Posted: Wed 03/19/08 12:30 pm Post subject: Fly Rod - 8 or 9 wt For RI Saltwater Fishing?
Hi All,
I plan to take up fly fishing this year. I live in RI and plan to fish saltwater for stripers, blues, little tunnie, bonito etc. I'll be fishing from shore and from kayak. My plan is to fish the bays and estuaries of RI and NOT the heavy ocean surf or venture out during harsh windy weather. I've read "Fly Rodding the Coast" by Ed Mitchell and "Fly Fishing Boston" by Terry Tessein. Tessein recommends 8wt as general all-around saltwater rod. Mitchell classifies 7/8wt as light tackel. He recommends 9/10wt. Local shop also recommends 9wt incase I ever do go to the surf which isn't part of plan but they're convinced I will anyway. Having said all that, I like fishing with light tackel and seriously considering 8wt. The only remaining fear with an 8wt that I'd like some opinions on is whether a 25lb striper or powerful little tunie is too much fish to land consistently with an 8wt. Will an 8wt have enough backbone to tackle a 20lb striper in a rip? I'd really appreciate everyone's input!
I just started fishing the salt myself. For most normal circumstances I'd say an 8wt would be fine. With that said I'm also now in the market for a 10wt. Mainly because most normal circumstance in the salt can change rapidly. Especially when it comes to wind. If your looking for one all around I'd pick the 9wt.
lucky you .. you're definately in the right place anyway .. as you probably know, Rhode Island has some amazing fly fishing opportunities. I fly fish in Rhode Island often. Like most things, everyone has there preferences .. and .. ultimately the "best" is really somewhat of a subjective opinion ... with that said, here is what i can share with you in terms of what is "best" for me within the context of which you speak ..
I roll with a 9 weight and .. to be honest .. something super heavy. something that doesn't bend like a noodle. Here is why.
1. I don't ever do alot of false casting .... so have never found any fly rod to be "tiring" .. I am always working on effeciencies and trying to cast as little as possible .. One water load a haul and done... so something "light" doesn't really matter much to me.
2. I feel more comfortable with something "heavy" and with "backbone" because when the wind picks up i don't feel as though i am trying to fly fish with a twig ... and its often best fly fishing for albies when the winds is a solid 15-20 right in your face. ... ps.. my friends and i often joke about making a rod that is made out of iron and the tag line would say "guaranteed not to bend"
3. fishing out of a kayak .. i have found that when fly fishing in the salt from a kayak a 9 weight on the "heavier/stiffer" side works good .. because i am so low to the water that i really need that extra weight and stifness to load the line and keep it "up" on my back cast .. again, even in the kayak i try to cast less and excercise one water load a haul and done ... but, especially from a kayak, i like having the extra "muscle" of a rod
bottom line - i suppose i could get it done with a 7 or 8 wt .. but for all around striper, bluefish, bonito stuff ... i like a 9 weight fly rod on the heavier and stiffer side .....
hope that helps you to find whatever will be "best" for you. good luck.
fancy happening upon this thread, as i am currently waging an 8 weight versus 9 weight battle in my mind. for the past few summers i have been fly fishing the salt, not so seriously and mainly for what i can forage for, that primarily being inshore schoolies and blues, and all on a 5 weight i recieved for christmas several years back. it has been a blast, and several times hefty blues have set the fear in my heart, as my backing finds itself precariously low on the reel. i have since moved up to portland, and am eagerly awaiting this coming season, but i know that the good old rod i have come to know so well just won't cut it anymore. the surf calls to be discovered, as well as the rocky legdes and the flats, and besides the fact that a five weight can't show the required muscle, the ethics behind tiring a nice fish to death merely for ones own satisfaction have crept into my consideration. but i can't not say that a strong argument, in my mind, against the 9 weight is that it may be too much for the real enjoyment of a schoolie. there was rarely a fish which did not take me to the reel, something which i came to value. the experienced power of the creature is what gets me going, and i just don't want to quell this energy with a heavier rod. but then how much necessary casting power will i lose in an 8 weight? or how many potentials will i have to forgo because of some reservations concerning the intergrity or functional ability of my equipment?
also, i am quite low on funds, so i was looking into the cheaper llbean outfits, which seem to be relatively enixpensive, while at the same time theoretically coming with the general llbean quality. the quest II series sit at the bottom of the barrel, and are designed for beginner to intermidiate casters. the next level up gets a few more frills with a faster action. does anybody have any inshight into actual experienced differences between these rods? how necessary is it to shell out the extra cash? you get what you pay for, so i have a few reservations about maintaining a frugal outlook when it comes to something i plan on using time and time again. thanks.
Most guys that fish for Stripers/Blues in Maine fish 9 wts over 8. Why? Because it's almost always windy, and you are usually heavy sinking lines 300 grains and up... If you like lighter tackle...nothing wrong with an 8wt...
Don't let the low price tag on the new quest rods from Beans fool you...they are a great stick. My suggestion would be to go with the cheaper rod, but invest a little more in a quality reel and flyline. You should be able to get the whole package and some flies even for around $200 then you are in the game. Next time you are in Freeport take a look at the Pflueger Trion Reels...they are right around $100 and are well built...I caught a bunch of Blues/Stripers/Albies on one last year and never had a glitch....
Best of luck, and let us all know how you make out.
Wicked as your getting into Saltwater fly casting.
Here in OZ we mostly use 8-9wt. 9wt is my number simply because here you never know what will jump on the end of your line at any given time.
I have fished in a region called Weipa for the past 5yrs started off with an 8wt then quickly moved to a 9wt just allows you to fish in more extreme conditions and gives you some stick when a 40lb GT decides he's going to take you for a morning stroll.
As the above states spend more on the reel and even more on the line which is very important.
I used to own an 8wt. but I gave it away. It can be used, but if you want all around saltwater fishability, get a 9. Get as much of a reel as you can, especially for the albies as they tear ass.
thank you all for your thoughts. boz, thank you for your reception to maine. i am a native masshole, but spent four delightful years attending college in this fine state. after a year of traveling, i jumped at the opportunity to move back up to maine and live with some good friends from college. as far as setting foot or line in OZ is concerned, who knows what the future holds...
so it seems that a 9 wieght is the standard for salt water fly rodders around these parts, as they afford the angler more ill weather opportunities and general use as well as increased insurance, in case the a big boy wants to take you for a "morning stroll". looking forward to that little jaunt, for sure.
the line, and reel, it would seem, are also to be well invested in. as far as the line is concerned, an outfit comes with a floating line, one i have been using for the past number of summers, and surely enjoyed in my potentially ignorant bliss. much of what i have read speaks of folks using intermediate sinking line, and there are are times when a fast sinking line is necessary. it would seem that a number of lines should be kept in ones arsenal. if you had to choose one, is there a line which covers as many bases as possible. i don't want to be cheap, and try to merely get by in as many situations a possible, but im not sure if i can afford to equip myself with a slew of various lines. although this may turn out to be necessary.
as far as the rod is concerned, the question which routinely comes up in my mind is how much bend in my rod will i lose when fishing a 9 weight over an 8. its that bend, the experienced power of a fish, that i have come to yearn for and value, and knowing that i will undoubtedly be catching many smaller bass and blues, i just don't want to lose the potential excitement of these many fish for the sake of a rod which will allow me to sufficiently fish in more places, and perhaps put the wood to the rare and obviously coveted big stong wily old creature.
Hi,
I have 7, 8, 9 & 10WTs, and use them all...all have their place and RI offers so much diversity! My favorite rod this year, though, is my 10WT I bought a few months ago - a COLTON rod...it feels as light as an 8 WT, but casts like a 10 WT...and it is inexpensive! I like this rod because I've been able to use it very comfortably in both windy conditions with bigger flies and also with small flies and calmer conditions. I've spoke to the owner at length before purchasing the rod (and reel)...I've been very impressed both by his philosophy of the industry and, more importantly, by the quality and performance of his fly rods and reels....you can check out his website at: http://www.coltonfly.com/.
just my 2 cents
Mark
Posted: Thu 05/29/08 1:22 pm Post subject: Re: hey
jeremy,
i too am new to the salt and spent the memorial day weekend fishing RI with a loaner 8 weight that was far to slow. wondering which rods (specific brand/models) you feel are the "stiffest" and provide the most backbone?
hi ... well, everyone has there preferences and there own brand/models that they like ... for me, in the salt, i really like the Orvis T3 fly rods for their toughness and durability and strength .. especially the "tip flex" version ... i like orvis rods for that reason too .. all of their rods have a "flex" index .. and different "flexes" are ideal for different situations .. but wind, salt, needing to shoot line and not wanting a "noodly" feeling rod ... i go with 9 weight, T3 tipflex
here is a page on the orvis site that explains "flex index" for orvis rods
http://www.orvis.com/intro.asp?subject=24
I agree with what everybody else is saying here. A 9 wt is the way to go for most of my saltwater fishing. I have been in the salt since '99 and have used a variety of rods but most of my fishing comes back to using a 9 wt. When I fish in the Delaware Bay for Weakies and Flounder then it is always a 7 wt. Once you get a feel for fishing in the salt your rod of choice depends to the type of fish you are going for. I have cast many different types of rods over the years and although my freshwater equipment is always Orvis my saltwater is many different types of rods. That is until I cast the new Orvis Helios Rods, these rods are amazingly light and powerful. They are not cheap but if you can afford it the Helios is one nice rod. I have to try and convince the wife that I need to buy one of these rods! Anyway I hope this helps.
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