Fly fishing

[Fitzwho]

Did you use your 7 weight for bonefish? I was using a sage maverick 8wt with a nautilus reel for bones today. I got 8 of them I think. Some just out cruising by themselves, some in schools.

Yep. Caught several the one day it was nice enough to play with the 7wt. My main 7wt prior to this trip was a TFO BVK.

I'm in the part of my flyfishing journey that I finally wanted to buy myself some nice stuff, so for this trip I bought a Winston Air Salt 7wt that I bought at a nice discount because Winston just discontinued that line. So I got it at Red's for $680, but received a $180 fly line for "free" with it (the new Scientific Anglers Magnitude).

I also bought an Atlas 9wt (highly recommended) and a Sage Maverick 12wt as my nicer rods for those weights. Some of the rods I took are basically trash comparatively to this newer equipment. But my original 9wt that I bought for $100 has caught fish in 5 other countries, including tarpon to 30lbs over the 10+ years that I have owned it. I 100% could have gotten away without buying $2000 in new rods for the trip.

If I go back to Christmas Island, I probably wouldn't bother bringing a 7wt. Might pickup up a nice 8wt setup. But truthfully, I would fish a 9wt 90% of the time and would have my guide carry a 10wt setup for trevally (or I am going to have to live with a 12wt in my hand for a year prior to going). Also, I would almost exclusively target triggerfish and trevallies.

Other than those I really only own two 3wts and two 5 weights, one of which is broke and at Sage for repair. I have another half dozen conventional travel rods as well (surf rod, big boat spinning rod, light spinning and casting rods, etc). My wife hates it but I don't go anywhere without a rod or two.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Yep. Caught several the one day it was nice enough to play with the 7wt. My main 7wt prior to this trip was a TFO BVK.

I'm in the part of my flyfishing journey that I finally wanted to buy myself some nice stuff, so for this trip I bought a Winston Air Salt 7wt that I bought at a nice discount because Winston just discontinued that line. So I got it at Red's for $680, but received a $180 fly line for "free" with it (the new Scientific Anglers Magnitude).

I also bought an Atlas 9wt (highly recommended) and a Sage Maverick 12wt as my nicer rods for those weights. Some of the rods I took are basically trash comparatively to this newer equipment. But my original 9wt that I bought for $100 has caught fish in 5 other countries, including tarpon to 30lbs over the 10+ years that I have owned it. I 100% could have gotten away without buying $2000 in new rods for the trip.

If I go back to Christmas Island, I probably wouldn't bother bringing a 7wt. Might pickup up a nice 8wt setup. But truthfully, I would fish a 9wt 90% of the time and would have my guide carry a 10wt setup for trevally (or I am going to have to live with a 12wt in my hand for a year prior to going). Also, I would almost exclusively target triggerfish and trevallies.

Other than those I really only own two 3wts and two 5 weights, one of which is broke and at Sage for repair. I have another half dozen conventional travel rods as well (surf rod, big boat spinning rod, light spinning and casting rods, etc). My wife hates it but I don't go anywhere without a rod or two.

I broke a Scott wave 9wt today, so ya still usable but I seem to have broken the cork grip away from the rod. Like the glue or something. Good thing that rod has a lifetime warranty.

 

[left field]

I have broken three rods.

Redington CT 4wt snapped in a few places when I put it in my truck and the tip caught on a seatbelt. It was my anniversary and I snuck away for the day to fish the Esopus, so might have had that one coming.

A T&T LPS tip while fishing the Neversink Gorge. No idea how. Kept fishing on that one until I could make it back to the truck.

Finally, an Orvis Helios on the North Platte while on a fish. It was the guide's rod but he handled it well.

 

[sjwfarms]

Ebay is your friend when it comes to fly fishing. As most people on this site already know, gear acquisition is an addiction. I've bought so many high end fly rods and reels at 50%+ discounts simply because gear junkies sell off "old and out dated" rods for the latest and greatest. Same applies for less expensive but still good rods. FWIW, I fish quite a bit out west and in the salt and my newest rod technology wise is 20 years old. Somehow that "old" technology still catches fish.