Fly rod for tailers?

[WC53]

Just starting to try fly fishing for reds. Typically sight casting around grass, looking for a rod recommendation to see what others are using.

[Tombo]

Hard to be the TFO line of rods. 8wt most popular.

[Ron Mc]

I've never found an 8-wt to be an advantage, and prefer a good fast 6/7-wt inshore, both for the typical small fly size and the slightly thinner lines cut the wind better.

[Neumie]

I throw a 6wt (TFO TiCrX) at the coast. The fast action works well in the wind, but you can't throw heavy or big profile flies. But Tombo is right, majority of the fly fisherman use 8wts. Go with a weight-forward fly line and 8-12 lbs tapered leader/tippet. Spending a little more on a reel for saltwater with a decent drag system is worth the investment.

Clousers, merkin crab, and shrimp pattern such as kwan fly are good flies to start with.

[Kayak Kid]

Between the fly rods I've purchased over the years and those I've built, I'd say that my favourite is......?

I love hem all.

MostGulf Coast beginners, as has been previously noted, begin with an eight wt med action.

Fly rods are expensive, but it's not necessary to go for broke on your first one.

If the fly bug bites you, you will be adding more in the near future. I guarantee.

[Tombo]

Eco what Neumie said, fly reel must be compatible with salt water. What Ron said, he is a much better fly fisherman than I.

[Ron Mc]

I will add the one 8-wt I adore for its forgiving progressive taper, and uncanny accurate right-now delivery, is Fisher (closed shop in 2002).
At one time or another, Scott, Winston, Tomas & Thomas, and Hardy blanks were all supplied by Fisher.
These rods are worth hunting on ebay and craigslist.
Compared to newer rods, they're a touch on the heavy side - they're all IM6 graphite - but if you're doing this right, you should be sparing your casts to fish sign.
And the forgiving taper makes them a great learning tool.

This one a 2-pc Fisher Natural (not sanded blank) and the second cast of the morning - the first cast was a bigger spec that tore the hook on her second run.

[ben_beyer]

I too am working on fly casting from my kayak. I have a Cabelas CGR 7/8, a TFO Minimag (labeled as 6-8 but recommended lines go by grain wt), and I just got a TFO Mangrove 8wt and Moonlit Lunar S 8wt when the COVID19 isolation ramped up.

I got the Mangrove for a guided trip I'm going on and I plan to try the Minimag and CGR from the kayak.

[JW FunGuy]

Yep! Choose D) All of the above.
As usual there is no correct answer, it depends on where you are fishing, how you like to fish and conditions. My 6 wt is way more fun to fish, my shoulder thanks me at the end of the day, but if the wind picks up (gee imagine that!) or if I find I have to fish a deep channel with a heavily weighted fly it doesn’t perform as well as I would like. So to be on the safe side I always just bring my 8 wt. That set up is a Cabelas set I got years ago for a trip to the Bahamas thinking it probably would be the only time I used it. I got hooked (actually did hook bonefish) and came back wanting more saltwater action. That was 4 years ago and I am still using the sucker. A lot! I don’t know who made the reel for Cabelas but as long as the gear can hold up to the salt and it has a good drag system it will work for you.

[kickingback]

Between the fly rods I've purchased over the years and those I've built, I'd say that my favourite is......?

I love hem all.

MostGulf Coast beginners, as has been previously noted, begin with an eight wt med action.

Fly rods are expensive, but it's not necessary to go for broke on your first one.

If the fly bug bites you, you will be adding more in the near future. I guarantee.

You got that right...expensive to buy more new rods in different weights. Have fun spending them big bucks and fishing with them to find te best for you.!

[ben_beyer]

Fly rods can be expensive but the Cabela's CGR is $70 (I think). Start with the lenght and wt that best fits your needs and don't be afraid to look for a good used one. I got a hell of a deal on my Minimag from a TFO employee. He used it once and was cost me $150 which is less than I spent on the Waterloo Phantom/Shimano NASCI I bought too.

A Cabelas CGR at $70, a decent fly reel can be had for $50-100, and Scientific Anglers Mastery Redfish Warm (my suggestion but you can go with a line of your choice) would be $250-300 (need backing too). Still a good bit of money but not unobtainable. BPS also has a TFO Professional II/Hobbs Creek Reel combo for $190 so with the SA line and backing would be $290.

[ben_beyer]

I also forgot to add this on my last post. I would get a copy of Fly Fishing for Redfish by Chico Fernandez. I am reading it now and it has some good information. I was reading last night about the first documented Redfish being caught going back to the late 1800's (I think) on trout rods.

Amazon Link but I know Living Waters in Round Rock carries the book:
https://www.amazon.com/Fly-Fishing-Redf ... 0811716236

Fly patterns, how to fish them, and how to tie them if you tie:
https://fishgame.com/product/fly-patter ... xas-coast/

[Kayak Kid]

Ben,
is Chico still alive?

That fantastic man spent a whole hour helping me with my casting.

I had developed two bad habits over the years:

1. I had always had a fear of casting into the wind. So, I just didn't do it.
2. As I reached the, "older'n dirt" stage, I tired quickly after several casts.

He taught me how to easily overcome both.

[ben_beyer]

According to this he still is. I've never met him but I'd like to.

https://www.hellsbayboatworks.com/chico-fernandez/

[Kayak Kid]

Thanks for that, Ben. I thought he was older than me.

He's actually younger.

[ben_beyer]

I hate to keep posting options in this thread but another one is the TFO Black Label combo. They offer an 8wt option and the rod is the Professional II blank.

https://tforods.com/nxt-black-label/

[WC53]

Thanks guys, I did send an email to TFO a d they recommend a PRO2 or mangrove. I have been really looking at 6 and 7 weights more (my shoulder is trash) and wasn’t sure how they would do in the grass. Or what budgetish reel to pair with it

I have a 10wt that I used to use floating for strippers that I could use if the wind was howling... but I pick my days the best I can

[ben_beyer]

I bought a Sage Spectrum C for my 8wt Mangrove. There are other good options and the main thing to look for is a sealed drag (or so I've been told) to keep the saltwater out of it.

[Ron Mc]

Ben, my Lamson LP has been in the salt since the late 80s, and this is a recent photo.
The brass logo on the back plate fights a little green, which I keep clean with Boeshield.

[ben_beyer]

Lamson makes a good product and I will probably get one of their reels for for the Bass Bug taper I plan to eventually buy.