Thursday, March 6, 2014

Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Surf fishing -- Floating line = idiot?

Gene,

The floating line definitely has a place in the surf, and like anything in this sport, the technique has its zealots.  One of the most vocal proponents of fishing the surf with a floater is Ken Abrams (author, tier, artist).  Here is one of his better articles on the subject as a primer, but with the warning that this is one mighty deep rabbit hole with LOTS of opinions!

http://www.stripermoon.com/articles/article19.html (yes, there is a "store" link, but it doesn't work from the "Articles page".)

If you can find a copy of his book, Striper Moon, it is more or less his definitive text on the subject and his methods, which are essentially Atlantic Salmon wet fly tactics adapted to the suds. 

Front Cover     

His other book "The Perfect Fish..." discusses his sparsely dressed bucktail and flatwing patterns which he also popularized in certain circles.  I think both of these are right up your alley since you love to cast and fish wet flies so much. 

Short story from my end, I was fishing Outer Banks in Rodanthe one Christmas with a sinking line and trying to hit the outer trough.  I was getting pummeled by every wave, and not catching a thing.  Eventually, a wave filled my stripping basket knocking the line out which became a tangled mess.  I waded back closer to shore to about knee deep water and set about untangling the line.  In the process, I noticed the end of the line, fly, and leader had washed up on the shore.  Once I got the tangle undone, I started stripping the line back in to head back out there and BAM!!!  Got a nice Redfish in the calf deep foamy water right against the beach.  I played the fish pretending I had known what I was doing, and after releasing it, I cast back in the wash and got another one.  After that, I switched over to a floating line and unweighted fly (Deceiver) and proceeded to catch several more on the trip.  From that day on I was convinced that floaters have their place in the surf.

Danny, the multi-tip lines you mention are one of my favorites setups for the beach simply because you can change out the front 15 feet to different densities without unstringing the rod.  I used them quite a bit until I got bitten by the two-hand bug, and I don't think I've tossed a single hander in the surf ever since.  Same deal on the two hander though, I use a Skagit head with basically the same multi-tip set-up.  Works a treat!

Dan Davala


On Wed, Mar 5, 2014 at 3:57 PM, Danny Barrett <dannytbarrett@gmail.com> wrote:
As you mention different lines, something I've been looking at but can't decide if its a good purchase.  There are some lines out now by a few different companies with interchangeable tips, most seem to be around $140.  1 float and 3 different sinking tips of different speeds.  Has anyone used these?



On Wed, Mar 5, 2014 at 3:25 PM, TurbineBlade <doublebclan@gmail.com> wrote:
Hey -- I'm planning to do more fishing on the beach this year and will be in OBX in few months (and also MD Eastern Shore).  I've done a little surf fishing in DE with a full-sink line, and I didn't catch anything other than horseshoe crabs -- but I got an understanding of how to use the basket, etc.  The full sink was honestly dragging bottom too much to be effective....at least where I was standing.  

One thing I kept thinking was that fishing near the shore (I guess between the "wash" and first sand bar -- I'm too scared of sharks to try to get to the deeper cuts...sue me, I never claimed I was rational) might be a place to use a floating line?  A lot of folks talk about using the int. line instead, but doesn't the wave action push just as much a few inches below the surface as it does on the surface?  It seems like you could mend the floater and work a "swing" with the incoming waves better than you could with a sinking line.  

I also understand that the intensity of the waves and/or depth you're fishing makes a difference....I'm mostly thinking OBX and Assateague.  

In other words, is it worth my time to use the floater, or is that one to leave home?  

Gene

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