Podcast: How Water Temperature Affects Saltwater Flats Fish, with Dr. Aaron Adams

Interview begins at 51:35.

We frequently discuss water temperature in regard to trout fishing, but you seldom hear much about how water temperature affects popular saltwater fly-rod fish like bonefish, tarpon, permit, redfish, striped bass, and bluefish. The water temperature on the flats can vary dramatically, depending on local weather patterns and tides, which will in turn affect where the fish move to and how actively they feed. Learn from Bonefish & Tarpon Trust‘s science director, Dr. Aaron Adams (also a superb fly fisher), on the science of water temperature and saltwater species.

In the Fly Box, we have a great selection of questions, tips, and rants from listeners, including:

• Is it appropriate to tip a guide when he or she runs a group class at a fly shop?
• What kind of footwear do you use when blue lining if you are wet-wading?
• Does monofilament have a shelf life?
• Is a fiberglass rod a viable option for carp, bass, or bonefish?
• Has Tom developed any new insights on carp fishing in 2023?
• My sister harvested a moose. What flies can I tie with moose hair?
• I’ve often had good fishing before a thunderstorm but not after. Is there any validity to this observation?
• A mild rant from a listener who does not like to chat on the water with other anglers. And a less mild rant about anglers who invade his space.
• Can I turn my fly line around to the running line when I want to Euro nymph?
• How have developments in fly fishing changed the productivity of fly fishing in the last 100 years?
• Why am I not seeing many fish in rivers that run into reservoirs in the fall?
• How can I tell the difference between my nymphs ticking the bottom and a strike?
• A great tip from a listener on removing all of your backing and rinsing it at the end of a saltwater fly-fishing season.
• Should knots ever break?
• This fall I fished a river that was 18 to 24 inches deep and uniform, without much structure. I fished hard with various methods and didn’t catch a thing.  How would you approach water like this?