Fly-Curious

[UserRemoved1]

8wt is fine for small fish but I can count on two hands, two feet, and at least one of your hands the amount of 8wt rods I've broken fishing for big stripers. Probably the best size starter rod for all-around saltwater use is a 9wt, 10 if your throwing big flies.

I wish I could still flyfish I've given tons of this stuff away over the past few years.

[Striperknight]

I use a 10wt.

[tattoobob]

I would buy a 9 wt. and use 10 wt. line you can really get the large flies out with that set up. I have had good luck landing 15 # plus Blues with it

[steve]

A 6 weight is too light for salt water and much to light to cast weighted clouser flies. An 8 or 9 weight is a good all around salt water striper rod and a world of difference from the 6 wght. Try that 6 in the freshwater for trout and largemouth. That's what it's made for.

[rphud]

Probably find that 6wt St. Croix will toss 9wt line just fine, especially if you are just starting out (slows things down a bit and lets you get your stroke/timing down). 9wt. line will probably be fine for most of those flies you are tossing unless they are gettin'towards the bulky side or it gets a bit windy, and then you will need a heavier line and rod. Best thing to do take an hour or so of lessons than practice in some unobstructed grassy place near the house for about 15 minutes or so a day. If you decide to trade in/up, try everything out (rod and reel and line with the flies you intend on using) before you buy. You might be suprised what you can subdue with a 6wt rod. The fly line is still about 35 lb test, and your leader or tippet will be less than that. Worst comes to worst, you have the fish connected directly to the reel. Keep your tip down and use the lower 1/3 of the rod for leverage agains the fish. That last 1/3 can be pretty substantial on a 6. Most important of all, just have fun with it!

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

8wt is fine for small fish but I can count on two hands, two feet, and at least one of your hands the amount of 8wt rods I've broken fishing for big stripers.

Salty, sitting on them doesn't count. From shore, an 8 weight is good for fish up to 30 lbs. Throwing dead chickens from a high gunwaled boat to big fish in deep water with 20 lb tippets and 400 grain Teeny lines is specialty stuff. 95 % of flyfishing for stripers is either sight fishing or blind casting in quiet water for small to medium bass feeding on small baits. For that (as well as bonito, albies, and bonefish) an 8 weight excels. If you're stuck wading Monomoy with the wind in your face, a 9 weight is useful, but not useful enough to make it your only rod when 95% of the fishing you'll do is better done with an 8 (and the other 5% with a 10).

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

8wt is fine for small fish but I can count on two hands, two feet, and at least one of your hands the amount of 8wt rods I've broken fishing for big stripers. Probably the best size starter rod for all-around saltwater use is a 9wt, 10 if your throwing big flies.

I wish I could still flyfish I've given tons of this stuff away over the past few years.

Then, my dear Salty, it may be you may have really never truly mastered that one important factor in the fine art of fishing with the "long wand" called "Patience and finesse" it is one of the most important factors in landing big fish on light tackle, fly or spin. The several truly big fish I have hooked and lost on fly tackle were all my fault. Too much pressure breaking rods because of impatience or one memorable fish on the Monomoy Flats that could well have gone to the mid forty range (lbs.) because I stepped stupidly into a loop dropped out of my stripping basket just after setting the hook into her jaw and she was flying away to deeper water.

BTW, I never used anything larger than 12lb test fluoro for tippet for anything while flyfishing.

When wading the beach or flats and you hook into a bigger fish with the fly and are using a light ten or twelve pound tippet, remember to keep the rod down and to your side parralel to the beach. This keeps pressure to the fish from the side not the to the surface and keeps them from coming to the surface where they shake thier little heads and cause more abrasion to the tippet surface wherein the longer you play the fish the more likely to get yourself broken off.

The side maneuver effectively helps to avoid that by keeping the tippet material from coming out at the corner of the basses jaw hinge where the surface is smooth as opposed to the front bottom and top of the jaw where the vomerine teeth and rough surface make short work of light tippets.

[Flaptail]

BTW, I use my 9 wts for 350 grain shooting heads (Orvis depthcharge was one of the best) and my tens for 450/650 grain heads. These are used primarily from a boat casting back into a beach on the outer cape or rips and deep holes anywhere else.

[Crafty Angler]

Hey, BillM - I don't know you but you do know the most difficult part of learning how to fly fish, don't you?

(Okay, Nebe, here it is, a slow meatball right over the plate for ya )