feet of water you will need to think about using a sinking line. So you may need several lines for your different rod and reel set ups.

A third consideration is your leader set up. This is something I really recomend you do some research on and do a little trial and error on your own to find what you like best. This topic could have entire books written about it(many books have several chapters dedicated to just this topic). But to keep it very simple you need to think of it like this. Smaller fish, smaller leader. Bigger fish, bigger leader. Toothy fish, think about bite guards and wire leaders. It's not a one size fits all topic. You will need to figure out what works best for your rod and reel setup. Don't forget to consider the flies you will be fishing with. That adds a bit more to the equation.( Is your head spinning yet?)

Lastly you need to think about your fly selection. This is key to accutally getting the bite. What you are using for a brook trout many not work so well on a musky. Fly size and pattern is very importaint. The theory of bigger flies for bigger fish isn't always accurate. I've caught several large carp on some pretty small flies. I recommend learning your target species eating habits and mimic what they consume. Then get flies in that shape and pattern in multiple colors and sizes.

photo credit Jill Beattie Check out the size of that fly.

Fly fishing is truely a way to catch any type of fish. I have found a passion for chasing everthing I can. From vacationing in South Florida to living in the North Country, I don't go anywhere without a fly rod within arms reach. The key to success is having all the right equiptment. The downside of this is that it can get quite expesive buying all the gear you need just to get started. If you are looking to start fly fishing and want a set up that can handle the bulk of what the North Country has to offer I recommend a 6wt rod and reel set up, floating line, and several different leader sizes.

This will work for everything from pan fish to northern pike. Our opportunities are very vast up here and if you are willing to travel, you have a life time of fishing in front of you. This article is a brief overview of the basics needed to get started. If you have questions or are interested in learning more feel free to send me an email. I want to thank Jill for sending me some of her photos. She is a musky on the fly guru and an amazing fly tyer and friend. She is living proof that there is more to fly fishing than just trout.