Alan Corbin
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remember switch and spey rods are usually rated differently from single handers I use a 6 wt. switch(375 gr line) often for schoolies and steelies. I also use an 8 wt. 11′ (475 gr.) for bigger heavy flies in the wind. I have landed salmon in AK with the 6 wt as well. on the Kenai River this past fall. All my striper fishing is estuaries and bays on Cape Cod and some kayak/wading th sand flats
My go to single hander is either 8 wt. or a 9 wt. fast action for windy days.
A standard 8 wt line head is around 210 gr. hope this helpsthat is why I went to bark, my favorite 5 wt.
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Length and weight for the rod sounds fine. You could go up if you think you may get into any Kings in the runs.
Personally I dont like he look of the carbon fiber grips but I make grips from birch bark, pine bark and some wood as well as various cork. The more dense the material in contact with the rod the more you will feel through the rod. That said. you should also feel the take with your line finger. I finish grips and will polish them into a glossy finish and they are not silppery at all even when wet.
You can also use a switch rod for this type of fishing. I would use a fast tip rod blank to build it. I built a 10′ 6 wt switch and brought it to AK and also use it in NY for steelies. I will be using it this spring for stripers on the cape, most likely in the Cheeky tournament.
Good luck in you choices.Length and weight for the rod sounds fine. You could go up if you think you may get into any Kings in the runs.
Personally I dont like he look of the carbon fiber grips but I make grips from birch bark, pine bark and some wood as well as various cork. The more dense the material in contact with the rod the more you will feel through the rod. That said. you should also feel the take with your line finger. I finish grips and will polish them into a glossy finish and they are not silppery at all even when wet.
You can also use a switch rod for this type of fishing. I would use a fast tip rod blank to build it. I built a 10′ 6 wt switch and brought it to AK and also use it in NY for steelies. I will be using it this spring for stripers on the cape, most likelt in the Cheeky tournament.
Good luck in you choices.Check grain weight window of the rod and play with tips to get the sweetspot. I use an iScandi on my 11’1″ 8 weight Meiser and throw decent streamers, intruders and some indicator rigs as well for the steelhead in NY. Welcome to the addiction.
If you ever get up this way between late May through early October (our striper hunting season) I would recommend Cape Cod on the Brewster flats or Barnsatble harbor area. you can chase stripers in knee deep water. The Cheeky Fly tournament is a blast in late May. This year was the biggest by far with about 130 2- person teams. I remember when it was 50 teams. We place 19th this year and the class of fish this year is small Buddy got the smallest striper at 8″ and won waders, boots and a slingpack from Simms !
If you like bonefishing this would be fun for you, nothing like seeing the take from a 24″+ fish 30’awayI have a couple switch rods and use at least 2 lines on them. I think there is no one do all line. I use them for chasing stripers in Mass and steelhead in upstat NY. If you ae going to ovehead cast I would recommend an iScandi head/line with a set of variuos leaders to suit the conditions. If you are going to be swinging flies use a skagit. When I built my first switch rod I spoke to Steve at Meiser rods and had him build the head for me suited to the rod. The second I picked up a Buelah Tonic head and also use a switch chucker line. Just get a line in the grain rating of the rod.Planning on bringing both to AK this summer to fish some big rivers.
I use a 10’6″ 6 wt. for flats fishing on Cape Cod for stripers with the iScandi head and a poly leader. Mostly catching schoolies up to keeper size. Usually overhead casting streamers and weighted flies.
Good Luckjust saw this, hope you didn’t pack it with grease. Most grease will deteriorate motor winding coating over time especially if it is packed on it. Grease would also need to be dielectric(non conductive). Best to get the seals and rebuild it properly.
If I am tying a dozen or more flies at once I prefer to use epoxy. I get them all to the point where the epoxy is applied and coat them and put them on a drier to keep the epoxy even. Rod finish takes a lot longer to cure also(4-6 hours) and I usually will finish a rod and the flies at the same time. I will use rod finish epoxy usually because it stays clear and is more flexible than 5 minute. I f I know they are going to get destroyed in one season I use 5 minute, as i don’t care if it yellows because they are junk by the time the saltwater and UV rays deteriorates them.
UV is good for a few flies at a time. It is more brittle than epoxy also but doesn’t yellow.
As for UV acrylic I use CCG thin and hydro. The most important aspect for UV is the curing light, higher wattage is better and wavelength varies between lights as well. I got mine from the fly fishing show in Marlborough MA a few years ago. It is the same as the CCG one but was only $20for most everything I use dish liquid like Ivory or Dawn and hot water. You just want to get most of the fatty tissue off first.
Bird skin is thinner than deer hair so you need to handle it gingerly. Let it soak for as much as 4-6 hours if you plan on dying it.
I usually soak them for a couple hours maximum and if I dye them will degrease it again. Deer hair and tails I will use either dish liquid and add some liquid laundry detergent and let soak for a bit longer. I usually stir it every so often. I use a 5 gallon bucket usually.
After soaking rinse in warm water and gently squeeze out the excess water. and I will either lay on newspapers to let dry, or with bucktails I will clip them to the inside of another bucket tip down. Once the excess water is out I will lay them out out newspaper and coat with salt and Borax on skin side, making sure the hair or feathers aren’t distorted from their natural lie. with bird skins and body/belly hairI will flip over every other day and try to keep the skin flat. bucktails I will clip to a bucket skin side against the bucket and work or stretch the skin as it dries, say every couple days.
Hope this helpsI usually do between 4-12 deer tails and body/belly hair every year. I will then dye them various colors also.
I have done squirrel tails and also a few birds. While I don’t hunt i know plenty of guys that do and will trade some flies or rod repairs or just a few beers for the stuff. I will freeze them until I have enough to make it worth the time it takes. I usually wash them in a degreasing bath and rinse several times after I have deboned and scraped away any flesh/fatty tissue and then lay them out with Borax and salt and check them every other day. once dry I will bag them individually. I have had good luck with no insect infestations. I have used the freezer to microwave to freezer process on bird skins to be sure and rid them of mites etc.That’s how I do it in my kayak chasing stripers. Roll cast it to get the line and fly on top and then false cast to get the rest of the head out then let it rip. never chased them in fresh water lakes only the estuaries in spring. we use olive over white clousers with a touch of pink in them to match the sand eels. anything to match the forage, also have silversides and mackerel here in spring.
time on the water with friends beats work.Try Walt Geryk at this site.
http://www.speydoctor.com
Try looking into the Spey Nation website. they do a Spey Clave every year and it was on the Salmon River last June.
lots of good information and contacts
http://speynation.com
I did meet a NY licensed guide in November and talked with him river side that does teach/guide 2 handers
His name is Paul Belve and you can call him at (201)747-0288I live in Central Mass near Worcester and work in and around Boston.
The wire hole is down stream of the lower fly zone where the power lines cross the river just below the old schoolhouse propertty now called the tailwater lodge. The Snaggers hole is above Refrigerator hole where a small island is. It is upstream of rte 48 in
Altmar, NY. We stay at the Fox Hollow Lodge and you can hike in to these locations. Wire Hole we parked at the lot for lower fly zone and walk down. We hike in early and wait for first light so to insure we get a spot. Seems like word of decent locations travels fast.
May do an early spring weekend up there swinging flies on the 2 hander. Depends on finances and if a hopeful trip to AK pans out for next August.
Here is a site for maps of the different sections, not all spots are labeled.
http://www.fishsalmonriver.com/Maps
Good Luck!Not a bad deal for the day. It was that much for me last year for a 4-6 hour float, but I also got great info on locations to fish the next 3 days. I was up there first week of November and there wasn’t a lot of fish this year. Salmon run was way down as well.
We fished down stream from the lower fly zone to Pineville area with the best 2 locations being the wire hole and snaggers hole. another good spot was Hemlock hole.
this year was probably the worst year in 5 for me. Hopefully the flows are up when you go and more fish have moved in for the winter. Good LuckI think you won’t regret it. I have that same camera but the larger lense is a 55-200. Lots of features and quality images
EnjoyDom I hail from central Mass and fish Connecticut Northeast often. There are some streams where there are wild browns and plenty of other stocked areas. I managed my first tiger trout in CT and it was a 20″ er! If you want some fun you could go to Scotland Dam on the Shetucket River and fish for broodstock atlantic salmon. They stocked them last week or so. Check out the fisheries website http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2696&q=322708&deepNav_GID=1630%20
They do a pretty good job on stocking fish throughout but pay attention to the different regulations. I also fish the cape and RI shores for stripers and sometimes false albies as pictured, no albies for me this year due to work but I will be heading to NY for steelhead on the Salmon River first of the coming month. The stripers and albies are on there way south but some do stay over winter in the estuaries and rivers.
Also don’t forget a saltwater license is required in the area but it reciprocated in states abutting. I have a Mass license and can fish CT, RI and NH and I think NY. Give me a shout and I might be able to head you ina direction. The DEEP site has plenty of maps too.
Good Luck
AlanI have the Simms rubber soles and put the studs in them right away. I really like them and have had them for 4-5 years. If the the uppers and the insides are in good condition I would resole them and save a few $$ and either stud them or get the yaktrax or crampons. I hike a lot in my fishing and will need to get new when these wear out. I like the rubber soles over felt in the winter as the snow sticks to the felt and freezes and you have to keep knocking it off every 100 feet.
Great report and video.
Although the native brookies are scarce in local streams in central Mass they are around. In fact there are still a few rivers along the coast with “salters” in them. Usually I am chasing stripers, blues or albies and have yet to try for the sea going brookies.
I have hooked a few brookie fingerlings with parr marks in a local landlocked salmon fishery in the fall, so they are still reproducing here.
