Gear Guy goes Fly...

Watch your hats & stay away from the beaches!! I'm geared-up for some saltwater beach casting, more likley to get someones lab on the backstroke than a fish.

Heres some pic's of my set-up........

C/22

C22,
Welcome to the dark side....

looks good to me.

and im totaly with ya on the catching dogs on the backcast lol. its fun and they fight really good. just watch for the teeth when trying to release them lmfao

If your not really familier with beach fishing with bug rods, just watch the rocks. I went through a fair share of flies learning to get better.


Jake

Have fun with that double haul cast thing. It totally kicks my ass.

Get yourself a RIO Outbound, learn how to cast that damn thing, and be ready for the fall coho season!

Chrome,

I have a Lamiglass 9' 7 wt that I built for summer steelhead, and I love that rod. It's not as nice looking as yours cuz I bought the blank out of the $50 close out barrel, but that doesn't affect its performance.

As for gear guy goin' fly, well, I suppose life could get worse. You might get addicted to fly fishing. Then you might get a Spey rod and get addicted to Spey casting. 'Tis a dangerous path you're on. Did you ever think about just doing drugs instead? All the gratification without the effort. (t.i.c.)

Sg

Funny you say that Parker as that is MY plan.....

I went with the Airflo 40+, its a UK distance line like the Rio Outbound.
They make a few 40+ lines.... mine is the Cold saltwater w/ the clear intermediate sink tip @ 0.5" per sec.

C/22

Salmo g.

"'Tis a dangerous path you're on. Did you ever think about just doing drugs instead? All the gratification without the effort. (t.i.c.)"

YOU abesolutely nailed flyfishing for steelhead in one sentence! Steelhead Flyfishing summed up really well.
That statement is very accurate to steelhead flyfishing...
Typical day:
Clock in, fish, er I mean practice casting for 8+ plus hours then clock out. Go home flustered and burnt out... but then again when/if you get a tug it's about the best rush you'll get legal or non-legal out there in the great PNW!

Dude, did i say one sentence! duh...
short term memory loss strikes again...

It's the drugs, Lofty; it's the drugs.

Ah, but a steelheader doesn't go home flustered or burnt out. He just goes home at the end of the day knowing he will turn around the do the same thing again at his earliest opportunity.

BTW, haven't you heard, "the swing's the thing, and the tug's the drug."

c/22... welcome to the fun world of beach fishing with the fly. let me know how you like the 40+ line. My friend has 2, one on a 9wt and one on a 7wt. I really dont like either line, but many people do like the 40+
guess i'll just have to stick with my outbound.

I just flipped a coin on the 40+ over the Outbound, looks like the Rio is the prefered line in this neck of the woods.....

What's the diff. between the 2 lines too you??


OutBound® - Intermediate Sink
With a little celestial guidance, RIO has created the OutBound Integrated Shooting Taper. With this line the average freshwater or saltwater caster can launch casts far, far away to the previously unreachable. Designed to load high performance rods quickly with few false casts because the 37.5 ft head is heavier than the AFTMA standards. The supple coldwater Powerflex core and coating, combined with a taper design unique to each model, plus a thin tangle-free running line, ensure the longest flight time for unearthly casts.

Or.....

After a lot of pressure from our saltwater testers, we've developed the Forty Plus a stage further and created a dedicated saltwater version. Each line has a short head for quick loading, launching large saltwater flies a long way with a minimum of effort. Forty Plus Saltwater lines feature a revolutionary braided core that has almost zero stretch for long range hook sets, but has virtually no memory even on the coldest of days.

Taper:
Saltwater 40+ short head, long front taper design - each line individually density balanced to maximize the performance of modern saltwater rods
Core:
Sinking Head - Hi Sense mono core for take detection and hook set
Running line - Hi sense, low stretch multi filament braided core for improved hook set at long range
Coating:
PolyFuse XT dual layer system - supple inner layer for low memory and a hard highly lubricated outer for slick casting performance
Color:
Intermediate 1.5" per sec. (Clear)
Running Line (Translucent Aqua Blue)






C/22

C/22
That will be a very nice beach outfit. I think you'll like the 40 + once you get it dialed in. You'll really enjoy fishing the beaches for silvers. The past ten years, 2005 excluded have been good off the beaches.

Going gear to fly shouldn't be to bad for you. I'm in the opposite boat, going fly to gear for steelie fishing after a 25 year absence. I'll always have the bug rod with me. Just to much good water on the OP that isn't fly friendly, so why drift on by without fishing it.
Brian

s-fish, thanks for the vote of confidence. When I 1st saw this 40+ line I thought... "Great!! Now they have made a line for older guys with bad shoulders, this stuff must be real easy to cast....."

Seriously, thats how my mind works....at times.

Best wishes on the gear-quest, as soon as you get over false casting your #4 spinner you will be fine...


c/22

thats funny right there

I've probably have done that a few time. No pain involved there.
Not like casting a clouser minnow in a cross wind and taking one to the back of the head. No warning needed, you'll know when it happens

Now that you have your outfit taken care of, do you have the most important item you'll need to successfully fish the beaches - a stripping basket?

Nope, inlighten me....



c/22

Get a stripping basket. It will greatly improve your fishing with better line management and longer casts. When the tide is moving, the line you strip in will be carried away down current by the tide. The last thing you want to do is try to cast a line that might be floating 40 ft or more down current from you. If you have a basket, your line will be right there, ready to cast.
The basket will also reduce tangles, keep seaweed off your line and increase your casting distance. I won't fish the beaches without one.

It is really simple to make your own. Here is a picture of my $5.00 Rubbermaid basket I've had for 10 year. On the extreme side, Orvis sell a nice basket, but it is expensive.
http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choic...1&feature_id=17

LL Bean used to have a similar basket for $20.00, but it is now discontinued. I've heard rumors they may bring it back now due to demand. I've never been a fan of the mesh baskets.

Got it, did you add the black knobs in the bottom of the baskeT??

c/22

Yes, I put those in using marine goop. They help keep the line from tangling in the basket. Poor man's solution to cones you see in the Orvis basket.

yes a stripping basket is really needed. it makes beach fishing so much more pleasurable.

i dont have one and my buddie let me use his one day. and it was nice. im just to lazy to make my own. but i will before next silver season for sure.

thats a nice looking basket you got there stonedfish

Sorry i didnt get back to this sooner....
I really didnt like the 40+ as it was not nearly as smooth to cast as the outbound. I think it partly had to do with the rods it is on as well, but it doesnt cast nearly as nicely IMO as the outbound does.

as for stripping baskets... i find them more hassel than i think they are worth, but i a lot guys swear by them. Seems to me that they cause more tangles than they prevent.