Welcome to the world of saltwater fly fishing. If you are a freshwater trout or salmon fisherman, I think you'll find that the techniques you use from the shore for those fish will transition very nicely over to the salt. Whether fishing inlets or waves, the current works the same as a river or stream. The fish hold and feed in the same manner way in both environments.
Before getting too concerned with patterns, think more about your presentation and where the fish may be holding in an area as a function of current ant structure. Then try to figure out how you might approach these fish. Just like a river, the ocean and inlets provide seams, rocks, pools, tails and heads too all kinds of structure. Fish the same way you would for trout or salmon. I prefer the floating line for mending, etc.
What kind of gear did you get? You might find that you can use some of your freshwater gear for this as well. A 2 or 3 weight will do just find if you're not hunting for brutes. A 6-8 weight will handle all but the most brutal of situations. Bass are not leader shy either so you don't have to worry about little tippets and try to fish at night. The fish feed close to the surface at night and greased line techniques excell. Weighted flies unweighted flies... They all work at different times. Small shrimp and worm patterns are deadly in the spring, General practitioners, 1" flatwings, etc. These fish eat very small things. Smaller than you can imagine. Silverside imitations and big herring/bunker patterns later in the spring work when appropriate. You have to start getting pretty crafty toward mid summer as sometimes the fish start to get pretty picky. It's all part of the fun! Toward august/september start fishing baby menhaden patterns (called peanut bunker locally) and mullet flies. Last week it appears that Dave Pollack demonstrated tying the september night fly which is a pretty deadly mullet pattern. It is also a great pattern to use throughout the season depending on where you're fishing.
Where do you plan to fish? What type of water? These all effect how you should approach the game and the bass are in each different envitronment looking for different things.
Good luck and have fun!  | 
03-15-2008, 08:30 PM
Newbie to the salt, when does it start ????? 
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