Fly-fishing?

[RC]

I have done quite a bit of saltwater flyfishing. Lived in Titusville and fished for reds in the mosquito lagoon and indian river. I have two fly outfits a sage rod and tibor reel and a thomas and thomas and a orvis large arbor battenkill. A couple of things to think about.

Wind!!! it seems like the wind is always blowing. You need a rod with enough power to cast into the wind. that is why most saltwater flyfishers use the stiff graffite rods. I would recomend the 8 weight. If you fish a lot in the backs of creeks or other protected waters a 7 could be fun.

Next is fly fishing is really a sight fishing situation. If you know where you can see tailing reds like I used to fish in the mosquito lagoon that is where you need to fish. Blind casting with a fly rod will surely wear you out. by the way if you know where those reds are we need to get together. I have a 16' hells bay that will almost float where your boat will.

As to the length of the rod. One of mine is 8.5' and the other is 9.5' and I like the longer rod unless it is a tight quarters. I used it for snook fishing around the mangroves. I wade fish a lot, or used to till I saw all the sharks off econfina. and that extra length sure helps when you are waist deep. I think it would also help sitting in a kyack.

St Croix has a line of reasonably priced fly rods. Nothing will turn you off quicker than poor equipment. As to a reel there are several reasonably priced reels and a good one will last forever. I would reccomend a large arbor reel. Reds and Trout won't really test your drag but i was in Panama City this summer and those bonita will really put on a show.

Like Tom says fly fishing is for people who have caught too many fish. I always have a fly rod and if it is one of those rare days that the fish are biting everything you throw at them and the wind is not blowing Its time to break out the fly rod. And if you catch a fish on a flyrod with a fly that you tied that is satisaction.

[Littoral]

Thanks RC,
I do see fly fishing as an option on the days when it can happen. Your point about getting worn out is a good one. I've pictured surveying with spinning gear & switching to the fly rod when I've found what I was looking for.
Yea, wind. It's an issue for a lot of our fishing decisions. If I'm in my kayak I've already determined it's going to be at least reasonable.
You recommended the 8 weight and also said if I fished a lot in the backs of creeks or other protected waters a 7 could be fun. Fun is good. I do fish a lot of protected water & I'm also really into light gear.
Some questions, is 8wt line a option on a 7wt rod?
Also, I mentioned above that if I'm in a kayak my thought is that I don't need to cast "as" far. If that's true then would a seven still be a reasonable choice? I don't want to completely limit my options to no wind. Can the 7 handle a little wind if i don't have to cast as far?

I've checked out the St Croix rods. They do have quite a few at reasonable prices. What's the difference with a large arbor. If it's backing capacity is there a significant increase in weight?

I've done the Bonita show in St Andrews but not on fly. I imagine...
Like you said, what I'm looking for is to catch a fish on a flyrod with a fly that I tied, satisaction.
thanks again for the advice. Obsessing is half the fun.

[RC]

most of the rods that are used with a larger line size than they are rated are extra fast high modulus (expensive rods) that are really stiff. They will cast a very tight loop and are good casting into a wind. In my opinion they are really underrated on their line size. I have used 9 weight lines on my 8 weight and where they really help me is on short cast because you can load the rod with less line out. Most 7 weights really don't have the backbone to oversize the line. My advice is to get a balanced outfit and learn to cast it. Get some lessons. I have a friend in ft lauderdale that can cast a 5 weight in 15 mph winds and throw the whole line (100'). But he is really good. unless you are on the bonefish flats, doing our kind of fishing I would say that your average cast will be 40' to 60' but sometimes its nice to be able to get another 20' or 30'. One problem I have and you probably will experience is that i fish with a spinning reel a lot. We snap our wrist to cast the line. With a flyrod that is a no no. Flyrod casting is completely different. Lefty and Flip make it look easy.

On the large arbor. Fly reels are 1:1 not 6:1 like our spinning reels. the arbor on a small arbor reel is less than 1" in dia. Each round of the handle picks up 2 or 3 inches of line. Now this is not a problem on a trout stream with an 8" fish but when you hang a nice red and you have 15' or 20' of loose line on the deck you need to get it up fast. that line wants to hang on everything around you. thats why flats boats have clean unobstructed decks.you need to get the fish on the reel and use the drag to fight the fish if only to control the line. If the line hangs up he will break off. Look at the large arbor reels when you go to the fly shop. that arbor will be 3" to 4" in dia. See how much faster you can get the line in. As far as weight there is little or no difference. As far as backing most any of them will hold enough for reds. Now if you try those bonitas make sure you buy a rod with a good warranty.

[Sir reel]

I scanned through this thread pretty quickly so I may have missed any discussion on the line. It's been quite a while since I've been involved in fly fishing but the choice of line can certainly make things easier for you as well... especially considering your going to be doing this sitting down (at least part of the time). I would not be looking for any thing except either a weight forward taper or the bass bug taper. This will really help carry the cast/line out for you!

[Redhead]

Littoral- any rod should be able to handle uplining to the next weight. However, I would stick with the 8wt instead of the 7 wt. You will need the added backbone that the 8 has. Most of the you casting will probably be within 50-60 ft, beyond that you do not have much control. With that range wind will affect you kayak as much as the cast. So I would not worry to much about wind. RC has given good advice. When you go to The Flyshop or Kevins, ask to cast some of the 8 wt rods. Try the various brands and variations within the brands (Sage has 5? different types, Orvis also has several, as does Loomis). See if you call tell the difference between the High End and the budget. Then decide what might work for you. Reels are probably a matter of choice and target species. I have both LA and standard. I also have several rods for different species. If you are going to buy one line for fishing in shallow (6 ft or less), I would suggest the floating saltwater taper. As you progress, get the clear intermediate line which sinks just below the surface and weeds or a clear sink tip. One last thought, the leader is where your fishing battle is won or lost. You can go as fine or as heavy as you want to muscle the fish. Enjoy.