What line do you use?

Probably the fastest growing arm of the sport, here is a forum dedicated to the art. Beginners like myself welcome.

Moderators: Tanglerat, lumpy

What line do you use?

Postby IDPearl » Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:53 pm

I'm now kitted out with a Masterline XS 7/8 rod, Airflo large arbor reel, 8WF floating line and 100 yds of backing. What leader do you use? I have 15lb amnesia and 15lb flouro, but wondered if they would be suitable.
User avatar
IDPearl
SAI Sea Dog!
 
Posts: 754
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2004 1:16 pm
Location: Was Dublin, then SW France, Warsaw, Hong Kong, Malaysia - Singapore!!
Has thanked: 0 time
Have thanks: 1 time

Postby Viper » Tue Jan 25, 2005 1:08 pm

Thats very heavy leader for a rod of that AFTM... I would have thought 8lb would be more than enough.
User avatar
Viper
SAI Hammerhead
 
Posts: 300
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2004 8:47 am
Location: Dublin/Galway
Has thanked: 4 times
Have thanks: 6 times

Postby liamdenn » Tue Jan 25, 2005 1:13 pm

i have gone to 20lb mono when it is windy and r rocky. less wind knots the heavier u go. gone to 50 mono for leader when piking
liamdenn
 

Postby Viper » Tue Jan 25, 2005 4:05 pm

It's fine using high breaking strain leaders once there is a weak link. 15lb leader is too strong for a number 8 fly line, especially when sea fishing as all you'll end up doing is cracking the coating on your (salt water dried) fly line trying to pull the hook out of rocks etc...
User avatar
Viper
SAI Hammerhead
 
Posts: 300
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2004 8:47 am
Location: Dublin/Galway
Has thanked: 4 times
Have thanks: 6 times

Postby MAC » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:07 pm

Ian...... nice one buddy. Going to try your hand at the fly fishing end of things. :D I haven't posted on the SAC club thread but was planning to be in the Yacht on Thursday. I'll chat to you about the fly fishing then if you like. I think the whole idea of fly fishing is that you can use lighter lines. Depending on where I'm fishing I'll have 10lb to 15lb line. Never really felt the need to go heavier than that. I'm not too fussy about the line. You've spent a few quid on the 15lb fluro so I'd go with that for the moment.

BTW you've got a nice ballanced outfit for learning. As you get a bit better you might want to try fishing in the wind a bit and then you'll need to be looking at a 9 or 10 weight rod. but by then you;ll be tying all your own flies and all that jazz :D

Kev
><º> ><º>

><º>
User avatar
MAC
SAC Treasurer
 
Posts: 4331
Images: 4
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 1:47 pm
Location: Too far from Water
Has thanked: 172 times
Have thanks: 178 times

fly fishing

Postby rockyb23 » Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:25 pm

I'm blatantly sticking my oar in here MAC, but I think the whole idea of fly fishing is not that you can use lighter line - after all, don't coarse matchmen use very very light line but with 12 ft float rods - but that you can cast a very very light bait/lure that has no inherent weight and can't have weight added to it - i.e. a fly that has to float on the surface, or work just beneath it.

I think it's safe to say that's how fly fishing developed anyway - as the only way to present a tiny floating lure at any distance, using the weight of the fly line to cast instead of the weight of the lure.
rockyb23
SAI Hammerhead
 
Posts: 242
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 12:35 pm
Location: Bandon
Has thanked: 27 times
Have thanks: 13 times

Postby liammdenn » Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:07 pm

isnt the rule that u go as long and as light on ur leader as consitions allow.
but lets say u have that double figure bass on and he is running around between big sharp boulders, hands up who wants to b on the 8 pound line??????????
that would really b the only consideration for me
liammdenn
 

Postby MAC » Thu Jan 27, 2005 1:21 pm

Rocky,

If you re-read my post you'll see I said you "can" use lighter lines. I didn't mean that you have to. As Liam mentioned it depends on conditions and what you are fishing for. I wouldn't want a big bass attached to 8lb line for sure :lol: Jaysus... just thinking about it is bad enough. I typically fish 12lb to 15lb for Bass.

Fly fishing did start out as a way to get a tiny artifical bait (fly) out a distance but has evolved quite a bit from there. I mean why fly fish for bass at all with a fly rod when you could use a light spinning rod with a fly but use a bubble as weight. Some of the flys are as big as some lures as well so it's not just small baits that are being cast. I think the reason for flyfishing is because there are no additional weights on the line and the rod is a few ounces of Carbon you really do feel the raw power of any fish attached to the end, be it Trout or Bass and that is truely a fantastic angling experience. There is also the reward from just hitting your cast perfectly and getting those extra 5 yards.... you may not get a fish on the retrieve but feel rewarded anyway. I really do think that there is more to fly fishing than just getting the bait out. If it were only that, I doubt that there would be that much interest at all. Really interesting thread though and I'm gald to see so much interest in the sport.

Kev
><º> ><º>

><º>
User avatar
MAC
SAC Treasurer
 
Posts: 4331
Images: 4
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 1:47 pm
Location: Too far from Water
Has thanked: 172 times
Have thanks: 178 times

fly fishing

Postby rockyb23 » Thu Jan 27, 2005 1:39 pm

hey mac
I pretty much agree with you - and I think that the reason fly fishing has evolved to deal with size 10 lines, two-inch Clouser minnows and sunken lines when really, a lure and a spinning rod might be more effective, is that the inherent pleasure in casting, hooking and playing a fish is greater with fly rod and line.

Personally I think the popularity of fluff-chucking and the reason it is spreading to saltwater is because it's so much bloody fun once you get the hang of it - as simple as that.

my post - and I'll stick to it - was simply to say that at its basest, fly fishing is not about the ability to use light lines, but the ability to use light lures.

As for the what strength line debate - I think in saltwater it may be a matter of personal preference with no right answer. With trout, for sure, you want to go as long and as light as poss and three pound tippets are standard, but I would be leaning towards 10-12lb for salt for exactly the reasons that other posters have outlined.

strong mono also has the advantage of being stiffer and therefore easier to turn over, especially in the wind.

roll on summer evenings
rockyb23
SAI Hammerhead
 
Posts: 242
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 12:35 pm
Location: Bandon
Has thanked: 27 times
Have thanks: 13 times


Return to Saltwater Fly Fishing

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests