Some help please.

[Bream_Reaper01]

Hi all,

I'm new to this fly stuff but have been studying lots. I have a 6 weight rod that i'm sure will catch me some flathead on my week off shortly. I'd like new line as i think what's on the reel is rubbish. All my fishing will be over shallow flats from a boat in only 2-5 feet of water. I'm thinking sink tip line would suffice,should it be weight foward, any advice on line, leaders whether it should be tapered, and finally tippet? I've seen a few flies that i like so hopefully flathead should like them as well. I'm happy with my casting but i certainly could improve with new line and when more comfortable a new rod. I also have no intention of joining a fly fishing club before anyone mentions that avenue. I was with a fishing club in Brisbane and it left a very bitter taste.

Regards,
Paul

[bennykenny]

a new line will do you a world of good, but if your only fishing shallows i would stick with a floating line, thats what i use for flatties, in such shallow water there is no need for a sinking line.with the floating line when your pulling your fly across the flats, it will sink to the bottom and then when you pull your line, it will rise to the surface, a bit like SP fishing with a sinking line this wont happen it will stay near or on the bottom.

[tunaticer]

From my years of throwing flies around, the one thing that stands out to me is where you lay that fly. Flies are basically a silent lure that does little to waken up a docile fish so you need your fly coming past him at a relatively close quarter. By saying that I am sure some of my flathead have risen to take a fly from further than a metre away, but the large majority have been within two feet of them as the fly has come past. You will also have greater success bringing the fly back with the flow of the water rather than against it as most ambush feeders face into the current looking well ahead for their next meal.

I, like Benny, would opt for a floating line over a sink tip for water less than 2 metres deep and minimal currents. My preference is for weight forward but that is entirely only a preference of mine, lots of guys that are better fly fishers than I use double tapers. Use a FC leader for that extra sink rate also helps when the current is up a little.

Coming into winter I would be flicking around some herring profiles as the prawns have all but moved on and the froggies are thinning out with the tailor invasion.

[chris69]

On the other hand i would go for a intermediate scientific angler sink bone fish taper,slicker line good longer weight forwd head and will handle the wind better than a floater ever will,a clouser minnow in pink,olive and white,gray and white blue and white or all white size 2 or1 start with the size 2 bead chain eyes or small lead eyes,7foot leader half 30lb and half 15 or 12lb stiff line not supple just do double surgens loops to connect them and the same knot to the fly line,you can slick the first half of you fly line head and it will sink slower in the real shallow water and even float,have fun Paul.