Salt Water casting

Warm late fall weather is providing lots of redfish in local N. C.. waters

after a successful trip to Harkers Island for False Albacore last week I am
now back in Wilmington fishing daily for reds in creeks flowing into the
inland waterway.Younger fish (puppy drum } and good size seniors are easy to
catch with spinning tackle after you locate them but I am having real
trouble using a fly rod. Casting a nine weight while standing is real work
but as I fish sitting in a kayak my efforts are really sorry.
Yesterday I was trying to cast a crease (?) lure into a good size pod of
fist and caught my hat [twice], and the water behind me on most casts.

Anyone with casting procedure suggestions please offer them---when that
tangle of fly, leader and line come flying by it is really frightening.
them hooks are really BIG and I still have memories of catching my tongue
one day with a size 16 humpy while mountain fishing with Daniel and Jeff
Miller.
Daniel please send me your snail address.
Joseph

Joe: The guys I know that use a fly rod in salt water either learn to
toss a fly about twice as far as I do, or they give it up. If you are
going to try that with a Clouser, buy a good motorcycle helmet to wear
while you are learning.

Big Dale

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 12:45:58 GMT, "Joe McIntosh"
wrote:

Warm late fall weather is providing lots of redfish in local N. C.. waters

after a successful trip to Harkers Island for False Albacore last week I am
now back in Wilmington fishing daily for reds in creeks flowing into the
inland waterway.Younger fish (puppy drum } and good size seniors are easy to
catch with spinning tackle after you locate them but I am having real
trouble using a fly rod. Casting a nine weight while standing is real work
but as I fish sitting in a kayak my efforts are really sorry.
Yesterday I was trying to cast a crease (?) lure into a good size pod of
fist and caught my hat [twice], and the water behind me on most casts.

Anyone with casting procedure suggestions please offer them---when that
tangle of fly, leader and line come flying by it is really frightening.
them hooks are really BIG and I still have memories of catching my tongue
one day with a size 16 humpy while mountain fishing with Daniel and Jeff
Miller.
Daniel please send me your snail address.
Joseph

Without seeing your casts, it is kinda hard to offer suggestions, but
I'd make a guess based on your comments (making particular mention of
tackle weight and a tangle flying by) that you have one or more of
several issues you are introducing into the mix because of the
perception of the larger tackle: the wrong casting angle, timing, or
power.

Are you able to cast OK from the kayak with lighter tackle? If so, then
your issue(s) are probably a perceived need to "really work" because of
the larger tackle. Perhaps taking out several rods of 4 to 9 wt.,
starting practice with the lighter gear and fairly rapidly working your
way up the weights might impress on your body memory that the mechanics
are the same.

IAC, you might snip a few of the larger flies' hooks off at the
shank/bend junction to make practice whiffs, and then, well, practice
with them.

TC,
R

Joe McIntosh wrote:
Warm late fall weather is providing lots of redfish in local N. C.. waters

....... but I am having real
trouble using a fly rod. Casting a nine weight while standing is real work
but as I fish sitting in a kayak my efforts are really sorry.
...........
Anyone with casting procedure suggestions please offer them......

I won't tempt the gods of irony by giving any casting advice (g).....

Maybe you could try either:

- a seven- or eight-weight with smaller flies (I used to do most of my
redfishing at Cedar FL with #2-#4 deceivers and #4-#6 bonefishy shrimp
and crab patterns).

- if you can't find a boat you can stand up in, just throw in the towel
and fish with spinning gear. Personally, I hate fly fishing from a
seated position. If I can't stand, either wading or in a boat, I'd
rather switch gear. Fishing is more fun when it's fun. :-)

Got any good redfish recipes to share? Excellent eating fish.... I miss
'em a lot.....

Joe McIntosh wrote:
Warm late fall weather is providing lots of redfish in local N. C.. waters

after a successful trip to Harkers Island for False Albacore last week I am
now back in Wilmington fishing daily for reds in creeks flowing into the
inland waterway.Younger fish (puppy drum } and good size seniors are easy to
catch with spinning tackle after you locate them but I am having real
trouble using a fly rod. Casting a nine weight while standing is real work
but as I fish sitting in a kayak my efforts are really sorry.
Yesterday I was trying to cast a crease (?) lure into a good size pod of
fist and caught my hat [twice], and the water behind me on most casts.

Anyone with casting procedure suggestions please offer them---when that
tangle of fly, leader and line come flying by it is really frightening.
them hooks are really BIG and I still have memories of catching my tongue
one day with a size 16 humpy while mountain fishing with Daniel and Jeff
Miller.

Casting a nine-weight and a heavy fly for distance isn't pretty,
especially in the wind, and even more especially in a kayak in the wind.
The kayak puts you lower above the water surface, so you can't get as
much distance as when shallow wading or when casting from a real boat
while standing.

Forget about pretty casts. Try using the water to load the road. Throw
the fly behind you into the water, then use the water loading to send
out more line on the forward cast. You can do this several times,
finally shooting line on a forward cast to your target.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"Joe McIntosh" wrote

them hooks are really BIG and I still have memories of catching my
tongue
one day

Disclaimer: I am FAR from a good caster.

I do a little Striper fishing with big flies from a kickboat or even a float
tube and this helped me. Assuming you are using shooting heads, get one a
couple sizes too heavy for your rod ( I got 10s for an 8 rod ). Now, rig
it all up with a short leader and fly like you want to use on your rod.
Next work out some line and keep varying the amount in the air until it
'feels right' to you, i.e. you think the rod loads well and should shoot
well with a haul and throw ( no need to actually 'cast' you only want the
rod feeling good with the amount of line out, ready to shoot ). CAREFULLY
mark the amount of line OUT of the tip and then cut it back to that length,
re-rig and go fishing. You end up with a shorter line to keep in the air
but one that still works the rod and shoots well. I've also found that
timing is the key, the casts that shoot like a rocket and threaten to jank
the rod out of your hand as all the loose shooting line is used up are not
the "big muscle" efforts, rather the ones that get the haul at the right
split second .... about one cast in 43, for me ..... the haul to the rear is
also very important.

Read these;

http://www.danblanton.com/casting.html

http://www.flyfishinsalt.com/article.jsp?ID=37585

http://www.activeangler.com/articles...air/lines4.asp

TL
MC

Joe McIntosh wrote:
and I still have memories of catching my tongue
one day with a size 16 humpy while mountain fishing with Daniel and Jeff
Miller.
Daniel please send me your snail address.
Joseph

Now that's a funny mental image!..........I wonder, is tongue a good
fighter?

RW makes a good point about using the water to load the rod. As long as
the fish aren't spooked by it, give it a try. With the water loading a
9wt., weight forward line, you should be able to shoot a reasonable
amount of line. It's not pretty, but it should give you desirable
results. For topwater bugs, that Crease Fly should be one of the easier
ones to cast.

brians

rw wrote:

Joe McIntosh wrote:

Warm late fall weather is providing lots of redfish in local N. C..
waters

after a successful trip to Harkers Island for False Albacore last week
I am now back in Wilmington fishing daily for reds in creeks flowing
into the inland waterway.Younger fish (puppy drum } and good size
seniors are easy to catch with spinning tackle after you locate them
but I am having real trouble using a fly rod. Casting a nine weight
while standing is real work but as I fish sitting in a kayak my
efforts are really sorry.
Yesterday I was trying to cast a crease (?) lure into a good size pod
of fist and caught my hat [twice], and the water behind me on most
casts.

Anyone with casting procedure suggestions please offer them---when
that tangle of fly, leader and line come flying by it is really
frightening.
them hooks are really BIG and I still have memories of catching my
tongue one day with a size 16 humpy while mountain fishing with Daniel
and Jeff Miller.


Casting a nine-weight and a heavy fly for distance isn't pretty,
especially in the wind, and even more especially in a kayak in the wind.
The kayak puts you lower above the water surface, so you can't get as
much distance as when shallow wading or when casting from a real boat
while standing.

Forget about pretty casts. Try using the water to load the road. Throw
the fly behind you into the water, then use the water loading to send
out more line on the forward cast. You can do this several times,
finally shooting line on a forward cast to your target.


or...get the line moving off the water, and throw the backcast straight
up...or as straight up as possible...it aint pretty, but it seems to
work. of course, i'm partial to light weight spinning gear for such
pursuits. cookin redfish... filet and leave skin & scales on one side
of filet, put skin side down on charcoal grill, dollop the meat with
your favorite seasonings while grilling. it's as good as any fish you'd
care to eat, and better than most...

briansfly wrote:

Joe McIntosh wrote:

and I still have memories of catching my tongue one day with a size
16 humpy while mountain fishing with Daniel and Jeff Miller.
Daniel please send me your snail address.
Joseph


Now that's a funny mental image!..........I wonder, is tongue a good
fighter?



it was most humorous...and i think joe laughed about it more and louder
than the rest of us present at the time. (he also caught the most fish
though) it did make his diphthongs quite unique ...