Saltwater @ 5wt.?

Sorry, but I was bored and went to GFF forum. Found a thread there that was extensive and revealing. Those Scandanavians use a 5wt. in salt. The faint of heart use a 6!!!!

Anyone ever tried a 5wt. for salt?

Jim

I've used a 5wt in salt, but most 5wts lack the necessary backbone to control a larger fish and land it in a reasonable amount of time. The lightest rod I use is a 6wt with good backbone (Scott Heliply).

30 some odd years ago I fished the salt with my Garcia 6wt and a Medalist reel
Mickyfinns and Black-nose Dace bucktails
It's what I had so that's what I used
:shock:
Now I know enough to use a rod that has the backbone to land the largest fish I'm likely to hook

In northern Europe they fish for sea bass. I've been told that a 10# fish is worth a three day hangover
:D

I use a 6 wt in the surf when I am after specs. It is just fine for most specs and spanish macks in my area of the coast. There is always a risk of tieing into something bigger, unfortunately that has never happened to me. One of the reasons I like the 6 as opposed to using an 8 wt is that I can throw the 6 all day long and the 8 wt starts to wear on me after a few hours.

Hey, I can see using a 6wt. If it's a decent rod with some backbone there's no reason you can't play and land schoolie stripers, blues, etc. And, as you know, there are some 5wts. with backbone. Half the members of this board deride Orvis rods for being too "stiff"!

I don't think you need 9,10 and up....there's one fellow here in NJ that wrote a book on Jersey salt and his minimum recommendation is a 10wt!!!! Huh?
C'mon, that 52" striper is rare.

I would love to snag a striper or blue; I was taken to the salt four times in past years...zip. And, the trip is based on tides, winds, location, time of day/night, and on and on.... And, those times that all the stars are in alignment, you get there and the birds are 400 yards off shore!?!? Double-haul ain't gonna help you here.

Anyway, here's the link to the post, it's interesting.

http://www.globalflyfisher.com/forum...opic.php?t=259


Regards, Jim

Quote:

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"Big fish are different than little fish.
If you try to catch big fish using little fish methods then you will continue to have the success that you are having now. Most fly-fishermen overlook this. "
Ken Abrams

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Lou Tabory, in his ground breaking book "Inshore Fly Fishing" advocates using an 11wt
The choice is yours
I like catching big fish

Howdy Jim,

My favorite rig is a Sage VT2 691-4, I really like the VT2 series from Sage, paired up with an Ross Evolution, it is wicked (in a good way) Back this summer I used a 4 wt to harass the Ladyfish in shin deep water, now that was fun. A poor mans tarpon on the fly all of 18" to 20", then again I am easily amused.

Hey Bryan,

Am I correct in assuming the VT2 series took the place of the old VPS series from Sage?

How's the 691 handle? The description says the VT2 series has different actions depending on rod size (not all med-fast, etc). I currently have 4 XP's and I like that feel and action, however, with WF4 they are fast and with GPX WF5 they are med-fast.


Jim

Howdy Jim,

I do believe the VT2 did replace the VPS, but I don't know how the two compare. The handle on the 691 has anodized aluminium reel seat with a fighting butt. I like it.

As for rod action my 6 wt is not quite as fast as my buds XP, but it is pretty close, very smooth. My 4 wt is a bit slower than a 4 wt XP, but again nice smooth rod. I would like to try a 8 wt VT2 some day, I do have an 8 wt XP and love it.

5 and 6wts are often used in the bays of Southern California for various species. Most fish taken in the bays are less than 5lbs, though larger fish are possible. A few anglers use 5 and 6wts in the surfzone also. 6 and 7 wts are used much more often than 5wts though, mostly because they handle heavier/denser sinking lines better than a 5wt.

I caught my biggest striper of the year on a 5 wt RPLXi. A keeper and then some plus a little bit extra.

It really isn't the "rod" so much as it is the size of the flies and the wind. If conditions are mild and smaller flies will work then I don't hesitate to grab the "little" rod. Sage no longer makes a 5 wt with a fighting butt. I would never ever give this rod up.

TFO has a 5wt with a fighting but. All rods in the Jim Teeny Series have fighting butts, down to a 4 wt. Nice rods too. That 5wt RPLXi was a really nice rod.

I like my 3wt with a click and pawl reel for NE salt water. Little spots with little flies with a nice long headed tapered line. Great for spey casts and long mends in tight areas where overhead casts are unneccesary.

I have fished in at times where heavy fly lines slapping and ripping the water have put rising saltwater fish down just like trout would. Pulled out the 3wt for a softer presentation and they started rising again.

I fished a 3wt along side a friend who was using a 9wt and was able to bring every fish to hand faster than he was.

Little fish tactics doesn't mean using just little rods, it means using little fish tactics to catch little fish. Changing tactics doesn't mean just changing rod size. It means changing how you fish.

As far as back-bone goes, you got this little thing on the end of your rod. Most people call it a reel. It makes a great winch for stopping and cranking in any size fish. Want to stop a fish dead in his tracks; grab your reel or the line. He either stops or your leader breaks. It's so effective you can even do it with a handline. :roll: :roll: :roll:

If you're just winching the fish in on the reel, why bother with a fly rod at all? :shock:

http://www.whitemouseflyfishing.com/handlines.html

Cause you don't need backbone to land a fish.