re: The Fly Fishing Thread: Questions, pics, discussion all here

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5wt Clearwater rod and reel on a red?

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I think you might if they're the size bluemoon is posting.

10-4. I'll just stick to pitching with the trusty curado.

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How many reds on avg do you catch per trip?

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Hah that's a tough question man. Lately I've been fishing some area pretty far off the beaten path and doing really well. Multiple 20+ fish days and lots of hungry fish. That said, this weekend in that same area was really rough. The west wind had the water pretty dirty and it was hot as hell. When we found clean water, we'd find fish, but couldn't get them to eat. I think we only had 8 reds all weekend and a couple gar that got stuck after several beers and curse words thrown at reds.

I wish I could say we just go out there and smash 20 fish on fly every time I fish ha, but I'd say on "average," a good day for me is between 10-16 fish. Great day is 16+. The majority of my trips are probably between 8-14ish, but it really varies. Thankfully I haven't gone home empty handed in a very long time, but there are still those days like this weekend where we only manage 1-5 fish .

A lot of it also depends on who I'm fishing with. I bring people fishing a lot that don't really get the opportunity to go/are just getting into fly fishing or sight fishing. Those days, we catch less, but it's okay. On the days when I fish with some of my close knit crew, we typically wind up with much better numbers.

Thankfully once I stick redfish, they rarely come unbuttoned. I throw 40lb > 30lb mono with 20lb fluoro tip, so they don't often break off either. It's just a matter of a.) finding them, and b.) getting them to eat once you do find them.

Again, I have plenty of shitty days where I only catch a couple fish haha. I'm lucky in that I get to fish pretty much every weekend day with good weather, and the occasional day off work, so my sample size is big.

Yeah and I have zero clue what I'm doing

I think it would be fine. Someone else who has tried both my chime in. That said, I'd stick with a sealed drag for a saltwater reel regardless.

Caught a couple rainbows on a woolly booger in the Spring, then a few on a nymph rig on the White.Nothing of any size. It was good experience, and feel well on the way to half way figuring out the casting and line control. I didn't fly fish very long on the White, spent the morning fishing holes for browns on spinning tackle and had 1 about 4 pounds.

Well I finally went fly fishing. Talk about a humbling experience. I started around 5:45 this morning wading in choctawhatchee bay. I was throwing a fairly large gurgler. Those 70' casts that have been humming in the back yard the last few weeks (which I figured was not bad for a guy that first threw one about a month ago) turned into 25' casts for the most part. I was blind casting mostly, or trying to throw at baitfish, but I just couldn't consistently turn the fly over. Tailing loops were a problem all morning. From the time I started until about 6:30, despite my casting ineptitude, I missed probably 10 fish. One that attacked it like a gator trout would. They were blowing up that fly but either missing it entirely or I was missing the hook set. I got broken off by a lady fish so that was embarrassing. Chalk that one up to a shite knot. Switched to a clouser later in the morning and got one bite, missed the hook set. I'm just glad I went alone. frick me that was brutal.

Oh, and I'll be trying again tomorrow

I've never had any luck in Choctawhatchee Bay which I've fished for decades.

Always upline your rods....8 weight line on 6 weight rod. helps load the rod and improve casting