Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival Guides’ Top Bass Flies
Published: 21st August 2023 | Author: Fulling MillThe Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival (OSFFF) returns for its fourth year from 1st – 3rd September 2023, with an even bigger and better line-up. Based across Chichester Harbour, Hayling Island and now Portsmouth, the festival will see over 180 anglers from all over the UK and further afield journey to the beaches.
Fulling Mill is once again delighted to partner with the event, having supported it since its inception.
What is the event?
The festival welcomes all ages and abilities and although there is a competition element, the main aim is to bring together like-minded anglers to forge new friendships. It’s well known that you can never be more than 70 miles from the coast in the UK, so the festival’s foundation is to celebrate what the UK has to offer in terms of saltwater fly fishing. The festival is an accessible route for amateurs and professional anglers to come together and enjoy the sport.
Anglers attending can expect bass and mullet workshops from the experts. This includes Colin Macleod, Michael Rescorle, Philip Spratt, and the Fluff Chuckers’ Rodney Wevill. There will also be fly tying, exciting social events and two and a half days of competition fishing with coveted Orvis prizes.
Prizes are awarded across categories, ‘Longest Bass’, ‘Longest Mullet’, ‘Longest Other Species’, and ‘Most Number of Species’. The festival is fully focused on sustainability, practising catch and release and supporting environmental and mentoring organisations.
What flies should you consider?
In anticipation, we spoke to some of the OSFFF Guides about their go-to Fulling Mill flies for bass on the fly.
The Chartreuse and White Clouser
“There are many options when it comes to bass flies but they are all essentially baitfish patterns. Fulling Mill have a wide selection, all of which will be effective for bass. Most fly anglers have their own favourite that they fish with confidence, which is a key factor. The American fly anglers have a saying: it ain’t no use unless it’s chartreuse. Nobody really knows why chartreuse works as nothing in the sea is chartreuse except, apparently, some form of marine worm. Where I fish the water is a little deeper so I tend to use an intermediate line with a chartreuse and white clouser. The dumbbell eyes means the fly fishes hook up, which I think helps. And it’s not just bass that takes a chartreuse and white clouser. On my last trip out I caught a mackerel in addition to some bass.”
Phil Spratt, fourth-year Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival guide.
The Softy Sandeel
“Choosing a favourite fly is difficult because so many of Fulling Mill’s are great. However, when looking at my all-time favourite, I have, naturally, been influenced by the type of saltwater fly fishing I do and what works best for me. Most of my fly fishing is carried out while wading in shallow water casting into just a few feet of water, so I want a light fly that stays in the mid or upper water column. And, I want one that I can cast well with either an overhead or roll cast to 25 yards with a minimum of effort. I also want a durable fly that is not prone to tail wrap. So, my favourite fly is the Softy Sandeel – always in Chartreuse.”
Michael Rescorle, Fourth-year Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival Guide and Director of Solent Saltwater Fly Fishing.
Orange and Yellow Clouser
“My favourite and most reliable saltwater fly for bass in Chichester Harbour has got to be an orange and yellow clouser. Crabs and ragworm are a favourite food source of bass in the harbour. I think the colours of this fly trigger a response as an imitation of those food sources. I used the orange and yellow clouser with some success in the inaugural Orvis Saltwater Fly Festival in 2020. In fact, it resulted in me finishing as runner-up in the Longest Bass category. I am particularly looking forward to the festival this year as there are some fantastic tides over the whole weekend and I fully expect to see a good number of bass being caught and some good sizes amongst them.”
Andy Miller, the newest Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival Guide
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