Hi Folks,
Although I have fished the salt with spin gear, our son’s recent move to Fla has spurred an interest in getting into SW flyfishing. I am requesting some info on both gear and tying materials and wondering if some stuff I already have might be useable for SW.
Rod I already have: Orvis HLS 9ft/7-8 wt that I have used for bass and strippers in the Potomac.
Battenkill Reel: Matched to the rod. Has a disc drag and an extra spool that I could load a SW line on. Suggestions on lines?
I am wondering if this rod/reel would hold up for salt use or if I would be running the risk of corroding the whole outfit. I am very careful with my gear and clean everything after each use but worry if that is sufficient with gear that is not specific for salt.
Second question:
Are most of the materials used for SW patterns mostly synthetics except for the hen hackle and bucktail? Are the flash materials used infresh water useable for SW flies?
Thanks in advance for your expert advice and input for all these questions.
I have been using 2 Battenkill reels in the salt chuck, as well as an old Orvis Green Mountain 8’9" 8wt for 10 years with no corrosion problems. I clean them after every use.
I use the same flash materials for salt and freshwater flies.
I use a lot of synthetics for saltwater flies but I also use a lot of bucktail, saddle hackle, calf hair, squirrel hair, deer hair, rabbit, neck hackle (the wide type like chinese hackle or genetic Whiting American hackle), chenille, yak hair, goat hair, and so on and so forth.
Click on FEATURES on the left-hand menu and scroll down to Saltwater, the the Archives at the bottom.
The very first dozen or so articles give very good information on gear AND the flies for ‘in-shore’ Florida.
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
I second the advice given by tailingloop and have some more to add.
There is a product out there called “saltwater krystal flash” that you likely have no use for. It is an extra stiff version which is really only useful for flies longer than your foot. It should be called “offshore krystal flash”.
A “Bonefish” or “Tropic ___” fly line will be helpful during the warmest months of the year, as it won’t get gummy or limp like a normal line will. This will really only come into play if its over 85 degrees.
The hooks we use for tying saltwater flies are also different. I would be fairly sure that most of us still use Mustad hooks in either model 3407 or 34007. The 3407 is a tinned steel hook and the 34007 is stainless steel. The tinned model is cheaper, sharpens faster, and rusts out of a fish quicker. The Stainless model is 30-40% more expensive, much more corrosion resistant, and holds a point longer. There are lots of other hook manufacturers out there, but there’s a starting point. Get a box of size 2 hooks and you should be good to go to tie up some sw fl flies.
Here’s a trick: sharp hooks are very important, but if you wait until the flies are fully tied to do sharpen the hooks, you’ll reduce the chance of cutting the thread with the hook point while tying. You could even leave the fly in the vise and sharpen it as a last step.
[This message has been edited by BigCliff (edited 29 March 2005).]
gerri:
Intermediate line should work just fine. I even use a floater fairly often. If you need to get down weight the fly. If you really need to get down then you can think about a grain line.
I would recommend the 8 wt line. Fishing the salt is akin to fishing in the wind.
I third the advice on washing religeously after use.