Karl, I am doing... er, ah... Santa is doing everything he can to get me re-geared for SRC's. And, rest assured, Mrs. Claus is getting a nice gift from the elves at home this year.
Self-Santa is a great way to get exactly what you want, isn't it. SRC's are great fish. Les Johnson's book and this forum got me on the ground and running very quickly. I've had many great outings on the beaches this past summer. I hope your experience will be at least as good or better.
I use both a floater and a clear intermediate. Despite my best eforts and my use of an Orvis striping basket I have coil memory problems with the itermediate. So, more and more I use my floater and a weighted poly leader. This seems to work really well. I recommend a floater with either a regular leader or a weighted poly leader as a good place to start.
Right on, Bob. I sprang for one last summer and it continues to impress. 7 wt on a 6 wt Xi2. BoooM it is, only effortless..
yeah Don, Tom Wolf turned me on to them last fall. come to think of it, I need to get that thang out and get it salty. couple half-days of steelheading is all I've gotten in altely, too busy.
Spaz, You're doing the right thing, I got 3 brats on the peninsula last Monday, and zilcho on a local beach yesterday. Same day last year in a snow storm, I stung better than a dozen src on the same pattern, same beach, different brand of cigar, . Pm me, I didn't winterize the boat, we'll look for rezzies in January.
Funny question: is there a fly fisher on Earth who doesn't own a WF6F floating line? Personally, I haven't encountered water on a PS beach deep enough that a long leader and weighted fly couldn't reach the bottom, within casting distance from shore. I'm sure the salt experts have their reasons for a clear intermediate etc, but a "floater" always seemed sufficient to me.
I've often heard that an intermediate line isn't necessary but is often use not to get your fly deeper but specifically to get your line below water. Reason being - when there some salad floating around as the tide comes in, its a pain to have to pull crap off your floating line every cast. With an intermediate line, the line sets just below all the salad, thus reducing the pain of cleaning your line often. I exclusively use WF6F, simply because I haven't had the chance to buy a spool and int line
I carry three lines: A floater, which I use for fishing Miyawaki poppers. A clear intermediate, which I use most of the time. I like this line because it tracks so well -- and casts really well. A fast sinking line. I use this line perhaps once or twice a month, but I really need it when I use it. On some tides -- and at some spots -- the current is ferocious. You need a sinking line to get down to the ledges -- which may only be 3 feet deep -- where the fish are waiting. I also use a sinker on sunny days, which is when the cutts get a little shy. Finally, as Don Freeman said, a sinker gets down to a lot of fish when you're fishing from a boat. I never thought I needed a sinker until the day when my friend Greg Cloud used a sinker and outfished me 10 to 1 during an entire tide. A sinking line will get you into fish that you never thought were there.
I'm in agreement with Chester, 90 plus percent of the time the intermediate is on and loaded if I'm fishing poppers then the floater is on. As for cabbage you still get it there is no way around it if it is present. I too have been outfished with intermediate lines when I was using a floater. Everyone has an opinion and I really like having options!
Of the three types of lines suggested to have on-hand (floating, intermediate, quick-sinking), is there a MANUFACTURER'S BRAND or reel-loading line technique which helps to maximize casting distance when used regularly in the salt?
Look for a RIO Outbound or Airflo 40+. Those are two popular types of integrated "shooting head" type lines made for making long casts. They are not very good all around lines, but are really nice for beach fishing. As others have said, get either a floater or maybe an intermediate. A floater is all around the most versatile. Worry about a sinker later if you feel the need to spend more money.
With a single hander, I will usually water load the cast (think switch cast). I don't use a lot of false casting as after about two my cast quality goes downhill faast.Most times though, I use a light two hander. A Cortland CL 5wt 12' spey. A TFO Deer Creek 4 wt switch is something I'd like to get this next year. Airflo 40+ and Rio Outbound are my go-to lines for the beach, fished with a 10' poly leader with a couple feet of tippet. I switch out clear floating, intermediate, and sink as conditions/flies change.
I like an intermediate line when there is a lot of chop on the water. With the line just below the surface I get a straight connection to my fly, which means I can feel my fly better, feel any takes, get a better hook set, which results in better hookups. Versus the wind blowing my line around.
I agree and 99% of the time I use my floater only use my intermdiate if it is really choppy, really sunny and bright out or I know there are fish there but they are not hitting surface flies
