Gartside's Floating Sand Eel

Gartside’s Floating Sand Eel, designed by the late Jack Gartside, is a brilliant imitation of a sand eel suspended near the water's surface. Known for his innovative patterns, Gartside created this fly to target striped bass feeding on sand eels in shallow flats and estuaries, particularly during low-light conditions or calm waters. The fly’s buoyant construction and slender profile make it ideal for mimicking a sand eel struggling near the surface. Its ability to float and gently ride the waves allows anglers to fish it as both an active baitfish or a dead-drifted prey item, making it versatile for a variety of situations.

Strip-and-Suspend: Employ a short, erratic strip retrieve followed by a long pause. The floating nature of the fly allows it to hover in the strike zone during the pause, making it irresistible to fish keying in on sand eels suspended near the surface.