Historically, Fluke (or summer flounder) have rarely been targeted by fly fishermen. Instead, fluke have been considered by most to simply be a pleasant bycatch, More recently, however, fluke are being sought after more and more by northeast fly anglers.
Fluke have always played a major part in my life. I spent many years dragging nets for fluke up and down the New Jersey coast during the summer and in the winter offshore on the edge of the continental shelf from Virginia to the Hague line. It was how I supported my family. My commercial experience carried over to my recreational fly fishing passion which inevitably led me once again to chase the flat ones, only this time for pleasure. If there was one thing I learned during my commercial days that I would consider the most important element in understanding fluke, it would be tides. Tides are everything. Tides control the bait movements and bait determines where the summer flounder will be at any given time.
