On Fri, 3 Feb 2006 06:22:25 -0800, "Tom Nakashima"
wrote:

More questions for you Dave:
1. Double Taper or Weight Forward line? I'm used to fishing WF, but may
switch over to DT for the 10. I do have the roll cast down very well, but
never fished with DT line.

Nor have I. I'm a WF guy, but some (Fortenberry, Knight, et al) are
DT kind of guys and swear by it. You can take the line off the reel
and reverse it, getting twice the wear that you would with a WF. If
it was me, I'd stick with the WF.

2. Backing...what do you think of the sponge gel? 35 lb backing good
enough?

I've never used the sponge gel. I always take the word of the guy at
the fly shop at to what backing/weight to put on, depending on what
species I'm going to use the reel for. I took a small King (Chinook
about 20 pounds) on the Saugeen River in Ontario with Peter Charles.
I used an old Orvis 8weight (Bass and Bonefish) with a Velocity 3.5
and wf line. That fish swam down stream faster than this old man can
run and had most of my backing out before I gained on him, finally
landing him after about 15 minutes. I forgot to attach my fighting
butt to the rod, so that made it more difficult. Later that day the
guide sole me a Sage XP 7100-4 (10 ft 7 weight, 4 piece) and another
3.5 Velocity. That is the rod I've used for big rainbows in both
Kamchatka and Alaska. It's only a 7 weight, but it has more balls
than my Orvis 8 weight, and I prefer it. My first trip to Alaska the
lodge owner asked me what rods I was bringing. I said and six for
dries and a 7 for streamers. He recommended at least an 8 until I
told him the 7 was a ten foot XP. It has easily landed many Silvers
in the 12 - 16 pound range, and 10 - 12 pound Bows. It has a WF
steelhead taper on the reel.

3. How many yards of backing do you recommend for the 10 wt reel for the
king salmon? I heard they can run. I was thinking 200 yards?
4. Setting the drag? Light and palm is what I had in mind and used to,
OR?

Again, I would take the word of the fly shop guy. He knows better
than most of us here on roff.

I usually set my drag at the mid point and adjust as necessary from
there. Fishing for Kings, Silver, big Bows, you are going to have 0 x
leaders/tippets. I know palming is the classical way of doing it, but
every time I do it, I lose the fish. d;o( The drag on the Velocity
is very good, BTW. I am reminded of my Bauer. Another great reel
that has the drag on the same side at the handle. You needn't reach
around to adjust it.


thanks for all your help, your info been very useful,

No problem. Better than arguing about politics. d;o)

Where you headed using that 10 weight? Alaska? Kings are early
season - June/July. Have to do that some time.

Dave
Stuck at home on a rainy New England winter's day, dreaming of big
Bows and Brookies.........