Classic minnow patterns such as the Lefty's Deceiver and bend-back streamers, tied so that the hook-point rides up, are excellent producers around granite rocks and crevices and are less likely to snag. Any combination of white, red, and yellow bucktail works well. The Clouser Deep Minnow fly, a glass minnow pattern weighted with lead eyes, is another deadly profile in the rocks. A Clouser Deep Minnow tied on a 2 to 2/0 stainless steel hook with chartreuse bucktail on the upper and lower wings and a few strands of rainbow Krystal Flash in the middle also will draw lots of attention from seatrout, redfish, small grouper, ladyfish, and other jetty cruisers. Clousers tied with white or yellow bucktail seem to be the color of preference for Spanish mackerel. Yellow-and-red Clousers are effective on trout and redfish. Deceivers, Whistlers, and other glass minnow patterns also work well around the rocks and crevices of the Texas jetties. Be prepared to lose a fly or two when teasing fish around the rocks. The reward for getting a fly down into the right hole in front of a jetty will outweigh the loss of a few flies.

Hazards and Precautions

Anglers have been fishing off jetties for years, but some jetties are more accommodating to walkers than others, and some should be approached only by boat. When fishing off a Texas jetty, take care in moving about. Surfaces can be extremely slippery, especially when they are dampened by wave action and coated with algae. Most experienced jetty anglers learn to spot the hazardous areas and are careful where they step. With practice, it is not difficult to find a suitable rock platform where you can position yourself to cast a fly. After assessing the surf conditions, find a rock as close to the water's edge as possible. Surf and wave action and cracks and crevices in the rocks can play havoc with line stripped at the feet of the flycaster. Developing a knack for finding the right flat surface to perch on and judging the wave action can reduce these problems significantly. Wearing a commercially made stripping basket (or one made by putting two slits in a small plastic wastebasket and looping a belt through it) also can solve the line storage problem.