[jayodonn]

Hi All. I've posted a few questions here and really appreciate your help. I'm planning to take up saltwater fly fishing this year in RI (mostly wading but will be in kayak on occasion). I'm getting conflicting advice on what's best for fishing the estuaries and beaches of RI for Stripers, Blues etc. I've got 3 questions:

1 - What's the recommendation on weight - 9wt or 10wt? Reading description on the Echo Classic site it seems both 9wt and 10 wt fit the bill. How does a newbie choose?
2 - Given I've never cast a fly rod before my understanding is I wouldn't want a fast action rod and should stick with Mod/Fast. I have seen some deals on fast action rods though (like used TICR on eBay) and wondering if I could use that rod or is it too much for a newbie?
3 - Is there a difference in durability between single vs double foot guides? I would think double-foot take more abuse but not sure. Echo Classic has single foot guides, TFO Professional has double-foot. I've read good things about both rods and the price is very similar. Does it matter?

Thanks!

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Jay,

I see no one has helped you out so here are my thoughts. You need to know I have never fished for your target fish.

First let me say that you are taking a difficult path to fly fishing. It will be wonderful to catch your target fish on a fly but most fly fishers fishing for these fish are very experienced and know how to cast. To take advantage of these rods you need to be able to double haul for the best distance and throwing big flies. This is an advance casting skill. You need to locate a fly shop or a fly fishing club or a friend who fly fishes to help you out. If none of these options are available to you, you need to hire a guide and use his equipment. The trip will be mostly a fly casting lesson but it will be worth the money. If I was you I would buy a 5wt or 6wt rod and learn how to cast fishing for pan fish or bass.

I will assume you are diligent enough to apply your self and learn with a 9wt or 10wt rod.

1 - What's the recommendation on weight - 9wt or 10wt? Reading description on the Echo Classic site it seems both 9wt and 10 wt fit the bill. How does a newbie choose?

As a beginner I would not get a 10wt rod. So I guess the answer is a 9wt.

2 - Given I've never cast a fly rod before my understanding is I wouldn't want a fast action rod and should stick with Mod/Fast. I have seen some deals on fast action rods though (like used TICR on eBay) and wondering if I could use that rod or is it too much for a newbie?

You will face another problem that rods in this class are made with a fast or extra fast action. This makes it much harder for you to learn to cast. If you buy a slower action rod it will be easier to learn to cast. As you improve your casting ability you will want a faster action rod for this type of fishing. If you were buying a lighter wt rod you could learn with a TiCr rod but I just don't know about a 9wt rod. You may be better off with a TFO Professional model than the TiCr.

3 - Is there a difference in durability between single vs double foot guides? I would think double-foot take more abuse but not sure. Echo Classic has single foot guides, TFO Professional has double-foot. I've read good things about both rods and the price is very similar. Does it matter?

I can't help much here. I don't own any rods with single foot guides. They are very popular and many people like them. If you were banging the rod against rocks or tree limbs the double foot should take more side-wise impact with out distorting. As for your application I don't think it makes any difference. Single foot guides use half the wraps as double foot guides so some savings in weight but not enough to matter.

Frank

[MBWCC]

I have found two books which are well worth reading regarding striper fishing:

"Stripers on the Fly"

"Fly Fishing for Striped Bass"

Both authors' suggest a 10 wt, fast action rod as the optimum compromise for stripers. One author allows that an 8 or 9 wt will suffice for experienced fly fishers in more sheltered waters, but will become problematic as conditions deteriorate. The other author suggest 10 - 12 wt as pretty much the only range to consider. "Fly Fishing for Striped Bass" goes on to include several specific rod recommendations including the TFO TiCrX 10 wt, 9', 4-piece, fast-action rod.

That said, I read both books very carefully cover-to-cover and then built myself an 8 wt rod.

[jimw]

I would listen to frank and start a out smaller if you have never fly casted before. I striper fish alot and my go to rod is a 9wt with a fast action which is not a very good set up to learn on. If you are going to fish for tuna you need atleast a 12wt or bigger. One more thing to consider is the reel you will need at least 200yds of 30lb backing and a drag you can trust. All of these fish are fast runners and hard fighters everything has to be right to land one from the reel down to the fly including all your knots.
jim

[BigCliff]

On the question about the guides, its hard to give a straight answer.

You see, if you take the same blank and build it up with singles instead of snakes, it will flex more evenly because there are no spots where the snake guides are functioning as a brace and reducing the rod's flex at that point. In theory this means the rod may be more flexible because there are no snakes functioning as braces, but since there is less weight due to half as many thread/epoxy wraps, this may make the rod feel stiffer while casting. It is safe to say however, that the same blank built up with singles will be a little lighter than if it was built with snakes. However, choosing between two different rods generally means choosing between two different blanks as well, so you're not really comparing apples to apples.

As far as how the line shoots through the guides, I don't think there will be a noticeable difference, but you might want to do some additional googling for input on that front.

[jayodonn]

Thanks everyone for your input. fischerofmen77 has steered me to a local fly shop with a big selection. I'm sure I'll get the right setup there. Thanks everyone and thanks to fischerofmen77 for taking the time to provide local information!