[sunburn]

Does anyone have suggestions on lining this size rod? I have no preference on line type or casting style. I have been using small skagit heads on singlehand rods for river smallmouth and stripers and splicing lines to get spey-castable setups for trout but I have no experience with a twohanded rod, least of all one of this size. The rod was given to me so I figure I should try and put it to good use. What weight head would work best here? I currently use a 280 grain triangle taper on my #8 singlehand rod and it performs well, I just don't know enough about spey rods to do anything but guess. Any recommendations on favorite lines would be greatly appreciated.
My intent would be to fish it in the surf primarily. Although this time of year where I live we get a striper run in the river up to the fall line and it is a fantasy of mine to hook a good fish on the fly from just below the whitewater while standing on the bank. I just have be able to reach them and hang on. Thanks in advance.

 

[oldschoolfly]

I fish a 15' 10wt. I use a DT10F (120ft) I'm pretty sure. Coupled with the rod, the line starts to work best at about 75 feet or so.
I often fish shallower, riffle water at these distances and remain unseen. Long distance strikes can be exciting.
Wish there were more of them though.

 

[peter-s-c]

Does anyone have suggestions on lining this size rod? I have no preference on line type or casting style. I have been using small skagit heads on singlehand rods for river smallmouth and stripers and splicing lines to get spey-castable setups for trout but I have no experience with a twohanded rod, least of all one of this size. The rod was given to me so I figure I should try and put it to good use. What weight head would work best here? I currently use a 280 grain triangle taper on my #8 singlehand rod and it performs well, I just don't know enough about spey rods to do anything but guess. Any recommendations on favorite lines would be greatly appreciated.
My intent would be to fish it in the surf primarily. Although this time of year where I live we get a striper run in the river up to the fall line and it is a fantasy of mine to hook a good fish on the fly from just below the whitewater while standing on the bank. I just have be able to reach them and hang on. Thanks in advance.

Are you planning to overhead cast this rod, stripping flies for the bass as we would with a single hander, or Spey cast it and swing flies like you were fishing for salmon and steelhead?

For overhead casting and stripping back, the best line unfortunately is no longer made: the Airflo Coldwater Salt 40+ Two Hand Beach line in an 11/12. There are still a few out there, but they're hard to find.

If you wish to swing flies for bass, then pretty well any system designed for a 9/10 or 10/11 wt. rod will work. For more info on that we would need to know the make and model of the rod.

 

[sunburn]

I would be swinging flies in the river and there is no room for an overhead backcast in that situation. I would be fishing from either just out from the bank or on a rock in front of an eddy.
The rod is made by Redington and I believe to be four or five years old, though not really used much. I think the model is called Redfly.
In the surf I would guess an overhead cast would suit me best although there is some jetty fishing to rips that I guess I could speycast to.

 

[fish0n4evr]

Too much rod.

As for a speyline - I reccomend at least a 50 foot head for a 15 foot rod. It will be easier avoiding the usual problems that come along with long rods and short lines - such as trouble landing the anchor placement and blowing the anchor all-together. I like the Nextcast 55 on my 15 footers - they are slightly heavier than comparable lines which helps in learning and with casting big tips/flies. A 10/11 WF will do well.

Im familiar with the fall-line area in Richmond and fish there often. As you may already know, there are some BIG fish there now. I floated the fall line this Monday morning and saw fish that would not be over gunned - even with your 10/11 - it's just that long lines are not well suited to that particular stretch of river. Those boulders, the chutes, eddies and pocket-water make any sort of controlled presentation impossible with a long line. Im casting a single-hander and an Ambush #7 or a 5120 and a 35 foot head to reach a little farther out. Still - I can only cast over one of those chutes and it has to be from above casting well down-stream for a stripped retrieve or controlled swing. Not to dissuade you - you'll have to see for your self.

I'll be fishing there in the next few days with favorable tides on early morning outings and through out the next month or so.

Cheers and good luck out there.

 

[SpeySpaz]

I have a 700 gr Flight that should bomb on that rod, add a 15 ft sinktip or float tip and you should be right at a manageable length. Easy to cast, too.

 

[sunburn]

Hmmm, much food for thought. Very valid point about the line length for my location fishon4evr. I guess I never really thought my fantasy all the way through to a logical and perhaps disappointing conclusion. I have been struggling with the desire to ditch the canoe in this equation for some time without resorting to the spinning rod. Nothing against the boat, I just quite frankly enjoy wading more than paddling. Well, I love paddling but it's the loading of the boat on the truck, the unloading the boat off the truck, you know.
It seems then that I may be looking for more of an overhead casting line for this rod then, and I'll stick with the singlehand stick for the river. As always, thanks to all for your suggestions. I'll be looking into all of them.