Skip to content
The Woolly Gentleman logo
The Woolly Gentleman
FlyboxTiersWhy These WorkJournalFind Your FliesThe CraftThe Story
Home/Flybox/Page's Sand Eel
Page's Sand EelBaitfishbeginner

Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

Page's Sand Eel

Flybox sourcing profile

No TWG price or checkout is active. Use this page to validate the fly, then source it through the mapped tier or trusted fly shops.

Available Sizes#2 - #6 (3-4 inches)
Color Variations
Olive/WhiteTan/WhiteSilver

Pattern Ledger

Source Page's Sand Eel

Want help finding this exact pattern or a tied-to-order equivalent? Join the sourcing ledger and we will prioritize demand by water, species, and pattern.

Trusted Sourcing Ledger

Find this fly from an independent source

Exact links are published only after the product name and live page are checked. TWG does not sell the fly, set the price, or control stock, shipping, or returns.

Exact source still under review

We have not published an exact product link for this pattern yet. The directory below can help locate a regional specialist, but it is not proof that the exact fly is currently listed.

Regional source directory

Specialist source

New England Fly Company

Matched on Northeast & Mid-Atlantic, baitfish flies, striped bass. New England tier lead for brook trout, landlocked salmon, and coastal striper patterns.

Northeast & Mid-Atlanticbaitfish flies
Specialist source

Salty Fly Tying

Matched on Northeast & Mid-Atlantic, baitfish flies, striped bass. Drew Chicone's saltwater tying catalog and learning hub, strongest for saltwater pattern validation.

Northeast & Mid-Atlanticbaitfish flies
Broad catalog

Fulling Mill Flies

Matched on baitfish flies, bass, baitfish. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.

baitfish fliesbass
Broad catalog

Orvis Fly Catalog

Matched on baitfish flies, bass, broad catalog. Broad retail catalog for standard trout, warmwater, salmon/steelhead, and saltwater patterns.

baitfish fliesbass

These are independent businesses. A listing does not imply endorsement or partnership. TWG currently receives no purchase commission from these links. Any future paid or affiliate relationship will be labeled beside the relevant link.

The American sand lance -- Ammodytes americanus, if you are the sort of person who names your prey -- is the single most important baitfish in the Northeast. Everything eats them. Stripers, blues, albies, bonito, fluke. If the sand eels are present, the fishing is on. If they are not, you are sightseeing. This pattern imitates them with a weighted, hook-up design that bounces along the bottom where sand eels actually live, which is, appropriately, in the sand. Simple concept. Essential fly.

Quick Facts

TypeBaitfish
Difficultybeginner
SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall
Target SpeciesStriped Bass, Bluefish, False Albacore, Fluke
Sizes#2 - #6 (3-4 inches)
Best LocationsNantucket, MA; Martha's Vineyard, MA; Sandy Hook, NJ

Where to Fish It

Nantucket

MA · Flats

Martha's Vineyard

MA · Flats

Sandy Hook

NJ · Surf

Loading map...

Related Reading

hatch guide

Saltwater Forage: Matching the Bait

In saltwater fly fishing, there are no hatches — there is forage. Mullet, shrimp, crabs, baitfish, and worms drive every feeding event on the flats, in the surf, and along the mangrove edges. Understanding the forage base and matching it precisely is the difference between a fish of a lifetime and an empty line.

You Might Also Like

Snake FlyBaitfishbeginner

Snake Fly

Flybox

Find a tier or trusted source

Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

#1 - #2/0 (tied long, 4-6 inches)

A long, slender sand eel imitation made from a single saddle hackle wrapped around the shank. Incredibly simple construction creates a remarkably realistic sand eel profile in the water.

WhiteOliveTan

Striped Bass · Bluefish · False Albacore

SprSumFallWin
Source & Details →
Northeast Clouser MinnowBaitfishbeginner

Northeast Clouser Minnow

Flybox

Find a tier or trusted source

Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

#1 - #2/0

The universal Clouser adapted for Northeast waters. Lead eyes sink it into the strike zone in estuaries and back bays. Chartreuse/white is the classic, but olive/white imitates the local sand eels.

Chartreuse/WhiteOlive/WhiteAll WhiteTan/White

Striped Bass · Bluefish · Weakfish · Fluke

SprSumFallWin
Source & Details →
EP Baitfish (Northeast)Baitfishintermediate

EP Baitfish (Northeast)

Flybox

Find a tier or trusted source

Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

#1 - #3/0

Enrico Puglisi's EP fiber baitfish adapted for Northeast species. The translucent body imitates everything from spearing to herring. A modern classic that has earned a permanent spot in every striper box.

Olive/WhiteSilver/WhiteHerringBunkerTan/White

Striped Bass · Bluefish · False Albacore · Weakfish

SprSumFallWin
Source & Details →
Surf CandyBaitfishintermediate

Surf Candy

Flybox

Find a tier or trusted source

Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

#2 - #6

Tier reference: Joe Fox & Kelly Buchta

Epoxy-coated baitfish imitation. Nearly indestructible. Sinks fast and flashes through the water column. The bluefish-proof fly.

Olive/WhiteChartreuse/WhiteSilverPink/White

False Albacore · Bonito · Bluefish · Striped Bass

SprSumFallWin
Source & Details →
Striper DeceiverBaitfishintermediate

Striper Deceiver

Flybox

Find a tier or trusted source

Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

#1/0 - #3/0

Oversized Deceiver tied for Northeast stripers. Long white saddle hackle with flash. The workhorse of the striper fleet and the first fly every Northeast saltwater angler learns to love.

WhiteOlive/WhiteChartreuse/WhiteBlackHerring

Striped Bass · Bluefish

SprSumFallWin
Source & Details →
Ray's FlyBaitfishintermediate

Ray's Fly

Flybox

Find a tier or trusted source

Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

#1 - #2/0 (3-5 inches)

A sparse, elegant sand eel imitation by Ray Bondorew. Ultra-realistic in the water with a slim profile that matches the sand eels stripers obsess over in the Northeast.

Olive/WhiteTan/WhiteAll White

Striped Bass · Bluefish

SprSumFallWin
Source & Details →

The Woolly Gentleman

Every Fly Has a River · Every River Has a Tier

America's premium flybox and field ledger for choosing the right pattern before you buy.

Join the mailing list. We will tell you what is hatching.

The Flybox

  • Open the Flybox
  • Tiers
  • For Tiers & Fly Shops
  • The Science
  • Why These Work
  • Find Your Flies
  • The Flybox
  • The Journal

Fishing Regions

  • Gulf Coast & Emerald Coast
  • Florida Keys
  • Northeast & Mid-Atlantic
  • Rocky Mountain West
  • Pacific Northwest
  • All 10 Regions

The Gentleman

  • Our Story
  • Nationwide
  • hello@thewoollygentleman.com

© 2026 The Woolly Gentleman. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy|Terms & Conditions

Chosen with proof. Sourced with care.