Thanks for the new Topic Adam Question for salties

As a freshwater trout wand waver, I often wonder if the gear I use such as WF floating line, tip sinking, tapered leaders can be used for light salt fly fishing? Also are all the flies fished "wet" as in lures, or are there dry flies for surface feeders like mullet?
My gear is typically WF6 with 1 - 2 kg tippet. Too light I suppose!!


Posts: 313

Date Joined: 18/05/08

freshwater

Tue, 2008-11-25 20:48

It would be nice to have some more feed back on the freshwater fishing.Dams ,Rivers, esturies, trout ,redfin, bream, cobbler. And Im quite sure a mullet would love to take a dry fly especialy with a 2kg tippet .But I find it easier

 with a net Smile.

 

Cheers Uncle Stu

HuggyB's picture

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short answer is yes

Tue, 2008-11-25 21:51

I use a heavier "tippet" for bluewater work - 6lb through to 20lb. Having said that I don't specifically use a tapered leader/tippet set up as such, its more just a leader type arrangment - much like braid/mono in a spinning outfit. Crude, but effective.

 

I have used my 6wt to take on slamon, herring, bream (fussy buggers), whiting - I'll throw a fly at pretty much anything.

 

The fly depends on the target - dries for salmon, herring etc and wets for bream, whiting and so on. It all depends on where they reside. I will also use a WF floating and intermediate line respectively.

 

I'm hoping to get a 10 - 12wt outfit and throw it at some big adverseries in Exmouth and Karratha like mahi mahi, wahoo, mackrels, maybe even a sail/marlin if I am lucky.

 

Me after trout at Harvey Dam

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Watto069's picture

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Date Joined: 15/01/08

Great pic. Ihave been

Tue, 2008-11-25 23:28

Great pic. Ihave been looking at getting into the fly scene myself. Will start out with a saltwater setup. Looking at getting a combo when I get home. Any suggestions on what I should get for a starter Huggy B

So many fishing spots. Not enough sickies!!!!!!!

HuggyB's picture

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what are you targetting Watto?

Wed, 2008-11-26 05:29

That will decide what weight class you should look at.

Most "big stuff" will warrant a 9wt or heavier. And how much you want to spend is directly related to how deep your pockets are.

 

Some of these guys are spending up to $4k on an outfit. But IMO a TFO (Temple Fork Outfitters) rod is well made and reasonably priced and will probably set you back ~$350 for a 10wt TiCr extreme. Others like Sage and G Loomis run into the $1200 - $1500 range.

 

From there, a reel is all up to your preference. King of the heap for off-shore work is an Able Super, which will range from $800 - $1800 depending on the size. But there are a good number of reels around that $500/$600 mark to choose from like Galvan, Lampson, Shilton etc for a 10wt reel.

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Great action shot HuggyB

Wed, 2008-11-26 07:58

yeah & great spot too by the looks of it. I am looking forward to trying Harvey. Do you tie your own flies?
Dont suppose theres a mayfly hatch so maybe its terrestials like ants, beetles etc you copy?
Any closed season for trout in the dams?

I`d rather be fishin`!!!

HuggyB's picture

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No

Wed, 2008-11-26 14:31

I dont tie my own flies - it's been on my agenda to do so, but hasn't happened yet. Getting enough time is the issue.....

 

The trout season runs from 1st Sept through to the 30th April for the enclosed dams. The rivers like the Murray, Donnelly, Blackwood and Warren are open all year round.

 

The fly I tend to use a lot for trout in Harvey is fuzzle buggers and wooly buggers in olive/black/chartuse - they just seem to be the business.

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Watto069's picture

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Fly fishing

Wed, 2008-11-26 19:14

Will be targeting tailor, herring, salmon, and might try my luck with bream althought I have heard it takes some skill.

So many fishing spots. Not enough sickies!!!!!!!

HuggyB's picture

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you could get away with a 6wt

Wed, 2008-11-26 20:18

but as I found out, for salmon you really need an 8wt. The 6wt is a little undergunned. But if the salmon are going to be an occassional thing and the tailor/hezza/bream will be the more consistent target, then go a 6wt and take your chances with the salmon!

 

And for all intents and purposes, the reel is little more than a line holder, the drag is of little relevance for smaller fish like bream and hezza etc as you can just palm the reel. So if you have limited spending money, make sure you get a great rod and skimp on the reel - not the other way around.

 

there are TONS of options in that weight class. flyworld in Bayswater (and online) is a good dedicated fly tackle shop (actually the only one I know of in Perth!). Chris is good value and great help. He would probably be better placed to advise you than little old me Tongue out

 

EDIT: oh and bream can be painful, but like s/p's - low and slow. But before all that, you'll be at the park sorting out your cast! Youtube is a good place to get some good instructional casting videos. Its not hard, but its not easy either.

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Fly!

Wed, 2008-11-26 22:27

As a freshwater trout wand waver, I often wonder if the gear I use such as WF floating line, tip sinking, tapered leaders can be used for light salt fly fishing? Also are all the flies fished "wet" as in lures, or are there dry flies for surface feeders like mullet?
My gear is typically WF6 with 1 - 2 kg tippet. Too light I suppose!

My trout gear gets used in SW often. My 6wt is used for Swan flathead/ black bream/flounder on nice days. Floating line better for flathead/flounder & intermediate for blackbream. I use a 15lb fluro carbon tippet and small crazy charlies/clousers size 6/4/2 etc in pink & chartruese. I also use the same outfit on dollies at the FADS in the early season run like now but i prefer my sink tip/30lb fluro tippet and larger clousers & epoxy heads like size 2/1/1-0.

Mullet, i use my SW 8wt with floating line and flurocarbon 8lb tippet and either a milkyway (milkfish fly) or a smaller freshwater olive nimph. Going to light will end in tears with water pressure snapping you off or another fish swiming through the lines! For the Swan mulloway i use my 8wt with intermediate line, 30lb fluro tippet & 1/0-2/0 flash green clousers!

I love my flyfishing, saltwater & freshwater and enjoy tying my own flies. Limited retail sales market here in the metro so i leave that to "Flyworld" as Huggy mentioned...good shop!

 

 

 

* Oceanside- Advice, Knowledge, Experience....that's our difference *

Owner of "Oceanside Tackle & Marine"
364 South St, O'Connor, Perth Ph 9337 5682

Watto069's picture

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Thanks guys looks like I

Wed, 2008-11-26 23:00

Thanks guys looks like I will be heading into flyworld to check out the gear there and get myself a 6wt setup. Can't wait to get started as alot of people say they get so much enjoyment from landing a fish on fly

So many fishing spots. Not enough sickies!!!!!!!

HuggyB's picture

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land that 1st one

Thu, 2008-11-27 15:03

and you'll be hooked.

 

Just make sure you spend the time to get your cast right - critical! Dont stress too much about fly presentation, that will come with time and salt water species aren't that fussed by presentation (different story with trout). But make sure you get the basic mechanics of your cast right - it will save a lot of tears and heartache down the track.

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Thanks fellas for the info

Fri, 2008-11-28 09:00

I had feeling about the clowsers, they just look right even to me so they will probably be my first salties to try.
I know I pushed a mob in Tassie, but if theres a good dealer in Busso or Bunbury well you cant beat good first hand advice
so I will be going there.
As for a fish on a fly yeah you cant beat it specially if you tied the fly yourself from your own design.

I`d rather be fishin`!!!