casting heavy flys

[Fish For Life 0]

Im looking into purchasing a 10 weight rod for pike and bass. When it comes to casting heavy fly's is a short or long rod better . Is a usual 9' rod a good length or is something more like a 7-8' rod better. Once the fly's get wet they will be fairly heavy so i need a rod that can still get them out a good distance.

 

Thanks

[Odaon 0]

I've heard that short rods are better for casting big flies. However, I have a 9'6" 8wt and I like it a lot. I have a preference for slightly longer fly rods for whatever reason. With that said, when I purchase a 10 wt there's a pretty good chance I'll try out a shorter one maybe an 8'6" or 8', I wouldn't go too much shorter than 8'.

 

Go with what you like to cast. Demo some rods in a bunch of lengths and see what you cast best. Also, don't forget (if you don't already know) to learn how to Belgian cast.

[SCOwens 0]

That Sage Bass Rod will CHUCK a fly, I love it, just wished I could afford it they are all 7'11"

[heavynets 0]

I'll say it has more to do with the weight of the line / rod than the length of the rod. Spey and switch rods can throw a heavy fly too. A short leader will help turn over a heavy fly.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

We use lots of heavier rods down here in paradise (I keep six or seven rods rigged and ready from a 7wt all the way up to a 12...). My 10wts are all nine foot models (my favorite is one I built myself on a Thomas and Thomas Horizon blank with an old Powell aluminum seat.....). Lots wiill depend on your casting style when it comes to heavier, larger flies. You'll have to change your timing a bit to be successful. I have had some anglers that greatly benefitted from using one line size heavier for bigger flies (a 10wt rod with an 11wt line...).

 

The best advice I've ever given an angler with a larger rod is not to try to cast with a lot of line in the air.... work out forty feet or so then shoot the last 20 or 30 feet to get where you want to be. It's much, much easier to shoot the last 20 or so feet than to try to work wtih sixty or seventy feet of line in the air (you'll need to double haul to do this properly - or at least "water haul").

 

Here's a pic of the size flies that we routinely toss with a 10 or 11wt rod.... This Tarpon Snake is on a 4/0 heavy hook and has a wire weedguard.... This green and white version is a variation of the usuall all black for this pattern....

 

Tight lines

Bob LeMay

(954) 435-5666

[mikechell 0]

It's all a matter of physics ... a longer rod gives more leverage for casting heavier lines farther. Heavier lines are required to cast heavier flies.

But ...

It's all a matter of personal preference. If you like shorter rods, you'll be more comfortable, hence you'll enjoy the fishing, thus you'll be good with fishing heavier lures on shorter rods. You won't get the distance, but you'll have more fun.

But ...

[KHoss 0]

bob makes a good point in not trying to carry too much line

essp if you are using an agressive tapered/ shorter head line (which you should be using for larger flies)

 

you will also need to change your casting stroke

open your loops and move to a more dynamic cast (ie Belgium style)

dont try to keep everything in the same plane like with a 4wt throwing small dries

 

 

personally...

I like 8'6 or 9' rods

lines- rio outbound or SA titan taper

[ditz2 0]

Speaking of leverage.....Take a 1# box of sugar and hold it straight out at arms length. Now attach that same 1# box to the end of a 9' rod and hold it out at arms length. Which is easier?......A shorter rod will be less stressful with the same about of weight. The problem is that not many of us can toss a fly 80' with no rod so we have to have some kind of compromise as to rod length. There is a reason that all 16' rods are 2 handed. Now how about 80' casts with a 10' leader/tippet with a 70' rod? Shorter rods are easier to swing with the same amount of weight hanging off the end of the rod. Basic physics I am sure you will loose a little distance but it will be less stressful to the shoulder, arm, and wrist.

[mikechell 0]

It's all a matter of physics ... a longer rod gives more leverage for casting heavier lines farther. Heavier lines are required to cast heavier flies.

But ...

It's all a matter of personal preference. If you like shorter rods, you'll be more comfortable, hence you'll enjoy the fishing, thus you'll be good with fishing heavier lures on shorter rods. You won't get the distance, but you'll have more fun.

But ...

 

 

Speaking of leverage.....Take a 1# box of sugar and hold it straight out at arms length. Now attach that same 1# box to the end of a 9' rod and hold it out at arms length. Which is easier?......A shorter rod will be less stressful with the same about of weight. The problem is that not many of us can toss a fly 80' with no rod so we have to have some kind of compromise as to rod length. There is a reason that all 16' rods are 2 handed. Now how about 80' casts with a 10' leader/tippet with a 70' rod? Shorter rods are easier to swing with the same amount of weight hanging off the end of the rod. Basic physics I am sure you will loose a little distance but it will be less stressful to the shoulder, arm, and wrist.

Same concept, different approach. Well put, Ditz2.

[vicrider 0]

Just from my standpoint, I go up in length as I go up in line weight and fly weight. I use mostly bamboo now and a Para17 in 7-8wt. does a good job with bass bugs, but when I want to move a big, heavy, conehead fly for pike or musky, I have a 10' 10-11wt Lamiglas that will move anything, and I can pick up 30' and haul 60-70' with a bit of effort. I'm a big guy and have pretty strong forearms and excerise with weights to keep them in shape. The rest of me is falling apart. Even with that excerise and bigger arms, I still wouldn't want to spend a full day single handed with heavy stuff. If I was going to do that I think I'd investigate switch or spey.

 

Now that I'm down in striper and wiper country I may just get more use out of the Lamiglas. We'll see how much age has diminished the ability to fling that thing for a full morning/evenings fishing.

[Phish 0]

I have used just about them all lengths and I would go 8'6"- 9'. I got the Scott Muskie Special which is shorter on the blank but with a longer butt. I dont use much shorter rods anymore due to not having a the lifting power.

 

Are you fishing from kayak or boat or wade fishing? This is critical area in deciding what length rod to go with.

 

Now it easier to keep a fly in air with the longer 9' but a good compremise is the mid range like G loomis Shore Stalker 8'6" and a TFO Clouser 8'9" to name a few.

 

The shorter rods are great for when you fishing out of kayak. Some rods like the Redington Predator are so brittle they break everytime you stress it fighting a big fish.

 

The LMB series Sage rod is really nice but lacking in power to casts really large flies in the 12"-18" range but it excels in the 6-10" flies nicely as long as you not using a wet mop type of fly.

 

You are not gonna be casting more than 40-50 ft with these large flies! so forget about distances stuff and concentrate on presentations. Laying that fly next to the logs and blow down is the key to strikes so good luck on your choosing!

 

Have fun!!