Fly rod for the surf
Hello,
I was reading something about fly fishing the surf and I sure want to try it but not with my 10 wt. I do have a 7tw TFO that I use for carpin' but I'm not sure if I want to soak it in saltwater. I was just thinking about buying some inexpensive gear and the other day I saw an 8wt Sci Anglers rod for around $ 50.00. What do you guys think of that brand? Another option would be a WW Grigg.
Also, not sure what reel I should get.
Thanks guys.
I believe I can fly fish
Your TFO will be fine. All you have to do is wash it off. When I get home, I take the hose and rinse my gear down, then spray some lube on moveable parts of the reel, etc.Originally Posted by Martin McFly
Don't go cheap.
Steve
Thanks Steve
The last thing I can do right now is to spend more money on rods or reels but I wasn't sure if I could use the TFO, which is the cheapest one, the warranty on my Okuma Magnitude reel clearly states that if I use it in saltwater I will not be covered...I guess all I have to do now is to get another reel for saltwater.
I believe I can fly fish
If you're fishing protected water with smaller flies your 7wt will be fine but if you're talking actual surf you're gonna want something heavier.
Depending on the wind, I use 8-10 wts, usually overlined
In this picture the rod I'm using is a $25 10' 8wt with a $10 10wt line on model 1598 Pflugler Medalist reel ($25, slightly used)
Medalists were never meant to be fished in the salt either, but with a little (constant) care they work just fine
Last edited by dudley; 08-24-2009 at 09:28 PM.
The simpler the outfit, the more skill it takes to manage it, and the more pleasure one gets in his achievements.
--- Horace Kephart
You're gonna have to tell me where you bought your gear. Those are the prices I'm looking for! I know for sure that gear will suffer more fishing the surf so honestly I don't want to spend $ 150 - $ 209 on a new TFO (at Spot Chalet). The other day I saw this rod I'm talking about and thought I wouldn't hurt much if I broke it or hit it with a fly.
My 3 and 4wt are a couple of cheap w.w Grigg rods and I'm happy with them
I think regardless of the gear I have to learn how to fish the surf first. Like I have said before the only thing I know about saltwater fishing is that the water is salty...pretty much!
Where do you fish Dudley?
Thanks
Last edited by Martin McFly; 08-24-2009 at 09:40 PM.
I believe I can fly fish
First I'd better mention that I don't always use that same set up... but I was that day on Cape Cod.
I like the 10' rod for mending over the large breakers, but it's too heavy to use all the time. I got it from Sportsmans Guide..... they don't sell them anymore unfortunately.
My regular go-to 8wt is home built and and as I remember was only $60 on a close-out blank though.
The $10 lines come from DISCOUNT FISHING TACKLE.
They're factory seconds . I have 8 and I have no problem recommending them.
Medalist reels you can get anywhere. I don't them in the salt very often anymore 'cuz they take constant maintenance, but I used one 18 years in the salt before I got my first anodized reel.
Those early reels had a 'custom drag' that worked as well as any disc drag made
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The simpler the outfit, the more skill it takes to manage it, and the more pleasure one gets in his achievements.
--- Horace Kephart
Our southern California surf game is different than the right coast game Dudley is familiar with. Most fish are caught very close to shore, often in the foam withing 50ft of the sand.
Typical rods for So Cal surf fishing are 6 to 8 wts. Martin, your TFO 7wt is perfect and those models are quite popular here, along with Redington Crosswater,St. Croix Premier, and Cortland GRX models. Most fish are smallish surf perch and some larger halibut, corbina, and shovelnose guitarfish. For maintenance, just rinse the rod off after each salty adventure. My $100 rods have held up in the salt as well as my $600 rods with this basic maintenance measure. If you want to buy another rod, that Scientific Anglers rod you mentioned would be just fine too.
Martin's magnesium reel is not a good surf reel because magnesium does not react well with salt.
An excellent reel that will suffice for the So Cal surf is the Redington Crosswater/Cabelas Three Forks. These are basically the same reel. These composite reels have an excellent drag that some locals use for bonito and other inshore species. Another inexpensive option is the Scientific Anglers Concept 58. Echo reels are also great for the surfzone. All of these are made from composite materials (looks like plastic but is much more durable) rather than metal so do not suffer from the same types of corrosion problems that inexpensive metal reels do. The Redington Red.Fly2 adds an aluminum frame to the Crosswater reel. I have been using an Orvis Battenkill Disc 7/8 for more than 12 years in the surf and bays and it has held up fine.
A sinking line is needed for most So Cal surf zone fishing situations. Typically you want the fly on the bottom and with a floating line it is difficult to maintain contact with the fly and detect strikes. A 200 or 250 grain integrated line with an intermediate running line is ideal for most situations. The Scientific Anglers Streamer Express lines are one example. The line will cost more than the reel. It will also be useful for fishing the bays, inshore ocean, and lakes. A second choice would be an integrated line with a floating running line. The best budget lines available is the Rio Mainstream 24ft Sink Tip, Albright XXT, or Teeny Basic Sink 200 (use the 300 with an 8wt)
Some excellent sources of info for So Cal beach fishing are
www.fliflicker.com
www.garybulla.com
www.danblanton.com/hanart.html
http://www.flyfisherman.com/northwes...ach/index.html
If you take a look at the photo in post # 4 you'll see that I'm fishing a high stick dead drift in the longshore current right on the far side of the breakersOur southern California surf game is different than the right coast game Dudley is familiar with. Most fish are caught very close to shore, often in the foam withing 50ft of the sand.
That's about 10 feet out.
Contrary to popular opinion, it is not difficult to maintain contact with your fly in the surf using a floating line and traditional fly fishing techniques such as mending and dead drifts.A sinking line is needed for most So Cal surf zone fishing situations. Typically you want the fly on the bottom and with a floating line it is difficult to maintain contact with the fly and detect strikes.
This isn't an east vs west, more like proven, traditional fly fishing methods verses a cast and strip method more common to spin fishing.
I know this is not the way most people fish the salt, but it works and it works well.
It may not be ideal in every situation, but often enough that it should not be dismissed
The simpler the outfit, the more skill it takes to manage it, and the more pleasure one gets in his achievements.
--- Horace Kephart
What do you guys think of the Pflueger Trion combos. I guess I could try to get an 8wt. My 10wt is that brand and looks darn good.
I appreciate the help, I sure need some saltwater help...as soon as I get a good set up the next question will be the how to cast the surf. I tried it twice and it is a very humbling experience.Guidance on that matter will be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by Martin McFly; 08-25-2009 at 10:17 PM.
I believe I can fly fish
Dudley, we are more often than not fishing in the foam in the swirling water as opposed to the slack water behind it. That is where the most common species of fish are. Or fishing in small rips that simply pull a floating line and even a weighted fly to the surface quickly. That's why very few people use floating lines in the surf here, and then only in select situations. The high stick dead drift method using a weighted fly does have its place in a few situations but it is not the norm. In So Cal we rarely have any fish that will take topwater presentations within range of the beach; there are some stripers in Nor Cal. The most common use for floating lines here in the surf is for sight casting presentations to corbina which are almost up on the sand with their backs exposed as they root for sand crabs. These fish are very spooky and require longer and precise casts. For bays and protected waters, the floating line is much more useful.
Martin. The Redington Crosswater outfit is a fine outfit and our local shops sell a good number of them as starter saltwater outfits, or even for experienced anglers who dont want to drop a bundle on some new gear.
I don't know much about Pflueger Trion rods, but the reels are pretty nice and will suffice for most light saltwater work.
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