How to Catch Stripers on the Fly - with Maury Hatch

If you love chasing striped bass, you’ll want to hear what veteran guide Maury Hatch has to say. We caught Maury just before his fly-fishing presentation at Sweeney’s Sports for a deep dive into one of the most exciting ways to target stripers: on the fly.

Maury is a world-traveled guide, a gifted communicator, and the mind behind representing Costa Sunglasses here in CA. His passion for stripers comes through instantly — as he explains, “What’s so great about a striped bass is they’ll gobble a small presentation like this, but they’ll also eat a giant one. Who doesn’t love a fish that wants to eat everything in the water column?”

🎥 Watch the full interview: How to Catch Stripers on the Fly — with Maury Hatch

The Magic of the Fly

Maury breaks down the similarities between conventional and fly tactics. Whether you’re throwing a rattle trap or a hand-tied Clouser Minnow, it’s all about reading the tide, water clarity, and bait behavior.

“In low-light conditions, darker flies with a bigger silhouette stand out best. Once the sun’s up, lighter colors like white over chartreuse produce more bites. If it doesn’t have chartreuse, it’s of no use.”

He reminds us that stripers feed aggressively in shallow water - often just a few feet deep - and that fly anglers can work water unreachable by larger boats. The result? Fast action and a unique connection to the fish.

Lessons from a Hundred-Fish Morning

Maury recalls one remarkable day when he and his friends boated over a hundred stripers before noon. Clear water, small tides, and calm wind created perfect fly conditions. “We caught fish until my hands hurt from releasing them,” he laughs.

From there, he shares insights on timing: “The last 45 minutes of any tide movement — that’s when they go bonkers. I think they sense the world’s about to stop, so they eat.”

The Clouser Legacy

The conversation turns philosophical when Maury honors the late Bob Clouser, creator of the legendary Clouser Minnow fly. “That’s true legacy,” Maury says. “He didn’t name a library after himself - he tied something that’ll be catching fish a hundred years from now.”

Try It Yourself

For anglers curious about fly tactics - or even spinning-rod fans looking to experiment - Maury drops a great tip:

“You can fish a Clouser with a spinning rod. Just use an 18-inch leader, a bullet weight, and a swivel. Cast it out, retrieve, pause — you’ll mimic a fly fisherman perfectly.”

You can find hand-tied Clouser-style flies — including some of Maury’s patterns — now at Sweeney’s Sports in Napa and online at CatchHappy.co.

Tight lines, Mr. Sweeney

---

🎣 Got a question or photo of your best catch? Tag us @CatchHappy - we love seeing and sharing your success stories.

Catch Happy!