[puddlejockey]

I've got a 10ft 6wt TFO that casts great when overlined with 7wt Rio Clouser line...seems to load pretty well with 25-30 feet of line out, and still has plenty of backbone left. It's a Jim Teeny Signature series, considered a "fast" action by TFO if that helps

But this Summer I want to cast some Really big, nasty stuff at Smallies ( #4 Poppers with big ' bou tails , foam gurglers tied on #4 or bigger Stinger hooks all day long)
I realized while playing with the flies that I can't cast them for crap with a 6wt TT line on another rod, and the 7wt clouser line on the TFO helps some, but I cant get enough linespeed to really throw them out there.

What do I need to be careful of , when considering moving up another size on the TFO to an 8 wt line? Would that be a smart option, or do I need to consider ANOTHER rod?

Thanks!

[supaflyGSR]

get one of the guys in the club to build you one

[wilhelm]

Originally Posted by supaflyGSR

get one of the guys in the club to build you one

Like that young kid from Cullowhee, what's his name?

wilhelm

[Riparian]

underline it one with a 5wt bass taper. The fat taper will help turn over the big bugs and the lighter weight will let you achieve the line speed you want. This may not work but it would be my guess. Go by your local shop and ask them if they have a reel strung up with 5wt bass taper that you could put on your rod and cast in the parking lot. Or try a 6wt bass taper too. I got a 9ft 6wt that I use a 5wt line on for streamers to get the distance and a 6wt bass taper for shorter casts with wind resistant top water flies. Good Luck.
Take Care,
Riparian.

P.S. use a short stiff leader like 3 or 4ft of 15lb Maxima to help turn over those top water flies, use a knot that cinches down tight on the fly to get the energy transfer and use a connection at the line leader area that is solid like a nail knot or a loop to loop with the smallest loops you can get. This will help with "the hinge" in the line that you can get from those big buggy flies. Also pick a fly line with about the same amount of stiffness as that 15lb Maxima and remove the first two or three feet of the fly line to get a more aggressive taper if you want.

[Peddler]

Don't you belong to some sort of fly fishing club or something?

Bring the rod to the next meeting but present that question here beforehand: http://www.carolinaflyfishingclub.org/forum/
I'm willing to bet some members would be glad to let you try a few different lines on that rod before the meeting.

[puddlejockey]

Thread Answer score sheet
Scientifically Tabulated for the benfit of Peddler


as of 3/02/2009

Smart A#$ed answers from club members: 3

Legitmate and helpful Suggestions by club members: 0

Suggestions from those NOT affliliated with the club : 1
( Thanks, Rip!)

Geez, and to think I almost paid my dues this year!


lol

[bamboo10]

Originally Posted by supaflyGSR

get one of the guys in the club to build you one

Smart A# answers from club members: 3
(Make your count 4)

If you hadn't wimped out on the rodbuilding class you could have one that you made by now!


If the snow has melted bring your rod to the meeting Tuesday and I will bring some lines 6-7-8 and a 9 if you really want to go overboard.

GJ

[puddlejockey]

Thanks, Guys-
I guess I should have phrased my question differently;

SHOULD overlining to an 8 wt line on the 6wt TFO actually help me launch those big flies better?
Or, as Krueger mention, do I need to upsize the rod to get the effect I'm looking for?

If I do that, what are the indicators that the rod is too overlined I should watch out for?

Part of the problem lies in the fact that I don't seem to be able to translate how the rod casts w/out the big flies into how it will behave WITH them tied on.....if that makes any sense at all......

I know the "standby " answer is always "try it!" , But I'd also like to get some feedback on what to look for.

( And yes,,,,,yes I could have built an 8wt in the class I dropped out of, and made this a moot point)

[wilhelm]

Originally Posted by puddlejockey

If I do that, what are the indicators that the rod is too overlined I should watch out for?

If your 4 piece rod suddenly became a 5 piecer, you've overlined it too much. I suspect you'll need to overline it a lot more than just 2 line weights for that sort of catastrophic result.

Otherwise you won't be able to cast it effectively. You'll loose control of your casts (hmmm, maybe all your rods are overlined) and you just won't be able to throw anything with it.

Your bud,
wilhelm

[phg]

It's all a matter of basic physics. The rod has a built in stiffness and a built in flex. These are rated, by the manufacture, to be optimal when used with about 30' of 6-wt weight forward line outside the tiptop. Now, since lines are measured in grains, we aren't really talking about a lot of difference. If you normally fish 25' of line, a 7wt will behave just about the same as a 6wt at 30', and if you fish 35', then a 5wt, will do almost the same.

That said, you're real question is, is a 10' 6-wt the rod for fishing big bass bugs. I'd say no. I have a 9' 6wt that I use for streamers and it can have problems handing some of the heavier Clousers, especially when sitting in a toon. You might get by with a 7wt, but I think that big, wind resistant bugs really need the backbone of an 8wt, plus the weight of the line, to carry them out. Of course, if you hook a 10" smallie, an 8-wt will make it feel like a guppy....

I really think letting the guys show you how the different line weights would handle on your rod is a great idea. You could probably also try a couple of different rods to get an idea of what would handle your bugs best.

Jack may be a PITA, but he won't give you bad advise.