got the urge again

[jez and suze]

hello all
went out last week with wags ("on the water") to see if we could throw a fly around....... it turned out that we couldn't but luckily the bonito were "just there" and we managed to drop our flies amongst them 10 ft from the boat and hook a couple.
unfortunately for me any heart flutter brings on the onset of a new hobby causing me to spend a week locating the fly rod i bought 10 years ago during an earlier episode of heart flutter.
This new wave of emotion has led me to a couple of questions.
how much actual fly line and backing do i need on a 5-6 weight rod and reel set for mucking about with whitting,flathead and the usual estuarine suspects?
(the 10 year old line is no good anymore!)
looking forward to giving it another go.
thanks in advance.

jez

[wags on the water]

Thanks for the day out Jez. I'm still working on that video....

Cheers,
Wags

[jez and suze]

dont forget to put the bit in where we looked as if we had it goin on

[jez and suze]

hey wags, found the rod and can get it past that third drain toward the letter box.....reckon we will smash em next time!

[scuttlebutt]

Gday mate,

I'm a relative newcomer to this myself, however I use a 6 weight quite a bit up here for Tarpon, Sooties, Jungle perch and have even caught barra up to 62cm on it. So far nothing has got me down to the backing (though a big tarpon has gone close).

For the purpose you describe, I reckon 50 metres of backing would be enough. I'd probably be more goverened by the size of the reel though. Put on enough backing to comfortably fill the spool with the flyline on top.

[slider65]

If you are in an area were bonito are on the cards the there is also a chance of a decent Sambos and rat kings so i would be looking at as much backing as you can. My 6 wt runs 150 meters of 30 pound Sunline Super PE Braid and my 7 wt runs 150 meters of 40 pound Sunline Super PE Braid, Even my 4 wt has 150 meters of 30 pound Sunline Super PE Braid. Better to have too much backing then see an empty spool and lost fly line to a decent fish.

Chris

[Apollo]

Agree with Chris. For the sake of some more backing, that horrible 'getting spooled' feeling with your expensive fly line attached to the other end can be avoided. I have 250m on my 8w and have been down to the last couple of wraps twice.

[wags on the water]

I managed to have a casting session on the banks of the Nogoa R on wednesday Jez. It was a little difficult to negotiate the steep bank behind me...and the trees...but all in all I think I'm starting to nail it. My casting action, though, is nothing like yours on utube....

[snokeen01]

As in Nogoa river Emerald Wags?

[chris69]

Its not about just haveing the backing there its about have a full spool with backing and fly line to have the less memory in your fly line .....less tangles.... and faster line recovery regardless if its a mid or large abor reel,so if your buying a new line Jez wind your flyline on first then the backing fill the spool and then take the backing off and line then put the backing back on and the line then you will have the best of both worlds less memory and max backing just in case,cheers chris.

[wags on the water]

As in Nogoa river Emerald Wags?

Yep the one and only - between the dam and town. Can't wait to get back near the Bedford Weir to sight cast for toga.

[wags on the water]

Its not about just haveing the backing there its about have a full spool with backing and fly line to have the less memory in your fly line .....less tangles.... and faster line recovery regardless if its a mid or large abor reel,so if your buying a new line Jez wind your flyline on first then the backing fill the spool and then take the backing off and line then put the backing back on and the line then you will have the best of both worlds less memory and max backing just in case,cheers chris.

That might be best idea I've heard yet - although a lot of winding for a 3 1/2" reel.