PDA

View Full Version : Beach Fly Fishing



Stuie_02
01-02-2003, 05:09 AM
Hi everyone

I wonder why not many aussie get into SWF and go to the beach? OK casting distances and looks are the fall backs i can see?

What do think standard gear should be?

I only have a 9ft so far Max, i have been using that #12 to fire some crazy charlies, surf candies out to sea. Down here in Vic we are the closest to the icebergs so waders very good idea. burley, aim at some salmon loads of fun. floating head or intermediate.

Your Thoughts

Cheers
Stuie

UNCLEBARRY
01-02-2003, 06:19 AM
Good morning Stuie.
Welcome to the World of the of the Wong Wod, errr, the long rod.

My suggestion would be a 15 foot double hander in 10/11w.

And you can stand with your feet dry and still get out there.

I am sure Max has, and can say more about the Wong Wods than I, and bet one of his things will be, why didn't I find them 20 years ago or more.

Because they are a lot less work and go further, therefore your fly covers more water.

The discovery of Wong Wods has just started in this country, but we are only about 200 years behind Northern Europe. We are now on a giant learning curve and enjoying the ride.

As now we have available Wong Wods in sizes down to 8w, that are true double handers, over heads and not spry rods, things will be changing on the flats and lakes for ever.

Added to the adventure, is the collection of lines, also now available in F, I and Sinking, at a number of different speeds.

Now just think how Bass fishing could be, in competition where time is everything, instead of 4 or 5 false casts, you only make 1 and your fly reaches out about 150feet instead of 60 or 80feet....more time in the water, more time down where they live, result, more strikes.

And what about tuna, the smarties who go down at about 100feet, they too are now in reach, Flathead hunters, each cast covers 150 feet instead of the normal 60 feet, and the list goes on.

Kind regards,
Uncle Barry.
Barry Ryan.
Talon Australia.

Wesley_Pang
02-02-2003, 04:53 AM
Barry,

A 15 footer may be the way go if you want distance above all else. You sacrifice accuracy, presentation and have the added hassle of line management.

A long rod may be the way to go if you want to cover a lot of ground, "blind flogging" such as deep fly with bass and maybe flathead or surf casting.

I don't agree with long rod with tuna. 15 foot of rod is too much to have on a boat. A 9 footer is enough hassle. You may be able to reach the tuna with a longer rod, but you'll be in trouble trying to get a 10+kg longtail under control with a long sloppy rod. For fish fighting, you want as short a rod as possible. When you've got a tuna circling the boat a 6 foot 1 inch rod(a rod has to be longer than 6 foot to be IGFA legal, I think) is what you want.

What is required is a telescopic fly rod, 15 foot to cast, 6 foot to fight the fish.

I'm with Voltzy, and prefer to fish from a boat. Using good boat handling to get closer to the fish.

If the tuna get in close into Bribie this year, we may have a shot off the beach. Land Based Fly Longtail. Way to go!!!

Wes

thunnus
02-02-2003, 10:38 AM
barry if your making 5 or 6 false casts to cast 60-80foot i think there is something wrong.

will you be bringing a few long rods to the casting comp at the salty fly show this year?

just a few words on that boys and girls - The show will be held on the 6th April in the car park at Tie'N'Fly we are trying for a very relaxed, back to basics show this year so come along and chew the fat with some awsome fisho's.

The casting comp will be held the following weekend on the 13th April. The venue is yet to be decided so stay tuned for further information.

Last but not least dont forget the Longtail Tuna Chase - possibly the most fun tournament you could ever fish - great people catching a great fish. The event will be held from the 28th to the 30th March at the Mooloolaba Yatch Club.

For further information and or entry forms for the tuna chase just give Gavin and Maria a call at Tie'N'Fly on (07) 5444 0611

cheers and good fishing, Justin

UNCLEBARRY
02-02-2003, 06:28 PM
Good evening Wes and Thunderus.

Wes, what brand or brands of 15 footers were you casting, the line size and where?

As you maybe able to help me with your experiences and skills.

And a "long sloppy rod ?"
It sounds to me like you must have had a Spry rod in your hands and if you were attempting to cast it as a double over head rod, you would have had trouble and it would appear to be slightly sloppy, maybe. As the true double handed over head rod is constructed very differently to that of the spry rod.

Trouble with a 10kg tuna, makes you wonder how people ever control a 20kg salmon jumping all over the place?
Myself, if I had double or triple the number of hook-up per day because I could reach out to more fish, then and only then would I really worry about controling the fish, hey, but thats me.

We can then add another factor, if the day is windy, like what is now normal and I can still cast 100feet with by 700gn plus head, surely this would be an advantage over the 9 foot 10w caster?

Thunderus.
I didn't know there was a expo or display on this year, and no, I haven't been envited to show our products, so guess we won't show.

But just could be at the Fantastic Longtail Tuna Fly Chase with the Talon ###### Leveller event, again.

And if there is enough interest we will display the Long Rods, the 15 footers.

The 5 or 6 false casts, is the average that I have seen over the last couple of years from a few people. Just a few. And the distance is over a tape measured distance. This was a generalised statement. The statment did not include gun Tuna casters like yourself.

The casting competition, didn't know there was one on, this year.

Kind regards,
Uncle Barry.
Barry Ryan.
Talon Australia.

Maxg
03-02-2003, 05:47 PM
Wes, Well, my 15' Talon is a very fast taper device, in fact the bottom two sections remind me of a gum sapling. It is built as a DH rod, specifically for overhead casting, and it is NOT a Spey rod. It has light PacBay bridge guides rather than snakes. It also has a big stripping guide. (Oz research into long rod casting). Pull the eye teeth out of a Hippo. Casting is easier than with a 9 footer, and arruracy, well using a roll cast I can get 60 feet continually and put it where I want it, exactly. Imagine standing on a flat roll casting 60' and stepping sidways as you cast.Cover a huge amount of territory. And I don't need to have any other shooting line out to cause problems. The fly travels faster on the retrieve as well. Landing fish, how do guys with big alvey outfits handle fish, same story here, its a brute of a fishing rod, handles up to 850 gns, which is 1.94 ounces, or near enough to 2oz. I can, without too much problem, get 120 feet of running line out of the basket, which is, taking a 30' head and a 5' leader a lot further than you can huck a 9 footer, after almost breaking your arm, and its done without false casting, or using any energy. I have a Loop 50' inter head that weighs 725 grains and it roll casts like a dream, ocassionally, when I get it right.
But you could use a 12'/13' rod in a boat, and if it was 10/11#, like the Talon, it would be accurate with rolls, easy to overhead cast and without any bother get over 120 feet every time. I also have a Loop 8/9# 12'4" fast taper rod, which goes well with a 30' 11# SA HiD head.
I think you should try one of these, and yes, why didn't I have one of these in '67 or '70. I wonder why I had to be 72 years of age when I found it.
I haven't hucked a 9 footer for many months, a TFO 10 footer'er yes, but a 9 foot'er no.
I'm not sure if I ever will go back to 9 foot rods. Everything I have, reels, reel setups are designed for "wong wods".
How are you doing Barry. Cheers Max

Stuie_02
05-02-2003, 05:26 AM
Hi Everyone

Wes: Howdy, I think the IGFA rule where if your rod snaps there has to be a section (fighting bit) that is no less than 6ft. have a look im a bit rusty in that area.

Max/Uncle barry GDay, What sort of accuracy is there in a 15ft rod? im not talking pin point just 5m x 5m area.

What sort of rigs do you use on these rods, shooting heads would be around the 45ft wouldnt they?

Cheers
Stuie

UNCLEBARRY
05-02-2003, 06:11 AM
Good morning Stuie2.
The target area is proportional to the distance, but at 100feet a 2 meter square can be hit most times.

Next question, can most 9 footer casters hit a 2 mt square most times,at 100feet. From the people who I have seen, the answer is no. The people are not the gun casters, just Mr. Average.

Then can most 9 footers cast 150 feet and hit anything, I don't think many people can cast 150foot with fishing gear, let alone hit anything.

But when using a 15 footer, with a 45 foot head, you have only to cast 40feet to reach the 100 and 90 for the 150, Answer is yes for the 5 x5 mt target.

Line, shooting heads, about 3 times the rods length, is the normal. Max is investigating the possibity of obtaining and using floating, intermediate or full sinking heads at the moment.
We at Talon Australia are haveing a special running line being manufuctured to our spec., at this point in time, which will over come many of the traditional running line problems, This will be then marketed to the World market shortly there after.

The line is designed to be floating.

We are also developing a Oz model in 13 foot 10/11w, which should prove rather interesting. In northern Euorpe there are Wong Wod casters reaching the same distance with this new shape and construction Talon model. In the line up of WW's are line weights down to 8 and Wod lengths from 18 to 12' 6".

And if you haven't seen a 18 foot WW, you haven't seen nothing !
This stick was imported by us for a Victorian Caster who reachs out amazing distances, way past 200 feet, with ONLY 1 back and Shoot !.

Kind regards,
Uncle Barry.
Barry Ryan.
Talon Australia.

Toddy
05-02-2003, 07:44 AM
And if there is enough interest we will display the Long Rods, the 15 footers.



Of course there will be enough interest Barry.
People like myself want to look,touch and in the end have a cast with these rods.
How can you sell them if we cant see them and we cant cast them?

Toddy

UNCLEBARRY
05-02-2003, 05:07 PM
Good evening Toddy.
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
We will see how things go.

What most people don't seem to understand is that the Wong Wod casting is some what different to casting a single hander.

It would be fair to say that its like starting all over again, you have to develope the timeing and feel for the load and then apply your body to the cast...Well thats it in a nut shell.

Kind regards,
Uncle Barry.
Barry Ryan.
Talon Australia.

Wesley_Pang
05-02-2003, 07:38 PM
Barry,

My 5.5 meter center console can only handle 9 foot rods. I store the rods horizontally. Anything over 9 foot risks breakage. How do you store 15 foot on your boat?

I'd love to try a double handed flyrod. When can we organise a test cast?? I'm sure a few swoffers on this board would be very interested in having a cast. If longer rods can get us onto more longtails, we would jump at the opportunity.

How have you gone with long rods and longtail tuna?

Attached photo - Putting a 9 foot 11 weight through its paces on a 10+kg longtail. This was a small one, we livebaited a 18kg one. Still hunting our "Moby Dick" - 20+kg Longtail Tuna.

Wes

Maxg
06-02-2003, 07:32 AM
Wes I have a few, like maybe a hundred or so, longtails under my belt and I don't think they are a problem, I once got a 25lb'er in 4.5 minutes on a 12# and I had a 14 year old fishing mate who wopped dozens, and threw in a few Macks, bonito etc. I've hooked 'em off boats, jetties and boats. Only ever landed them off boats because of the old time system of water logging dacron.
Long rods are a very big step into fantasy, and they take a bit of getting used to because of the casting. Try handling a 50' head on a 9 footer.
But with heads, on 9 footers as well as long rods, accuracy isn't a thing that gets much consideration, but you can get flies into the right place.
On the other hand rods do come to pieces, and my 15' talon is in three 5' chunks. In a feeding bunch of fish all you need is a few feet of line out and roll cast the thing. It gets rid of line management problems, no tamers, no messy line all over the joint and you can do it continuously. Accurately, like on the bulls eye. With the length problem, well its something one has to work out, try a extra bloke in the boat, and try using a 22 foot boat. without a heap of overhead structure. Its all in the mind Wes, if you dwell on problems its gets to be bigger than it should be. Max

Toddy
06-02-2003, 08:46 AM
Barry,

My 5.5 meter center console can only handle 9 foot rods. I store the rods horizontally. Anything over 9 foot risks breakage. How do you store 15 foot on your boat?

I'd love to try a double handed flyrod. When can we organise a test cast?? I'm sure a few swoffers on this board would be very interested in having a cast. If longer rods can get us onto more longtails, we would jump at the opportunity.

How have you gone with long rods and longtail tuna?

Attached photo - Putting a 9 foot 11 weight through its paces on a 10+kg longtail. This was a small one, we livebaited a 18kg one. Still hunting our "Moby Dick" - 20+kg Longtail Tuna.

Wes
Yeah Wes,I would be in on a test run of these long rods as well.
Maybe Barry could show us and then we could have a go.
If longer rods can get me more fish then I'd be in it.
Barry,how do you go setting the hook at 100 foot plus??

Toddy

Voltzy
06-02-2003, 01:00 PM
Re long rods and longtails
I wanna know how ya land em max? being at the end of a 15 foot lever in a 14 foot boat (a common size around here) doesn't sound like fun, particularly when they get under the boat.
I'm not trying to sound like a sceptic or a smart arse just curious.

I would be interested in trying a 15 footer too, so thats at least 3 for brissy barry. there would be a few more in the woodwork too.

thunnus
06-02-2003, 01:28 PM
count me in, that makes 4.

cheers, Justin

team_mongo
06-02-2003, 03:25 PM
Wes with a medium sized longtail and a 9ft GLX noodle..

Imagine
60% longer rod..
60% bigger fish..
600% more trouble....

George

Maxg
06-02-2003, 06:36 PM
My word that is a sloppy stick isn't it. No butt guts, or is it one of those wimpy 8's. Look no one has suggested that landing salt water fish is a snack on any fly rod, but it certainly improves if you use practical gear like 12's with some butt. I was only saying that casting would be a snack,considering that most off boat stuff is not that long. I've owned 2 of the things and caught a lot of fish out of them with 9' glass sticks, and a graphite 10#. But generally the very long rods are best off shore platforms because its oriented for distance. How do you set hooks at 100 feet, , easy, use a stuffed no stretch backing/running line and big circle hooks. short shooting heads, 30' stuff and short leaders with a little bit of buffer.
Technically the stuffed system is the way to go, because it has no knots, no stretch and casts like a rocket.
Mind you as far as local Swoffers are concerned, long rods are like new technology, but overseas its normal practise and people handle line lengths up to 70 plus feet. I have a 725gn loop intermediate head 50 feet long and a 9# AirFlo head 45 feet long.
Very hard to organise if you are used to LC13's. Max
PS the fly is a SST tied by Dave Sellers, just for Max. I love it.