Plugs and metal lures plow through the water with rhythmic action, usually very pronounced, and imitate panic stricken or wounded baitfish, and as I m sure you ve noticed, sometimes the bass see through the deception. The baitfish doesn t always scream through the water at mach 2, and the predators aren t always looking for them to. Plainly put, you just can t always imitate the behaviors of baitfish with a plug or spoon as you can with a fly. I ve found that in most cases it s the presentation of the fly which causes the strike, not the pattern itself, but we ll get into that at a later date. There is a certain grace and style to fly casting, sweeping the rod back and forth in a basic cast as you shoot line through the guides and scan for the best spot to place your fly.
False casting serves several purposes, one of which is to gauge how far out the fly is.
The small mass of the fly makes less of a splash for those times when the fish are spooky and with practice you can make the fly line kiss the water with hardly a ripple, just ask any competent trout fisherman. Not to worry, that s why we have poppers, sliders and such. Some fly tiers have even been known to add rattles to their patterns. Once you complete your cast, you ll have much more control over your line and therefore the fly than you do with a plug. You can do it with most saltwater flies, at least out to medium casting ranges.