OK I am now a salt addict.
I am actively looking for the "right" reel and I have several things being watched on Ebay.
The "right" reel must be heavy enough to balance my sturdy Orvis #9, cheap enough to be scratched on the rocks, have room for a LOT of 30lb dacron backing and have a good enough brake to withstand a big Pollock. Not easy to find!
I am also looking for a salt fly box that can take larger flies but not cost a fortune and be small enough to go in a pocket. Also not easy to find as salty stuff is new and expensive. If you believe the press a £700 rod with a £500 reel is the only thing that can stop a sea fish - utter pollocks!
The flies are fairly easy to tie and your imagination can work better than Google or the established patterns. Dumbell flies are a real pain to cast and if they hit you they really are a pain. Hamish and I both made contact due to wind gusts and both incidents could have been worse so glasses are a must. I find lighter more mobile flies work for me, with bead chain eyes for a wee bit of weight but not enough to make casting a chore. I like smaller lighter flies, Hamish likes BIG weighty flies and we both scored so go with what you feel like.
I use a #9 Airflo DI7 tipped Sniper line with a extra super fast polyleader on it to smooth out the turnover. This tip is currently 10 feet but I am experimenting with 6 foot tips. Nylon needs to be strong but not visible under water. The 30lb stuff that I currently use is like a rope and turnover is not great. Seaguar Ace Hard is on the cards in 15 and 20lb spools, but it is £13 a go! Yikes! The good news is that you only need a metre or so at the end of the polyleader so a spool should last a while.
Good, long forceps or pliers are also a must as some of these flies go a long way down the throat. Needless to say all the gear must be salt water resistant and when you are done, dump everything in fresh water after hosing it all down. We left our gear overnight in fresh water and there was no corrosion. Wipe down the fly line after it is washed and check for nicks and cuts. Shorelines can be brutal on fly lines.
After all that good clothing is next. Boots that don't slip on wet rocks, waterproofs, thermals and the ability to carry all that so you can remove layers as the day warms up. Ullapool went from 9 degrees to 17 degrees and the jacket, fleece and thermal that I needed in the morning were too much 3 hours later. I have gone with a good rucksack that doesn't interfere with casting. We also needed a lot of water as the salty air and strong sun dried us out.
A shoreline is like a river or loch - you need to find the right features, spot where the fish will feed and get your fly on to the target. The tackle is a bit heavier but the principals are the same.
It is really good fun and makes the fishing season 12 months long!