How much / what weight backing, for a wide-use 8 weight?

On 1 Dec 2005 07:04:12 -0800, wrote:

I was looking at getting the Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor IV reel, which
is listed for 7/8 weights... only, I see that when using an 8-weight
line, I'd only get about 100 yards of 20lb dacron backing.

I've read so much bad stuff about Gel spun being dangerous, and in fact
I already have the bad habit of letting my finger touch the line
occasionally, so I'm thinking I should stick with Dacron. But my
questions a

Is 20# heavy enough for the uses I mentioned (as opposed to 30lb)?
And, is 100 yards enough?

If the answer is no to either, should I maybe be looking for the next
size up reel, or a different reel altogether?

Thanks ahead of time for your thoughts...

I have an Orvis Mid Arbor III that I use on a 6 wt travel rod. Nice
reel, but not as nice as a Lamson. I use a Lamson 3.5 Velocity on a 7
weight to fish for anything from Chinook and Steelies in Ontario, to
29 inch Rainbows in Russia, and 30 inch Rainbows in Alaska as well as
every type of Pacific Salmon. Coupled with my 4 piece Sagge travel
rod, it is a combination that is tough to beat. An 8 weight would
probably serve you better, however, with salt water species.

Look at the Lamson 3.5 V.

Dave

The Lamson looks nice, but it's also a good bit more expensive.
(Trying to keep the cost on the reel part of this down.)

Tell me this: assuming I do get the V, that should give me plenty of
room for backing. Should I then be thinking 30#, just in case,
because, why not? Or is it really going to be better to stick with
20#, and use the extra room for extra length?

wrote:

Tell me this: assuming I do get the V, that should give me plenty of
room for backing. Should I then be thinking 30#, just in case,
because, why not?

Will you be using leader/tippet stronger than 20#?

"JR" wrote in message
...
wrote:

Tell me this: assuming I do get the V, that should give me plenty of
room for backing. Should I then be thinking 30#, just in case,
because, why not?

Will you be using leader/tippet stronger than 20#?

excellent response, and zen-like to boot...

yfitons
wayno

Answer: I don't know. This if my first "big" rod, and so I'm not sure
exactly what I'll eventually be using it for.

Thus far, the heaviest I've ever gone was 12# tippet, with Salmon up at
Pulaski. But, I'm really no expert on it, and I certainly know nothing
about, say, fishing for stripers out at Montauk. (A good friend of
mine just bought a place, so I'm hoping to get out there a lot next
year). I guess I'd put the question back to you as: would an 8-weight
rod ever be used, when fishing for something that would require 20#
tippet?

And, another question: is that the proper ratio - meaning, 20# tippet =
20# backing? I've seen in previous posts people recommending more like
a 12# max tippet = 20# backing, and heavier tippet should use heavier
backing. (Which, I don't know, makes some dumb intuitive sense to me.
In that, tippet size is constrained by keeping the line small enough to
fool fish. Whereas backing is just a matter of how much you can fit on
the reel. Right?)

wrote in message
oups.com...
Answer: I don't know. This if my first "big" rod, and so I'm not sure
exactly what I'll eventually be using it for.

Thus far, the heaviest I've ever gone was 12# tippet, with Salmon up at
Pulaski. But, I'm really no expert on it, and I certainly know nothing
about, say, fishing for stripers out at Montauk. (A good friend of
mine just bought a place, so I'm hoping to get out there a lot next
year). I guess I'd put the question back to you as: would an 8-weight
rod ever be used, when fishing for something that would require 20#
tippet?

And, another question: is that the proper ratio - meaning, 20# tippet =
20# backing? I've seen in previous posts people recommending more like
a 12# max tippet = 20# backing, and heavier tippet should use heavier
backing. (Which, I don't know, makes some dumb intuitive sense to me.
In that, tippet size is constrained by keeping the line small enough to
fool fish. Whereas backing is just a matter of how much you can fit on
the reel. Right?)



The orvis guide to the Battenkill Large Arbor V
-tom

http://www.orvis.com/detail.asp?subj...d=&gro up_id=

On 1 Dec 2005 10:16:54 -0800, wrote:

Whereas backing is just a matter of how much you can fit on
the reel. Right?)

If something breaks you want the tippet to break before the backing, otherwise
you risk losing your fly line.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

On 1 Dec 2005 10:01:40 -0800, wrote:

The Lamson looks nice, but it's also a good bit more expensive.
(Trying to keep the cost on the reel part of this down.)

Not that much more, really. And you are getting a much better reel,
especially for bigger fish.


Tell me this: assuming I do get the V, that should give me plenty of
room for backing. Should I then be thinking 30#, just in case,
because, why not? Or is it really going to be better to stick with
20#, and use the extra room for extra length?

I see no reason to go bigger than 20#. Remember, in any set up, your
tippet is your weakest link, as JR has so Zen-like pointed out.

Dave

On 1 Dec 2005 10:01:40 -0800, wrote:

The Lamson looks nice, but it's also a good bit more expensive.
(Trying to keep the cost on the reel part of this down.)

Tell me this: assuming I do get the V, that should give me plenty of
room for backing. Should I then be thinking 30#, just in case,
because, why not? Or is it really going to be better to stick with
20#, and use the extra room for extra length?

Looks like one side of the question is under-represented to this point.
So I'll be the contrarian:
If you can get 300 yards of backing on the reel using 30#, go with 30#.

Given what you intend to fish for - or more to the point - over, I'd
definitely go with the 30# Micron for greater abrasion resistance.

Barracuda usually live in reefs. Reefs are brutal on flyfishing gear as it is.
30# backing might save you a pricey fly line. And flats fishing puts your line
near all kinds of shallow water hazards - it doesn't take coral for that to be
a problem, either.

cheers

/daytripper

Not to beat this to death, but, to make the choice simple --

From my (very rough) calculations, I can get about 200 yards at 20#,
versus about 150 yards at 30#.

Votes?