Set-up for Saltwater and Pike Fly Fishing

[Esox lunatic]

Can anyone please advise on reasonably-priced tackle for Pike and Saltwater fly fishing. I would need the same combo to do both. I don't know much about fly fishing of any description so this will be an adventure into uncharted territory. I would appreciate advice on:

Rod, Reel, line, techniques. The flies I can pretty much suss out myself (maybe) and I would even have a bash at converting some xmas decorations into a ridiculously hideous lure :).


Regards,

E.L. (potential fluff-chucker)

[MAC]

I'd push you towards a 9 foot 9 weight rod. Some others prefer 10 weight, but I find it a bit heavy for general fishing. Get a good salt water proof reel, either plastic or all aluminum with 2 spare spools. Greys have some excellent reels of both types are are good value for money. Start your casting with smaller flies are these are less wind resistant and are not as difficult to cast. Move to the bigger flies as your casting gets better.

Tight Lines,

Kev

[Bradan]

Hi E.L.
Bought a Daiwa Wilderness 9'6" 9 wt rod a while back for 110 euro, think it retails at 120-130 but you might get it for less on mail order. Put an Okuma Airframe reel with it, about 40 euros, saltwater proof or so they claim. As long as you rinse it in fresh water after fishing any reel should be ok, I've done a lot of salwater fishing for sea trout before and never had a problem with rust. Can recommend the Daiwa - good rod and reasonably priced.
Bradan

[Esox lunatic]

Any views on the following combo?

Ron Thompson MPX+ (9' 8/9wt) [4 piece good for traveling]
Okuma Airframe reel (7/9) [saltwater resistant]
2 Ron Thompson Energy fly lines
2 packets of dacron backing

[img]http://i3.tinypic.com/x1mud4.jpg[/img]

£89.99 incl. VAT (approx 131 euros)

I'm thinking of going for the offer but any advice would be welcome before I commit myself.

Thanks,

E.L.

[lumpy]

in my opinion cheap rods and lines are not up to scratch when it comes to sw flyfishing. i recently got a Sage Xi2 Saltwater Fly Rod and the difference between this and cheaper rods is unbelievable. im not saying youhave to fork out this kinda money on a rod, but if you intend getting serious i would advise buying the best you can afford

[Esox lunatic]

Thanks for the tips guys.

I agree with you Lumpy on buying the best you can afford. I usually buy decent tackle for angling but in this case I'm looking for something that will deliver adequate performance at a good price. I'm really new to any type of fly fishing and have never cast a fly in my life. I know I may be jumping in a the deep end and that's why I don't want to spend a lot of money on something that I might damage or which I might tire of.

I plan to get some casting tuition from a colleague at work who is really proficient at fly fishing. If it works out well, then I can think of upgrading to better tackle (maybe not the Sage Xi Saltwater that appears to cost around £500: I'd have to be really good and have a lot more time on my hands to put it to good use (roll on retirement) :)


E.L.

[lumpy]

ya there expensive enough. im lucky my godfather lives in america so i got it at a very good price. scierra have a nice new speciality pike rod which seems reasonable and isnt overly expensive. not certain on the price.

one thing i would say is no matter what you spend on the rod and reel dont skimp on the line.buy a specialised coldwater line. costs about 50e from airflow. for a beginner starting out it will make the world of difference to your casting. and yes defo get lessons.

[Esox lunatic]

I'll take your advice on the line and get some good line (weight forward) and use the cheaper line for practicing.

I can do a bit of practicing on Lough Neagh before venturing near the sea. You ought to see the looks I get when I practice launching six ounce leads into the Lough using a beachcaster and multiplier - I had a little boy come up to me and tell me that his daddy was wondering if there were big fish in the Lough and would I not think of using a hook instead of a big weight to hit them with! By the way, I'm a long way off being anyway capable of achieving really big distances using any type of beachcaster/reel combination which is I suppose is good news for the occasional jet skier that ventures too close to the shore!

I'll check out the Scierra pike rod as well.

Thanks for the tip.

E.L.

[JimH]

E.L.

i would do the following before you buy any equipment

get one session of casting lessons and understand whats involved. A good instructor will bring you through all the dynamics of casting, including lines, tapers, profiles, weights etc.

follow up the lesson with some reading on the various rods/lines/reels etc and get to know what various set ups can achieve. apply this to where you will do most of your fishing and make a decision.

do not invest heavily in expensive equipment at this stage. with the right coaching an inexpensive rod will cast as far as an expensive rod. an expensive rod at this stage may lead to further frustration because of their technical demands. place your money in the following order

Casting and instruction
Rod
Line
Reel

after you achieve good casting form you will realise the limits of your low cost set up or whether you want to continue to pursue the sport in the sea. remember you may not like the sea but your casting lessons will help on the river/lake/reservoir anyway so they wont be lost.

most rods around 200 -250 euros with lifetime guarantees are very good, as you improve invest more in a least a four line set up (or multi tip lines)(floater/inter/sinker and fast sinker). Placing the fly in the right place is more important than having hundreds of flies in the wrong place.

In my mind a reel for saltwater fly fishing in Ireland is simply something to store line on without falling apart.

try to achieve good casting form rather than buying shooting heads or overlining the rod. Neve practice when you are fishing! it will slowly drive you mad.

good luck and enjoy it!

[Esox lunatic]

Jim H,

Sounds like spot on advice. I'll ask my colleague for a couple of lessons. He really is an excellent fly fisherman and has given a couple of guys lessons. I'll not be able to meet up with him for a few weeks as we are at different locations until the end of Spring. After that I'll look for a good instructor to give me asome tuition.

I like the advice about not practicing when fishing!

Many thanks,

E.L.

[MAC]

Not practicing when fishing is sound advise. Although when fly fishing you are casting often so you should improve while fishing. I would ask your buddy for a few lessons before you buy any equipment. At least then you will have a slightly better understanding of what you are after and what works for you. Lots and lots of excellent advice there for you mate. I also agree with not having to spend a small fortune on a rod to be able to cast well from the start. Rod building has moved on leaps in the last few years and although Sage are an excellent, truely advanced rod there are many more excellent rods for around the €150 mark. Personally I really like Greys rods, but have never tried their saltwater rods.

Fly fishing is great fun and very rewarding, but needs a lot of patience to start with.

Tight lines,

Kev

[fogelberg]

My first thought is that you will NOT be happy with the RT rod...

My advice is that you put more money on the rod and line, and that buy a cheaper reel..

My setup is..

Rod: Loop Blueline salt 9'3" 8#
Reel: Loop CLW 5eight
Line: Airflo nonspook WF8F <--- This line acctually sucks.. To much memory and I'm having trouble shooting it..