Rod weight?

Quick question, I think.

I was throwing at some stripers the other night, using an 8wt. My flies are small and light; the fish were crashing a shoreline. I had a tough time "feeling" the fly in the dark with the big 8wt. I've only used it for some dogs up north, so I know I'm not used to it, but do you guys think I could get a better feeling with a 6/7wt, with the smaller flies, in shallow water? Or is it just a matter of using it enough? The fish range from 22" to 33".

Mostly I feel the line, not the fly, as I'm stripping it back. Maybe you're getting some slack on your retrieve between strips, if so you might try keeping the rod tip lower to the water. When I'm in the kayak, I actually keep the tip in the water.

I've used 7wts, it's fun if it's not too windy and you're using smaller flies. Whatever you can cast to reach the fish.

Thanks. I know what you mean about, 'feeling the line,' and that's what I was feeling too much of, like it did have too much slack, messing up the strip. It seemed as if I should have been using a weighted fly, to get everything lined up, or something. I'm sure confidence was playing a huge part.

I dug up a 6/7, but have a 5/6 reel with a floating line on it. Heavier rod can throw lighter line but not the reverse? That's in my head. Is it just wishfull thinking? None of the places that I fish at night call for really long casts, as long as I don't beat the hell out of the water, trip and fall in, or whistle.

I dug up a 6/7, but have a 5/6 reel with a floating line on it. Heavier rod can throw lighter line but not the reverse?

usually the other way, all depends on the action of the rod, you need to be able to load it, and a lighter line class may not be able to do that with a larger rod and then again a heavier line class can overload a smaller rod, if you are just doing short casts under 30 feet and the 6/7 is more of a mid-full flex you may be able to get away with using the 5/6 line if it is more of a 6wt class, only way to know is to throw some casts on the lawn or better yet on the water, so you can get the resistance from the water haul, hope this helps, cameron

Dang, I'm always thinking things backwards. Thanks for the help, I'll try the 8wt on the 6/7, maybe with a longer leader, or is it a shorter leader, oh man never mind; I'll throw it and figure it out.

Quick question, I think.

I was throwing at some stripers the other night, using an 8wt. My flies are small and light; the fish were crashing a shoreline. I had a tough time "feeling" the fly in the dark with the big 8wt. I've only used it for some dogs up north, so I know I'm not used to it, but do you guys think I could get a better feeling with a 6/7wt, with the smaller flies, in shallow water? Or is it just a matter of using it enough? The fish range from 22" to 33".



Hey Slowriprun,Have you caught one of those fish on your 6wt, ? I use a 9' 10lb  commercial built leader an tippet to match on a nine wt. I use and air flow shooting head I really like on a 9wt 9'rod. I have no trouble feeling the fly. But then I've been using a 9wt for over 15 years.
If their really busting top water I use a 6 wt rod with a 7 wt. floating ling. I chase large mouth and stripers and anything in saltwater when I can. My flies range from a i/2 inch to 8 inches depending on the waters. Do you keep your rod tip pointed at the water when your striping in your fly?
 Also what brand rod are you using? You won't get a lot of feel from a cheap rod. A good test that's

No; I've yet to get one on the fly. The 8 rod is a Redington Redfly; cheap. Yea, I'm stripping, rod tip down, not in the water though. I'm thinkig about using a longer leader; 9' sounds good. I'm working a floating line. When I'm finding fish, it's late night and they're working shorelines. The problem this year is: I don't know what they're working. Strange year; I'm going to have to keep a couple and find out.

9' is a good all around length. One thing I should mention about heavier lines or rods, (from a six wt up) for that matter is that they are easier to cast. If the line sides your fishing for or feeding on top it could be insects believe or not, such as dragon flies, hex's which line sides love as much as any fish.  You got the right ideal, check out stomach contents once you catch one.

Hold on please. What? Does my world need to be turned upside down? Please explain. Are we talking about the same fish? Stripers? See, the problem is: I've lost the channel on a bunch of these guys, and as a desperate addict, I'm susceptible to all sorts of theories to get myself back into 'em.

You turned it upside down when you you turned into a striper fisherman. I've been chasing them since I was a teenager and I'm still learning new things about our Mr. Line sides

No. Don't stop there. If I've learned one thing: Stripers love to eat!!! Then, I've learned not to put anything past them. And, when they get on something, they get so amazingly particular. Point being: They're on something and I don't know what it is. At the spot that is givin me the most trouble, I'm way out in the mud,,,with a ton of hatches going off in small fields of shallow freshwater pools.

Stripers love to eat! TRUE DAT, and their diet is different from one body of water to the next.  I carried Clousers and Spinsters in sizes 4 and 3/0 various colors as well as dragon fly and hex imitations, nymph and adult.
First and most practical  thing any serious angler should do is study the hatch then try to match it. Do this by simply studying your waters and the baitfish and insects that swim in and above them. If you haven't learned to tie flies do so, it's the other half of fly fishing, it enhances and completes the experience and your fly fishing will cost a lot less.


The only people I know that catch line sides regularly are a couple of Delta guides that read water like you or I read a book.

Yup and I tie a lot of my own, as ugly as they are.  I'll give it a go. I'm planning on doing an all nighter tonight or tomorrow. I'm going to walk and chuck everything I own at 'em, and when I get one, I'm going to dress it right then. I'm going to look like a runaway with all the stuff that I'll have. Oh well, I gotta know.

This begs one big question: where are you finding Stripers crashing the shore right now? I want some! 

I used to use 7 wts, but I often C&R and I found it harder to revive bigger fish because I played them out too much. More reviving time cuts into fishing time in the heat of action plus it's more dangerous for the fish. So I use 9 wts exclusively for Stripers now. My 7 wts are for Bass in general but sometimes I use my stiff 9 when I need to punch into the wind.

Hey Daniel, how you doing,you moved yet?Very good point and one I completely forgot. Always remember fish CPR before you buy a rod.
The less you have them the better for you and your fishing time as well as the fish and its lifetime.