A fly-hooked sailfish clears the water close to the boat, forcing the angler to point his rod directly at it to minimize drag.

Although offshore fishing has long been the domain of big fish and beefy tackle, a surge has occurred in the number of people who pursue what some consider the ultimate light-tackle challenge: billfish on a fly rod. Although there are practical limits to what can be done with a fly rod—the real heavyweights are beyond its capabilities—the envelope of achievement in this arena has been steadily pushed forward for the last few decades.

In the early 1960s, attempting to catch sailfish or marlin on a fly rod would have been thought virtually impossible, or merely a stunt. A few pioneers were convinced it could be done even then and set about trying to prove it. Lee Cuddy caught the first record billfish on a fly—an Atlantic sailfish of 47 pounds, landed off Florida on June 4, 1964. Stu Apte caught the first Pacific sailfish of record on a fly (on 12-pound tippet) at Pinas Bay, Panama, on June 25, 1965. Lee Wulff landed a fly-caught striped marlin of 148 pounds at Salinas, Ecuador, in May 1967, and accomplished a record that still stands; but Floridian Doc Robinson caught a 145-pound striped marlin off Baja California in 1965, establishing him as the first to catch a marlin on a fly. After those feats, the pursuit of billfish on a fly became more serious, and people took it up for the general fun and achievement as well as in an attempt to establish records. South Carolina’s Billy Pate was the first to set saltwater fly-rod records in all the marlin and sailfish categories except Pacific blue marlin. And by the 1990s, Jack Samson had become the first to catch both Atlantic and Pacific sailfish, as well as all five species of marlin, on a fly rod, achieving a “super grand slam” of billfish.

Since the late 1980s, catching large ocean fish on a saltwater fly rod has been an established niche game. Although bonefish, tarpon, bluefish, and striped bass are still the most popularly sought saltwater species among fly anglers, sailfish and marlin are now pursued by a growing legion of enthusiasts. Fly-tackle dealers on all coasts are catering to neophyte fly-rod billfish anglers in search of the proper gear and more information on this growing sport. Thanks to more information, better equipment, and the accomplishments of earlier anglers, catching some of the ocean’s most spectacular fish on a fly rod is a realistic goal, particularly for experienced anglers. For those who are less experienced, sailfish, white marlin, and striped marlin are reasonable targets, as these species do not attain the monster weights of their blue and black marlin brethren. Due to their size and availability, however, sailfish are the primary billfish for saltwater fly rodders.

Fish size is a bit of an issue, and a limitation, where fly rodding is concerned, especially for marlin. Unlike conventional big-game anglers, fly rodders are generally limited to billfish up to about 400 pounds. The largest fly-caught marlin record to date is a 260-pound Pacific blue marlin caught on 20-pound-class tippet. No one knows how many larger marlin have been caught by anglers who don’t care about records and release their fish without fanfare, although it seems likely that extremely few have accomplished such a feat. It seems possible that larger fish can be caught, and perhaps some will. For an experienced angler, it is no problem holding billfish below 200 pounds. The biggest fly-caught sailfish in the record books weighed 136 pounds—caught in 1965 on a 12-pound tippet; but again, perhaps some bigger sailfish have been caught by fly rodders who prefer not to kill their quarry and instead turn it loose.

Today’s billfish angler is limited mainly by skill and luck, mostly the latter. The rods, reels, lines, leaders, and flies exist to catch larger billfish. Some anglers who have specialized in this type of fishing, however, have been after bigger fish for many years and haven’t landed them. So this particular sport is definitely not an easy one.

Technique

A durable sewn teaser bait is used for bringing billfish into casting range.

The technique used to take a big striper out of the surf won’t work on a striped marlin, and the 7-weight rod and line used to catch big bonefish would be like a child’s toy if used for sailfish. Furthermore, the game of stalking and casting for shallow-water and inshore species is nonexistent for pelagic species.

As many conventional big-game anglers know, sailfish and marlin generally are taken from a trolling boat underway. This is because the ocean is big, a lot of ground has to be covered, and the fish have to be attracted to your offering. This is all true in fly fishing for billfish, but the resemblance ends there. In general terms, an angler could theoretically troll a fly, but the chances of catching a billfish on a trolled fly are fairly slim, and this technique would not meet International Game Fish Association (IGFA) requirements for establishing a record, should the fish be large enough to qualify. Because it is never known when a record fish might be caught by offshore anglers (those using big-game tackle or flycasting tackle), most ardent anglers follow accepted procedures that guarantee they will be within record-setting guidelines whenever and wherever they are fly fishing.

IGFA world-record rules state that a fly can be cast to billfish only while a boat is out of gear (not trolling and moving forward). The original rules, set up by early saltwater fly rodders, make a lot of sense on closer examination. The boat is taken out of gear partly to ensure that an angler casts rather than drags a trolled fly, but it is primarily done to ensure precise presentation of a fly that will land close to a billfish searching for food. Billfish come up and strike baits, lures, and flies with their bills; they stun the object so they can turn and then take it. If the fly is moving at the same speed as the boat, and directly forward of a fish swimming immediately behind the boat, it is almost impossible to position the lightweight fly inside a billfish’s mouth at a spot where you can set the hook.

Billfish must be attracted up behind the boat by trolling baits and teasers. Veteran billfish fly rodders generally agree that big, gaudy teasers run off outriggers or on flatlines behind the transom, and dead baits rigged without hooks and trolled 30 to 50 feet behind the boat, work best to attract billfish in an effort to present a fly to them. There is considerable leeway in this. Some veterans like to troll a daisy chain of squid as teasers, and others like trolling live baits without hooks. Most experts prefer trolling a rigged dead bait on a long, whippy teaser rod so they can retrieve it rapidly when a billfish appears or strikes it.

Whatever the choice of attractor, when a billfish comes up to eat it, it is imperative that the trolled offering be pulled rapidly toward the boat ahead of the searching billfish, until it is possible to cast a fly to it. At that time, the boat is taken out of gear, the bait is rapidly yanked from the water, the fly is cast, and the billfish is allowed to pursue the fly. The aim of this tactic, often referred to as bait-and-switch (see) is not only to get the billfish to take the fly, but for the angler to set the hook in the corner of the billfish’s mouth as it makes a turn with the fly. Most successful billfish flies today are tied in tandem, one hook riding point up and another point down, in order to increase the chances of getting a hook into tough cartilage. It should be set either in the corner of the mouth or in the soft top of the mouth. If the hook is sharp enough, clamping down on the line with the thumb and forefinger should set the hook firmly, but yanking hard on the rod will certainly help set the hook better.

Once the billfish is hooked, it is important to make sure that the rest of the fly line, the running line, and the backing is free to run out through the rod guides as the big fish makes its first run. For that reason, when casting to billfish most anglers keep that line in a large plastic bucket at their feet. Snagging on the least obstruction in the cockpit, or stepping on the line, will cause a tippet to part.

More about teasing

Perhaps the most critical aspect of fly fishing for billfish is the act of attracting, or teasing, a fish and exciting it so much that it is willing to strike the fly. This activity requires teamwork from a crew, usually a minimum of three people, which includes the angler, captain, and mate.

The items used to attract billfish are hookless trolling lures (see: trolling lures, saltwater) and hookless rigged baits. These are all referred to as teasers because they are used to attract a fish and perhaps draw a strike but are not meant to be consumed or grabbed and held by the fish. They are usually skipped across the surface rather than fished below it. The number of people in the boat available to reel in lines when a fish appears determines the number of teasers used. The lures may be run off a line attached halfway up one outrigger, as well as on transom flatlines. Some anglers prefer to use lures on the outside and longer trolling lines, primarily those with a soft head that are easy to retrieve quickly. A lure or bait (usually the latter) is attached to a long sturdy rod (9 feet or longer) and trolled off the transom. The bait is a completely sewn mullet, mackerel, ballyhoo, or flyingfish, but it could be other items, as well as strips of bait if whole fish are unavailable; these are often adorned at the head with a colorful plastic skirt. The long rod is necessary to exert control over the teaser when it is close, and to quickly yank the teaser out of the water. If 9 feet of line, measured from the rod tip, is let out, and the rod holder stands flush against the transom, a 9-foot rod allows for placement of a teaser approximately 18 feet behind the boat, yet the teaser is still capable of being instantly lifted out of the water. The object is to get the fish just behind that close-range teaser and pursuing it excitedly.

When a fish comes into the spread, the captain reels in the outrigger teaser lure and then watches the fish while preparing to adjust speed. The mate(s) retrieves the other lures while maintaining the interest of the following fish. The billfish may switch from one teaser to another, but it is important to attract it to within 20 to 25 feet of the boat in pursuit of the teaser attached to a teaser rod. The person holding the teaser rod tries to maintain the interest of the fish without letting it firmly grab the teaser, generally trying to keep the fish a few feet behind the moving teaser. If the job is done well, the billfish will keep slashing at the teaser, trying to stun it and appearing to have missed it. This game is a bit different for some species than for others, or may differ by location, requiring faster or slower boat speeds, for example, to sustain the interest of the pursuing fish.

Assuming the fly angler is right-handed, the best casting scenario is for the angler to stand in the port transom corner of the boat, with excess fly line and backing in a tub or bucket at the feet. There should be no nearby obstructions that could snatch the line, and the port outrigger should be in a vertical position so the angler has plenty of room for a back cast. The person doing the teasing tries to keep the teaser lure or bait to the starboard side of the whitewater boat wake, and the angler gets the fly in the water and about 20 to 25 feet back. The fish is allowed to touch the teaser, and the captain is told to put the boat in neutral; with the boat in neutral, the angler picks up the fly line and casts behind and to the right of the billfish. The teaser is yanked away, the fly is stripped into view, and the fish turns toward the fly, putting itself into position for a good set should it immediately strike the fly. The same tactic is used if the angler is left-handed, except that the angler would stand in the starboard corner and the fish would be teased to the port side.

Generally, slower boat speeds make for better teasing, although this method may not raise or excite fish. Fish that are really excited and aggressive are most likely to take the fly. And if the fish doesn’t take the fly after a careful effort and perhaps a second cast and retrieve, then it may be necessary to resume trolling with the teasers to re-attract the fish.

Fighting and Landing

It takes a sturdy rod and reel and well-tied knots to withstand the pressure of battling billfish on fly tackle.

After the billfish has made its initial runs, landing it is usually simply a matter of maintaining control until the fish is tired and can be brought to the boat. A fight with a billfish on fly tackle can last hours, depending on the class of leader tippet, the weight of the fish, and the experience of the angler.

Fighting big fish on a fly rod takes some physical strength, but not so much as to prevent women from enjoying the sport as much as men. Although you can power-fight a billfish, it takes considerable strength to tire a billfish in the first few minutes of a battle. It is better to let the parabolic curve of the big saltwater fly rod do its work, which it will certainly do in time.

When a billfish is making its first runs and jumps, it’s best to almost freespool the big saltwater reel. In this way, the pressure of the shooting head passing rapidly through the water does not put undue strain on the class tippet. The sailfish or marlin will eventually tire and will settle down to a stubborn fight. At this point, the angler can increase the reel drag and begin to take up line while the skipper backs down slowly in the direction of the fish.

Some billfish elect to stay near or on the surface for the duration of the battle, which makes life easier for the angler, but others may head for the depths. This is where the size and construction of the fly rod becomes important. Many 12- and 13-weight fly rods are simply not constructed to lift big billfish from the depths; they either break or do not put sufficient pressure on the fish to budge it. Manufacturers have lately been making 14-weight rods to compensate, and the relatively new breed of “lifting” fly rods, which are strong 15- to 18-weight models, can bring up a stubborn billfish from the depths when no other fly rod would work.

As the billfish begins to close in on the transom for landing, the crew becomes all-important. These strong fish often make sudden thrashing moves at the last minute and can inflict injury. Billfish anglers must be able to anticipate violent moves by the fish and make sure to grasp it properly. It is not necessary to sink large gaffs into a billfish to get it alongside the boat. Many times the fish can be led alongside with a small bill gaff; now and then a tail rope may be slipped over the tail. A crewmember can grasp the bill with a gloved hand, and the fish can be released at the boat or brought in over the transom briefly for photographs before being released.

A beginning fly rodder can use any strength leader to take billfish, but if angling for records, IGFA stipulates seven leader tippet categories: 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, and 20 pounds. For the novice, and for general fishing purposes, a 20-pound tippet makes the most sense. Because most billfish are released, using a heavier tippet usually ensures a shorter fight, which is generally better for the fish than one that is long and drawn out. If you have no concerns about records (although if you’re fishing with established charter boat captains, they usually are very attentive to this), you could choose a tippet size that exceeds IGFA regulations but still ensures a good fight. With some experience under your belt, you can move down in tippet size.

The lightest tippets are very difficult to use for billfishing, however, and this is evident from existing fly-tackle world records. Several of the light-tippet categories for sailfish are still vacant, and for the five species of marlin, most of the categories under 12-pound tippet are vacant. The light-tippet categories for marlin are vacant because few anglers have hooked marlin on a fly, even on the heavier tippets. Although it’s possible to land billfish on light tippets, years of experience are generally necessary before even the best of anglers can handle a billfish on such fragile leaders.

Fortunately, almost any size boat can be used to catch billfish on a fly. It is no longer necessary to use the big, expensive sportfishing boat common to conventional big-game angling. Today, small, fast, compact, and maneuverable boats are taking billfish off all North American coasts. They transport fly rodders out to the billfish grounds fast and are able to return home in a hurry. Although small boats provide a degree of angler maneuverability that big yachts may not, the distance offshore to the billfish grounds, the potential sea conditions, and the skill of the captain are all factors that impact boat selection.

The vast majority of those who use fly tackle for billfish do it for the thrill of the sport and release most if not all of the billfish caught (see: catch-and-release). The exception might be for fish that are potential records, although anglers should make every effort to evaluate the size of their catch quickly (see: measuring fish) and determine if it’s large enough to be a potential record. If there is any doubt, the fish should be quickly released. In most cases, a photograph of the fish, plus its measurements, should be enough to establish the record.

Tackle

Large, bright streamer flies, some with popping-style heads, are standard for billfish.

Sailfish and marlin require a different set of tools than do other fish sought with flycasting tackle: strong fiberglass and graphite rods in the 12- to 16-weight class, reels capable of carrying 400 to 600 yards of line and backing, and sinking shooting-head lines in 12- to 16-weight categories. These fish also demand strong leader material and a set of knots that will not part under enormous strain; these are knots that most fly anglers have never had occasion to use.

Flies that imitate the many species of ocean baitfish need to be tied on hooks that will not break and will resist the constant effects of corrosion from exposure to saltwater. These hooks must be filed to points sharp enough to penetrate the tough mouth cartilage of billfish, which is no small task.

The beginner has plenty of excellent rods, reels, and lines to choose from, as the major line companies have spent a lot of time researching and developing lines that will stand up to rough treatment in saltwater. Leader material has come a long way in the past few decades, and many brands are available. Although one can have a custom rod made, first-class billfish fly rods are being manufactured today by various companies, primarily in 10- to 14-weight models for smaller fish, and 14- to 16-weight for larger fish.

The most import aspects of a big-game fly reel are the line capacity and the drag. Today’s big-game fly reels are machined from solid blocks of aircraft-quality aluminum and stainless steel bar stock. The drag systems use stainless steel bearings and multiple-disc surfaces of metal, Teflon, and cork; the spools are also machined from the same high-quality aluminum. These fast-spinning spools are counterbalanced to within a few grains of weight.

To handle strong and far-running billfish, a big, saltwater fly reel must have a capacity of at least 400 yards, preferably 600 or more yards, including 30-pound Micron or Dacron backing plus 100 feet of nylon monofilament running line (optional) and 25 to 30 feet of 15-weight sinking shooting-head fly line. A reel just for sailfish, particularly the big Pacific sailfish that run in excess of 100 pounds, should have a total capacity of 350 to 400 yards. For marlin, a fly reel should carry no less than 600 combined yards of fly line and 30-pound backing; many of the best have a capacity of 800 to 900 yards.

Although beginning fly rodders might use a floating fly line, it is better to have a sinking line. The floating line is easier to pick up off the water for casting (or recasting, as it were), but its bulkiness becomes a drag problem when a billfish has steamed off with a lot of line and then turns, creating a huge bow in the line, which increases drag. Experts use a 30-foot head of fast-sinking line and a short total fly-line length (under 60 feet) to reduce drag. The angler and captain need a brightly colored backing in order to see where the fish is and how far out it is, especially if it becomes necessary to follow the fish.

With big billfish-class fly rods, it isn’t necessary for an angler to be in a casting class with the best distance flycasters—these rods are so heavy, it’s difficult to heave line far, and very few casts per day are required in billfishing. Under ordinary circumstances, it’s unnecessary to cast a big billfish fly any more than 30 to 40 feet.

Critical knots

It is absolutely essential that saltwater fly rodders, especially those intent on catching billfish, learn to tie knots well. Knots are the most important element of terminal tackle. The backing is fastened to the running line by back-to-back Nail Knots. The running line is connected to butt leader sections with Loop-to-Loop or Double Surgeon Knots. Leaders and tippet sections utilize Bimini Twist Knots or Spider Hitches, and leader sections are connected to 80- to 100-pound shock tippets by Albright Knots or modified Nail Knots. The shock tippet may be fastened to the fly by a three-turn Improved Clinch Knot (see: knots, fishing). Most of these knots are difficult to learn and harder to tie, but they are absolutely necessary to hold fish in the 100- to 300-pound category when traveling at great speeds.

Some anglers aren’t knot aficionados, and even though they may use such knots as the Albright, the Surgeon’s Loop, and the Spider Hitch, they prefer metal connector sleeves when forming certain connections. These connector sleeves are used to fasten the fly to 100-pound-test shock leader and also to make loops in the ends of the shooting-head fly line, which are fastened to either butt leader or mono running line with loop-to-loop connections. These sleeves may not be as pretty as knots, but they are very strong and don’t slip when used properly.

Some anglers use a Spider Hitch Knot rather than the hard-to-tie Bimini Twist. The Spider Hitch is simple to tie and is every bit as strong as the Bimini in lines below 30-pound test, which are applicable for nearly all saltwater fly fishing.

Where to Go

For the specialized game of fly rodding for billfish, knowing only where billfish will be at any time of the year is not sufficient. You also must know where the right size billfish will be. Thus, for practical reasons, anglers hoping to land billfish on a fly must seek these species in sizes that average from under 100 pounds up to 350 pounds, and this prerequisite somewhat limits the selection of locations.

There would be little sense, for example, in fishing with a fly rod off Cairns, Australia, in October or November for black marlin, when 1,000-pound blacks are cruising and the average black ranges from 500 to 600 pounds. On the other hand, if you wanted to catch a nice fly-rod black marlin, it would be wise to fish off Townsville, Australia, which is inside the Great Barrier Reef, in August or September. The blacks there average 50 to 100 pounds then. Though most fly rodders think the only place one can find small black marlin is off Australia, there are small black marlin off Panama in January, February, and March. Off the mouth of Pinas Bay they run in the 300- to 500-pound range during those months and are caught on a regular basis by conventional big-game and light-tackle anglers.

White marlin almost never grow much larger than 100 pounds, so during for most of the year you can fish for them almost anywhere. They are caught all up and down the Atlantic coast, from late spring until late summer. To find them in great numbers, however, serious anglers head for Venezuela in October and November. A month later, they appear in concentrated numbers off Brazil.

Places to catch small Atlantic blue marlin are few, but possibilities include Jamaica in February and March, St. Thomas later in the spring and summer, and Venezuela in October, November, and early December. The channel that runs between the island of Cozumel and the east coast of Mexico, close to Cancún, is a great spot to pursue Atlantic blue marlin from February through May.

Finding small Pacific blue marlin is a tough one to call. Unfortunately, there is really no one place in which one can be certain of finding smaller sizes of this fish in great numbers at any one time. Pacific blue marlin exist off Hawaii and a number of Pacific islands, but their size renders them impractical for a fly rodder. The best place to try for small Pacific blue marlin might be off Cabo San Lucas. El Niño notwithstanding, the best time to pursue them off Baja would be from late spring up through November. Although there is no guarantee that they would be the right size for fly anglers, the catch records indicate that more blue marlin in the 200- to 400-pound category are caught there than anywhere else. Some blues in the 60- to 70-pound class have been caught there, which indicates that they migrate past that port at a fairly early age.

Atlantic sailfish congregate off Florida’s East Coast, particularly in the winter off such areas as Jupiter Inlet and Palm Beach. But they are usually also plentiful off the Florida Keys at that time and later in the spring. Cozumel in March is a fine spot for Atlantic sails, as well as white marlin and small Atlantic blue marlin through May.

Pacific sailfish range all the way up the west coast of Central and South America to Baja and the Sea of Cortez. The best place to catch Pacific sailfish at any one time might be Panama in April and May, particularly at Pinas Bay. Also worth considering are Bahia Pez Vela on the upper coast of Costa Rica and Flamingo in the spring. During the winter months, when the winds make fishing almost impossible in those northern areas, Golfito in extreme southern Costa Rica, and Quepos, where a barrier range of mountains keeps the winds down and the seas calm, are good candidates.

In Mexico, Mazatlán is the top Pacific sailfish location, especially from May through October. But that is on the mainland—off Baja there are plenty of sails in the late spring and summer months, from an area south of La Paz all the way up to Loreto and Mulege.

The acrobatic Pacific striped marlin is a natural for fly rodders. It seldom exceeds 150 pounds in weight, which is just right for most fly anglers. The East Cape of Baja, from about La Paz down to Cabo San Lucas, is prime striped marlin territory from May through October. Another excellent spot for striped marlin is off Ecuador in the spring out of the port of Salinas, although it is a difficult place to reach. Striped marlin are caught regularly off Panama and Costa Rica, but they don’t seem to congregate in any one spot at any one time. Striped marlin are also found resting on the surface in small pods off Mazatlán from February through April.

Striped marlin in the 250-pound class are regularly taken in New Zealand, although not on a fly. Since the records for striped marlin in New Zealand on conventional tackle are impressive—from 271 pounds to nearly 500 pounds—this fishery seems to offer possibilities for fly rodders as well.