newbie here, educate me please

[Saltamontes]

I am contemplating purchasing a 8wt "affordable" fly rod for the odd trip to the beach. I have never fished the salt (I live thousands of miles away from the ocean), thus this is all new to me. I am looking at the HX8 090 from Wild Water Fly Fishing (8 wt 4 pc), it sounds like an O.K. rod. I will also keep an eye on e-bay in case a good deal can be found there. I figure I'll probably use the rod once every few years, that being the main reason for wanting to keep the price of the purchase low as it will not get used very often.
What would you folks recommend for an affordable reel to go with this rod? I am looking for something durable, looks not being a priority. Every reel I have looked at "online" does not specify if it can be used in salt water. Any particular brand I should look at? what specs should I look for in a reel for saltwater fishing. I am hoping to get a chance to target a bonefish in a year or two.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Saltamontes

[Martin McFly]

Hello Saltamontes and welcome to FAOL. I started fishing the suds not too long ago and what I got me for that task is a Redington Crosswater set up. My setup is an 8wt and I fish the SoCal beaches, we don't catch big fish here but the conditions require that weight. I spent around $ 110 (around $ 130 for the 4 piece) plus a $ 30 sinking tip line and I'm happy with it. There might be much better and pricier set ups but this gets the job done. The set up doesn't have to be for saltwater specifically just make sure you rinse it with fresh water after each use. I haven no experience on that rod and reel you're asking about but if you're not going to be fishing every weekend I'm sure it would do just fine.
I hope this helps.
Martin

[Thunderthumbs]

Hey there, you're not too far from me...I'm in Havre, MT!

There really are a lot of reels to choose from. I don't know what your budget is, but I'd look at something like Martin mentioned. I think that TFO has a few rod/reel combos you could choose from. I own 2 of their rods and love them both. The nice thing about them is that they are very reasonably priced.
The biggest thing is maintenance. Just like Martin said, you absolutley want to rinse your equipment in fresh water after each use. I give mine an initial warm water rinse, and then use a paintbrush with some warm soapy water to get into all the nooks and crannies and then give it another warm water rinse. I would also look at where you plan to do the majority of your saltwater fishing and then see about getting a line manufactured for those conditions. It will truly make a big difference...I know from experience, lol.
The biggest thing in a reel would be a decent drag. Smooth is the key. You don't have to spend much, but if you plan on fishing for species like bonefish, which are known for their reel burning runs, you will probably be well served getting a reel that has a fairly good quality drag system. I have 2 Cortland precision XC reels, one for my 4 wt, and one for my 9wt. I love them both and have never had a problem with either. I caught a very large cirro mackerel while down in Mexico a few years ago using my 9wt. That fish took line like I've never seen before, out into my backing multiple times, and the drag performed flawlessly, which is more than I can say for the reel I had on that rig before that one, the Cabella's SR2.
There are a lot of folks who will be able to give you more good suggestions. Don't forget to check out the for sale/trade/barter threads. You might be able to find something there too.

Good luck,
TT

[peregrines]

Saltamontes-

Where will you be doing most of your SW fishing? And aside from some bonefish down the road, what else will you be chasing?

Since you’re from Alberta, you might also think of an 8 weight outfit as a great choice for steelhead, atlantic, coho and other smaller salmon, lakers, bull trout and arctic char, largemouth and small mouth bass, walleye and even pike if it helps justify the purchase--- and if any of those are in your stomping grounds or within range of other trips you might be taking.

I've been at this a while but I haven’t heard of Wild Water Fly Rods before. They may be great, but you might want to also ask around to see what experience others have had with them. Also at least ask about the action of the rod before you buy. Many folks prefer fast action rods in salt. Faster rods are generally easier to up line, (using a 9 weight line on an 8 weight rod) and because they have a stiffer butt, can be more effective turning fish or lifting fish from deep water than rods with slower actions. Ideally you should spend some time casting different rods to find one that whispers in your ear.

You might want to expand your search to include rods from Redington, TFO, and Echo in local fly shops and actually get your hands on them out back of the shop to throw them a little. These are familiar names with tons of bang for the buck. Even most of the “house” rods from LL Bean and Cabelas are pretty decent and come with a lifetime guarantee--- an important consideration especially in SW. Another rod that has received very good reviews from folks here in the Northeast is Colton (some Colton rods including a brand new 8 weight are on ebay at roughly half price at 110ish ). There are many excellent rods at around 100 bucks or a bit more. (Since you’ll be using it on trips, get a four piece so you can carry it on as overhead luggage). And used rods for approximately ? off their new price can be a great deal.

As for reels most if not all reels made for an 8 weight these days are SW proof. Look for one with a smooth adjustable disc drag, line capacity 200 yds of 20 lb Dacron plus a weight forward fly line, the ability to change spools with out unscrewing anything ( no loose parts). For many saltwater fish like striped bass, bluefish, redfish, specs/weakfish, snook etc you don’t need a super duper reel. For some fish you might chase with an 8 weight like permit, small tunoids (false albacore and bonito etc), especially if you’ll be doing a lot of it, a more substantial reel would be a better investment. Big bonefish on the flats will also test your tackle. If it’s going to be an occasional thing down the road, then don’t worry about it. If there’s a chance you’ll be using your 8 to chase steelhead then I would get a reel designed for them, it should be fine in SW. I would probably go with something like a Lamson Konic for a “budget” Steelhead/SW reel but I’m sure there are many other good choices too. Hopefully other folks will weigh in.

Also be aware that SW flylines are specially formulated for either the tropics or for “cold water”. Tropic lines can get wiry like a slinky in cold water, and coatings on cold water fly lines can turn gummy in the heat of the tropics.

Good luck,

mark

[Saltamontes]

Thank you all for your replies. I'm shopping around, perhaps a e-bay steal will come my way. I'm getting married next winter, my bride wants a beach wedding and informed me I was free to go chase some fish in the salt. We might end up in Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cuba or another exotic destination. We intend to go for two weeks, have a simple ceremony (just the two of us) at the beach and then spend the next two weeks honeymooning, this is when I get my 1 day fishing. Since I don't own any gear that might be suitable for SW fishing I thought I should get something to have "just in case". BTW I do own top end gear (Sage Z-axis 5 wt & 3 wt, Orvis and some St. Croix) which I use for fishing my local waters, and generally I do not cheap out when it comes to my fly gear, but since I do not expect to put my salt gear to much use I thought I would go with the affordable stuff, then again I might just cave and if unable to get a good deal on e-bay might just end up with new top end gear, after all, I may not catch a single fish, but man will I look good. Oh yeah, the other day I foolishly missed an e-bay auction for some Patagonia booties for salt flyfishing, my size, going for ten bucks, grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks again, I will keep looking around for a good deal

[Steven McGarthwaite]

There is no such thing as "Saltwater Proof", instead some fly rods, reels a & and fly lines are "Saltwater Resistant". You can use the normal fly rod, reel, and fly line that you use in freshwater as well as saltwater. The only thing you have to do, is after fishing for the day, is to remove the reel & line from the fly rod and place the reel and line inside a bucket with fresh water to soak overnight. Then the next day wipe it down (inside and out, and apply lubrication (as needed to the inside workings on the reel)! As for the fly rod, you need a trough that is long enough for your fly rod (with the sections broken down) to soak in fresh water.

When you are done fly fishing in the salt, you repeat the above, but you soak all the components for a seven days, remembering to dump all the previous days water out of the bucket and trough, and refill with new fresh water.

Then you allow all the components to air dry, before storing them away (remembering to check the inside of the reel for adding lubrication as needed). This is PMCS ( Preventive Maintenance, Checks and Services) doctrine.

If you do PMCS on a daily bases, when fly fishing (saltwater or freshwater) you fly fishing gear will last you a life time. ~Parnelli