Cobia on the Fly

     When it comes to saltwater fly fishing there is nothing more exciting than having a big fish gulp down your fly and Cobia are the big fish we have here locally in Beaufort, SC. There are a lot of different pieces that come together when sight casting to a cobia. The slick calm water, sighting the fish on top of the water, a great cast, and of course the right fly. Our cobia fishery here in so unique do to the fact that these big offshore fish come inshore to my home waters, the Broad River to spawn for 2 months out of theyear, which gives you an easy opportunity to fish for them inshore rather than running 20 miles offshore to fish.
   Cobia are a very strong and most times aggressive fish when it comes to sight casting for them. They range anywhere from 10-80lbs and can put up quite a fight on a 10-12wt rod, with a 2 piece section of 52 and 35lb liter. Looking for these fish is one of the most exciting parts of the action because you are looking for them pushing on top of the water either feeding, or simply just cruising. When we have calm, slick water, that's the time to look for them. The push or wake they put up is very noticeable, and looks like a huge V in the water. You are able to spot these fish 30-100yds away from the boat, and running the boat about 5mph is the easiest way to spot them them cruising.

A Cobia Cruising on top

        After you spot a Cobia, you then simply direct the boat towards the fish, staying on either the left or right side, about 30ft away so you don't spook them. Surprisingly Cobia are not a very smart fish, and do not get spooked by boats. Once you are within casting distance, you simply lay the fly about 2 feet in front of the fish, then strip as fast as you can. The Cobia will then turn and chase your fly down, which is a very exciting moment, but the key is to stay focused and be ready to set the hook. When you see the fish take the fly you simply give it a nice strip set and BAM the game is on. Letting the line go through your hand until it hits the reel, then your on for about a 45 minute to an hour and half fight. The fly of choice on my boat is the flashtail whistler.

The Flashtail Whistler

   Cobia fight like a bull, and tend to dive pretty deep, so the key is have your drag set tight, and be ready for sore arms the next morning. When landing the fish it is important to make sure the Cobia is worn out, because they are a very strong fish and can go pretty wild in the boat. A gaff or boga grip are the best ways to put the fish in the boat. It is a very rewarding feeling when you catch such a big fish on the fly, especially one that you watch eat your fly.
   One of my favorite experiences with a Cobia on the fly was last year on fathers day. I was out with my dad looking Cobia and after about an hour we spotted 2 big females cruising together, both around 40lbs. As I threw the fly out, the fish on the right turned right away, and NAILED my fly, game on! I fought the fish for around an hour then finally got him to the boat. Once he saw the boat he took off with sheerr force and broke my 11wt in 3 pieces! I thought we had lost the fish, but sure enough he was still on! For the next 30 minutes I pulled him to the surface with just the reel and butt section of the rod, my dad gaffed him, and we landed a 43 pound Cobia on the fly, which made for a great fathers day!
    The feeling of pulling that fish to the surface was amazing and one I will never forget. The reason my rod broke was because about 2 weeks prior to that I had a client break of a 50+ pound Cobia, and the ferrel's of the fly rod got cracked when that happened. Cobia are a ton of fun, and very exciting to fish for on the fly, one of my favorite times of year here as a local. Seeing a big fish eat the fly is something I recomend to anyone who like to fly fish, and Cobia are a great way to do it.


My dad and I with the Cobia and broken 11wt