Whew, well I’m not the best beach based fly flicker out there, like Mr. Stonefish, and a few others here on the site so take my put w a grain of salt.
I’m a 9 ft 5 wt kinda guy, and do most south sound beach fly fishing drifting quietly off the beach with my bay boat and a bow mount electric. This last summer season, I did switch over to a 7.5 ft 3 wt for a couple daze until the Humpys decided to get aggressive.
That was the end of my 3 wt in the salt experience!
Bummer
You still have the 3 wt I sold you?
As far as rods go, a salty 9’ to 9’6” 6wt is my favorite rod for chasing beach cutts. A 6wt is nice for when wind is present which is often plus it will handle coho and pinks should you encounter them. I see folks using two handers off the beaches in the salt but really don’t see the advantage unless you have shoulder issues. I do see some disadvantages.
With the right integrated head line, you can be fishing with a maximum of two false casts. I’ve never found not being able to cast super far limiting my success src fishing. Fishing water with good tidal movement is more important in my opinion.
SF
Thank you for the input. I think you're correct having the right line is my next investigation. IMO my 9' 5 wt Sage is just a little soft/slow action for the beach though. Any rod brands you might choose as your fav.? I'm willing to spend some retirement $$ to help the local economy. A fly shop ? After the Morning Hatch closed years ago I lost faith in any other shop. The dude at Sportco, can't remember his name, used to work there. I'll talk to him next. I need to pursue some more opinions before I spend to much on what might not work for me.
It’s Michael Martin that used to work at the Morning Hatch that now works at Sportco.
A couple of rods I like that won’t break the bank but have worked well for me off the beaches.
Loomis IMX-Pro V2S which is salt specific. The V2 is the freshwater model. I fish both models in the salt and like both of them.
A bit less expensive is the Echo Boost Blue. I also have this rod and like it for the salt. Both of those would be good rods for coho and pinks as well.
As far as lines go, I like something in the 210-235g range for a 6wt.
I also like a longer head. The Rio Outbound short is popular. It has a 30’ head and is 235g in a 6 wt. I personally have had poor luck with Rio lines durability. The SA Sonar Titan is another option. It had a 33.5’ head and is 210g in a 6wt. I use the Sonar Titan for just about all of my beach cutt fishing. A full intermediate is hard to beat in my opinion. A stripping basket also helps with line management.
You’ll get a lot of opinions when you hit some shops. You just need to find what works best for you and that you enjoy fishing.
I hope this helps.
SF
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