courtesy Scott Jaunich

Pioneers like Dr. Webster Robinson, Captain Lee Cuddy and Harry Kime laid down the foundation for many of the techniques used offshore today. Since then a number of inventive hard-core anglers have added extensively to this base of knowledge.

This isn't a history website, so we won't try to recount all the accomplishments and contributors that have appeared over the years. Suffice to say that there is a growing contigent of very knowledgable people who pursue this sport all over the world.

But bluewater fly fishing is not easy. Fly fishing has always had some fundamental handicaps when it comes to fishing for bluewater species:

• Terminal tackle - Fly fishing gear is limited by IGFA rules to no more than 12" of heavy leader material (the "shock" or "bite" tippet) in front of the fly, including all knots. In addition, the weakest part of the leader (the "class" tippet) must be at least 15" long. Contrast this with conventional offshore gear, where you are allowed up to 20' of double line and heavy leader material (although no more than 15' of either) for 20lb class tackle or less.
  
  
• Line test - In the early days, SWFF was regulated by the now-defunct Salt Water Fly Rodders of America (not the IGFA), and the maximum tippet size was only 15 lb test. Under the IGFA, a 20 lb test class was added, but even that is considered light for offshore fishing.
  
  
• Line drag - Fly lines and backing add considerable drag in the water, often causing the tippet to part on fast, long-running fish.
  
  
• Line pickup rate - Offshore fly reels are all single action - that is, they have a 1:1 gear ratio. Since even the largest fly reels have spools that are under 6" in diameter, the most line that can be picked up with a single turn of the handle is about 18". Contrast this with a Shimano Trinidad 16, a small offshore reel, which picks up 46" of line with one turn of the handle. This makes fighting fish that run a long way a major exercise in handle-spinning.
  
  
• Lifting power - Fly rods are typically softer and longer than normal offshore rods. This makes it easier to cast a fly, but makes the rod less effective as a fish-fighting tool, especially when the fish is dogging it below the boat.
  
  
• Speed of lure retrieval - In order to be considered a "fly caught" fish, the fly must be cast to the fish, and the boat must be out of gear before the fly is cast. Because a fly is retrieved by stripping the fly line in by hand, the retrieve speed is pretty slow compared to a lure that is being trolled, or reeled in with a conventional or spinning reel.
  
  
• Lure size - While advances in fly design and tying techniques have resulted in larger and larger flies that are still castable, the vast majority of offshore flies are still well under a foot. This can be a problem for attracting larger fish
  
  
• End game - Flying gaffs may not be used to land fish being considered for a fly rod record. Over the years, several potential records have been lost while trying to land them with fixed gaffs.

As you can imagine, with all of these handicaps, offshore fly fishing requires a lot more work than fishing with conventional gear, and requires some specialized techniques. The level of difficulty imvolved is perhaps best reflected by comparing the maximum sizes of offshore fish captured on fly versus those caught on conventional tackle. Here are some examples:

Species	Line or Tippet Class	Fly (Mens)	Conventional (Mens)
Albacore	12	35 lb 0 oz	68 lbs 12 oz
	20	47 lb 0 oz	76 lbs 0 oz
Dolphinfish (Dorado, Mahi Mahi)	12	58 lb 0 oz	77 lbs 2 oz
	20	57 lb 8 oz	76 lbs 8 oz
Marlin, Striped	12	153 lb 12 oz	296 lbs 0 oz
	20	211 lb 10 oz	361 lbs 15 oz
Sailfish, Pacific	12	136 lb 0 oz	171 lbs 13 oz
	20	130 lb 0 oz	193 lbs 0 oz
Tuna, Yellowfin	12	67 lb 8 oz	163 lbs 2 oz
	20	93 lb 11 oz	213 lbs 13 oz

Bluewater fly fishing is an incredibly challenging sport, so if you're looking for something new and exciting to try, it is definitely worth looking into.

Instead, this artcle focuses on some of the finer points of setting up and using your skiff for offshore salt water fly fishing. We'll talk about line management, arranging outriggers and setting up boat equipment, general strategies unique to offshore skiff fly fishing, and problems associated with landing fly-rod fish from a skiff.