Silversides
inland silverside
Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina )

Atlantic Silverside (Menidia menidia)
Ray's Fly (top)

HOOK Eagle Claw 254 #2-3/0
THREAD Light olive
BODY Silver body braid
WING White bucktail under silver flash under yellow bucktail under rainbow crystal flash under olive bucktail
TOPPING
Peacock herl
Notes

Time of Appearance: May through November.

Along with the sand eel and menhaden the silverside is a major food source for striped bass. Silverside spawn in May, June and early July and their eggs hatch 10 days later. The silverside remain in the bay until early November.

I have seen them up to 6 inches but the average is about 3.5 inches. When undisturbed, silversides will suspend at the surface with their mouth actually penetrating the surface of the water. When disturbed they will dart very short distances and make little leaps out of the water. As summer progresses these fish will collect into very large schools.

The Atlantic Silverside's body is narrow, translucent olive above, pearl sides and underside. The Inland Silverside's body is also narrow with a protruding gut. The top is a translucent greenish-gray, pearl sides with a glimmer of light blue and the bottom is whitish.

Ray's Fly Flatwing (bottom)

HOOK Eagle Claw 254 #2-3/0
THREAD Light olive
BODY Light blue body braid
WING White bucktail under silver flash under yellow under rainbow crystal flash under a narrow olive saddle (tied in flat)
EYES
Jungle cock (optional)

The bottom fly grew out of Ray Bondorew's Ray's Fly and Ken Abrames' Ray's Fly Flatwing. Unlike the Abrames' fly that uses an olive saddle in the tail tied flat I put the olive saddle in the wing to create a fly that suggests both species of silversides that are found in the bay.

[ Saltwater Flies & the Naturals ]