charlie kreitler
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Here in CT the fall run is just heating up. Get out, good luck, and have some fun!
Btw, a lot of guys over-line their stiff salt water rods. I usually go up 1 size fishing a 9wt Orvis Zero-G or an 8wt T3. The rod loads a little quicker and heavier flies are more manageable. Still throws tight loops and bombs long casts. 2 sizes up from from the rod spec is castable but to me it’s too much. If the rod isn’t extremely stiff, I can’t stand over-lining. My 7wt steelhead rod and trout rods don’t get over-lined due to their softer action and greater emphasis on mending and line control over distance. It’s obviously a matter of preference, but I think matching the line to the rod is even more important in the salt than it is in fresh water. If you can test the rods side by side, have the shop do it with both 9 and 10 weight lines to see what you think. Your results may vary.
Enjoy!
Where are you located? The best book I’ve found for New England is Ed Mitchell’s “Fly Rodding the Coast”. Information in it would apply anywhere, but he spends some time discussing local species, baitfish, areas to fish, and seasonal changes that are specific to this area. Other regions may have similarly targeted books.
When fishing the surf the intermediate gets you down out of the chop, but not so deep that you’re dragging in the sand.
Bingo. Any waves introduce a lot of slack between your hand and the fly, which may mean missing a take. If you want the fly to stay near the top but not have to deal with wave action, intermediate line is a good way to do it. However, you can’t mend it in current, it will eventually pull surface flies under, and it won’t reach the bottom very fast unless the fly is pretty heavily weighted. Here on Long Island Sound a lot of guys fish intermediate lines from shore almost exclusively, but I’ve generally found a floating line to be a better solution (unless it’s choppy). From a boat, you may need the depth of a sinking line.
Zack,
The only thing to note here is that you need an FCC license to use a radio in the GRMS band (most of these radios are – that is what gives you the added range).
Harry, that’s a brilliant pattern and a great story. I’m going to have to tie up a Petey just for fun. I doubt LIS stripers will go for it, but what the heck. Maybe he’ll find use in a bluefish blitz. Thanks!
Wow. I started tying this year, and all of my things still fit into a few big shopping bags. It’s not convenient but it keeps my wife happy, until I can stake out some territory in the house for a bench. I am definitely NOT sharing any of these photos with her, because that will only clue her in as to how bad a fly tying addiction can become!
I had heard it was in the Connecticut, but hadn’t heard it made it to the Battenkill yet. That’s a real shame.
The S4 is going to be Scott’s answer to the new wave of ultra-flexible, ultra-fast rods akin to the Z-Axis or Loomis High Line Speed.
Ok, here’s a novice question that will tell you I haven’t cast that many rods, and I hope it’s not a complete hijack of this thread. Seems to me that “fast action” and “flexible” don’t really go together. Flexible says to me that this rod will protect a smaller tippet and roll cast well. Fast action says that it will throw tight loops and long distance more easily. Both together sounds like voodoo. How much of this is marketing versus real?
My go-to rod in the salt water where I fish most is an Orvis Zero-G 9wt. It’s stiff through the first 1/2 of the rod, then gets progressively softer to a very flexible, whippy tip. Is that similar to what you’re describing?
My reason for asking the question is that I’m thinking of getting a rod for steelhead– it needs to roll cast and mend well, but I hope to use it for light-duty salt water fishing as well where fast action is preferred. I had ruled out both rods you mention, and the Scott S4 hadn’t even crossed my mind until now.
I know that rod feel is subjective to the hand of the caster, but I’d love to hear you elaborate more on this.
CK
Nate, my wife and I are heading to Maine in early September for a few days, probably Acadia. Did you do any shore fishing? Any recommendations on good places to check out?
CK
Definitely bad news. I think NE fishermen tend to be more casual about practicing gear hygiene between watersheds, in part because we’ve been lucky enough to avoid NZ mud snails and whirling disease. That’s changing, and we need to shape up and start paying more attention.
This raised a question for me. It’s pretty easy to disinfect my gear if I go home, scrub it in the bathtub, and then head back out. How do you guys do it in the field if you’re away from home and want to switch watersheds?
CK
Zach, I finally got a chance to listen. Nice job!
Sound quality on this podcast was excellent. Have you upgraded your equipment?
CK
I like http://www.flyanglersonline.com/
Click “Fly Tying” on the left-hand menu and then “Fly Archives”
It’s organized chronologically, so you need to use “find” in your browser to locate the fly you want.
