striper lines for the surf ..

[gh0ztkid21]

i just started salt water fly fishing from the shores of new jersey and i have some trouble casting in the surf when i am fishing or off the jetty . . i have wf10 fly line for my 9' 10wt rod and i was wondering what i am doing wrong.. i cant cast my bigger flies that i tie out far enough and was wondering if i should get shooting line or if there is any other line that will be better for me when fishing off the surf .. any help will be much appreciated ..

 

also when fishing off the jetty i can only cast my flies about 20ft or so and if i try any further i always end up messing up (my line doesnt land in a streight line in the water it is like a snake) but when i take my fly off and i try casting without a fly i can cast much farther . . does anyone think i am doing anything wrong when casting wit the fly or is there a weighted tip i should get to help me get the bigger flies out there easier?

 

 

 

thank you,

chris from jersey

[spook]

Chris,

 

It is very difficult to say without seeing you cast. Sounds like not enough line speed or the flies are too big and air resistant.

Try small flies and see if things improve. If they do, gradually work your way up.

Other than that you might want to have an experienced caster check your equipment and watch you cast.

[fishchile]

How big are the flies and how big and long is the leader?

[SeaOtter]

For the surf, on your 10wt, I would recommend using an 11wt intermediate line, eg. Airflo or Rio (they are just my personal favorites, but you can use whatever you want). An intermediate is actually a slow sinking line, not a floating line (which I'm guessing you have now). It has a thinner diameter and casts easier.

 

Also, a shooting head system will probably not help you, since it seems like you need more work on your casting technique. A shooting head only helps when you actually know how to cast well... Regardless of how large your flies are or how long your leader is, with a 10wt rod, you should be able to get some decent distance out of your casts, if you are doing it correctly (unless you are stringing 2 full chickens to a hook with a 20ft long 2lb-test leader).

 

From your description, it sounds like you are "rainbow" casting. Does your cast (and your rod) go in a high arc over your head? It should travel in a straight line back on your back cast, and a straight line forward on your fore cast. A high arc over your head generates no line speed, which is critical for good fly casting.

 

Best advice is to get some casting lessons from either a pro or someone who knows what they are doing. Or, if you can't do that, invest in a book called "Troubleshooting the Cast" by Ed Jaworowski. Learn how to maximize your line speed, and then learn how to haul the line.

 

And first and foremost, don't worry. We all started somewhere. I don't think I even got 20ft when I first started fly fishing!!!

[Dpost2]

Changing you rod or your line won't solve the problem because the problem is not with your equipment. If you're struggling to cast a fly 20 feet then casting lessons are in order. Then practice, practice, practice.

[Buddy53]

You should have somewhere around 30 ft of fly line outside the rod tip to properly load the rod before trying to shoot line. Also fly might be too much.

[albacized]

It could also depend on the rod. My faster action Orvis 8 wt casts a 9 wt shooting head better than my slow action Fenwick 8 wt-the rod gets way overloaded.

[gh0ztkid21]

thank you all very much .. my uncle taught me hhow to cast and i learned on his rod and he told me practice makes perfect and when i practiced i always did it without a fly on the end and when i cast a small trout fly with my other rod i have no problem but when i started saltwater fly fishing with my new rod i couldnt cast my flies .. i practiced without a fly on and i could cast a great distance but then when i go to the surf n try with the fly on, i cant seam to get any distance .. i have floating lik witch i dont think is really good because it came with the reel .. i got a cabelas combo set from the cabelas store with a csr fly reel by cabelas and it came with backing and line .. i though the line would be good for me to learn on and everything and i was planning on getting new line .. the combo price was $250 .. my uncle recomended it for me and said it would be good for me off the surf .. i guess im going to have to get him to watch me cast with a fly on and see if i am doing a rainbow cast .. well thank you all very much and hopefully i willl get it figured out so i can catch more fish ..

 

o yeah i have 9 ft of leader which consists of 25# , 15# and 12# each 3ft sections .. is that setup good ??

[triumph19]

Butt section of leader should be 50# and tip should be 20# for casting larger flies...may want to go shorter as well (6-7.5"). More importantly have you learned to double haul? SW flycasting is far different than FW.

[gh0ztkid21]

no i dont kno what that is .. i didnt know that also so i should do a 50# and a 20# thats 7 ft? and what is the double haul??

[fishchile]

As Dpost stated with out seeing what you are doing it is tough to help.

Although I would be the first to recommend fly casting lessons or having your uncle help what got my attention was that you stated with out a fly you were casting with distance at the jetty I presume. I don't know how big of fly you were tossing but if your leader is too light and too long you will end up with results like 20 foot casts. Try getting rid of the 12 pound leader and going a little shorter. If that was the problem and you want to go back to 9 foot go with the 20 pound or heavier. The 12 # may be too light for what you are doing. It does feel a little different with flies on the end of the line. Remember a little wind is tough especially when learning to cast with a floating line. Before you run out and buy more stuff/line figure out what is going wrong and get it corrected. You will be much happier later.

[LKB3rd]

Always use either a fly with the bend of the hook cut or a fluffy piece of yarn when lawn casting. It's definitely a lot different with something on the end.

[C. Regalis]

Definitely good advice regarding casting lessons and practice. You need to establish good fundamentals first. The double haul will come shortly after that, I suspect. But remember- this is not like spinfishing- the weight of the "lure" (or a "weighted tip") does not carry your line- the fly line is what you are casting - your leader and lure are along for the ride.

 

Leaders can be simple - there are different opinions (many) about whether you need a 50# butt section, 40#, 30# or whether you need a tapered leader at all.

 

Most folks will probably agree, however that it helps to have your butt section be at least 50% of the length of your leader and the butt section needs to be stiff enough to transfer the energy from the flyline and turn over the fly.

 

Finally, my experience as a learner (and believe me. I am still learning...)

is that the surf is a pretty tough place to start. Casting is trouble enough into the wind, without line mangement problems to boot.

 

Save some wear and tear on your head- get some casting lessons! Spring is not THAT far off.

[Dpost2]

Chris,

First, as everybody said, the surf is a very difficult place to learn. Fish backwaters until you learn to cast better.

 

Second, make it easy on yourself. If you have a 9wt rod and a 9wt line, your outfit is fine. Use a short leader. 3 to 5' of 30# test and 2' of 20# (5-7' total) will do fine for the surf. Don't use extremely large flies; 3" to 5" is a good starting point. Avoid weighted flies (Clousers, Jiggies, etc) and poppers until you learn to cast better.

 

Third, the symptoms you describe -able to cast without a fly but the line piles up with a fly - usually results from a failure to accelerate your rod hand during the cast and/or a failure to stop abruptly at the end of the cast. You can achieve distance without a fly because the mimimal resistance of a line without a fly allows you to get away with sloppy casting. The added resistance of a fly, especially a large fly, accentuates casting problems.

 

Good luck.

[oysterbreath]

Hey Chris

 

I to a very new to fly fishing and was getting very frustrated trying to cast i bought a book call fly fishing made easy by Micheal Rutter and Dave Card, it is a very basic book and is kinda geared more toward fresh water than salt but it has alot of good casting exercises and practice lessons, it has taken me from almost ready to give it up to being hooked i caught my first fish ever yesterday a whopping 14" short but i was on a fly i tied my self(the second fly i ever made) now i am hooked. I would try the book first if that doen't work try lessons. I fished with bait casters and spinning gear for over 35 plus years but fly fishing is way way way better IMHO i am hooked for life.

 

Jim w.