# 7 or 8 wt?



## ditchdoctor81 (Oct 3, 2007)

I'm going to be buying a setup in the next day or 2. It will be for bay fishing.....specs, reds, ect. I've pretty much decided onthe Orvis Battenkill mid-arbor &TFO TiCr-X. Should I get this in 7wt or 8wt? Any input is appreciated. :letsdrink


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

I'd say get an 8. You can throw a little bigger flies easier, like poppers.


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## ditchdoctor81 (Oct 3, 2007)

I was leaning towards the 8, just wasn't sure. Thanks for the quick reply.


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

TiCr X rods are sweet, I love the action on them.


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## YakFlies (Oct 3, 2008)

I say get the 8wt also.... that is what most people use for bay fishing. I prefer a 9wt. I plan on buying a ticr x 9wt this spring.


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## a (Oct 2, 2007)

7 wt !

8 wts are too heavy for trout most of the time. Yes you can cast a larger fly with a heavier rod. Butif you plan on learning to cast well, you'll enjoy the 7 wt much more. imho


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## broglin (Jan 1, 2009)

I agree it depends on what your target species of fish is......Trout,flounder,small redfish 6 or 7 wt

Larger redfish, beach fishingI will use 8 or 9 weight.......For all around fishing for offshore and off beach i use my 10 weight...especially for Cobia, big jack crevalle, big reds, etc....I use the 10 wt to cast the bigger flies also.

For off shore fishing i use a Thomas and Thomas 12 wt. with a Tibor Reel....I have seen guys postquestions about fly reels but when you fishing for small fish hell you can use a cheaper reel and palm drag and bring the fish in quite easily because they seldom take you into your backing but off shore hooking into a tuna, big king, mahimahi, etc...you want a good reel with a GREAT drag system.....I have broke a lot of flyrods on fish but i have never had any problems with my flyreels...A good flyreel will cost more but will last you a long time, if not a lifetime.


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## ditchdoctor81 (Oct 3, 2007)

I ended up getting the Temple Fork Outfitters NXT 8wt. Now I'm going to start picking up everything elseI need. What are some must haves (besides the flies themselves)to fill a gear bag that I probably don't have in my regular inshore fishing bag? A couple fly boxes are already on the list. Thanks for the help.


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## Capt. Bob Quarles (Mar 16, 2008)

Good choice on the 8 weight, you will get a little more distance, be able to fish on windy days, and even be able to catch bull reds and bonito on that rod...those are all important considerations ona rod for this area...

Pick up a 7 weight later for wadefishing and nightfishing....

Your next purchase should be some Rio flylines, they come pre-rigged with loops and a re great casting lines, I love them..

Use gel-spun for your backing and get out there!

Tight loops.


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## ElJay (Oct 1, 2007)

One of those fly fishing multi tools that have a nail knot tying device as well as line clipper in it. Great for re-tyingleaders and also works well to join mono/floro to braid for regular fishing. Add a floaty to it so it will not sink when you drop it, and you will drop it!

Congrats of the TFO, I have a 9 wt and love it. I use mine mainly for tailwater stripers and whites but have brought it down to the ICW for my 3 or 4 trips to the sea every year.


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Capt. Bob Quarles (1/6/2009)*Good choice on the 8 weight, you will get a little more distance, be able to fish on windy days, and even be able to catch bull reds and bonito on that rod...those are all important considerations ona rod for this area...
> 
> Pick up a 7 weight later for wadefishing and nightfishing....
> 
> ...


I've got a question for you. I've never used any "real" fly line backing, I've always used power pro. What are the advantages to the true fly line backing that you can buy?


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## Capt. Bob Quarles (Mar 16, 2008)

None.

The old "real" fly line backing pre-dates the wide array of the far superior gel-spun types of backing thatare available today.

It was superior back in the day only to monofilament.....because it had no memory as monofilament does.

Gel-spun also will not rot like the old thread backing would, and you can use a smaller, lighterreel because you can pack so much more line due to its smaller diameter. Of course all of my reels are large arbor forfaster line pickup.

Those are the reasons it is on all of my reels.


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

Ok, thanks.


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## ditchdoctor81 (Oct 3, 2007)

After looking at the Rio fly lines, has anyone used their VersiTip saltwater line? It comes with interchangeable tips from floating to fast sinking. Just seeing if anyone has any feedback on it.


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## FlyLipps (Oct 3, 2007)

I have tried the VersiTip, and personally I am not real fond of them, but I might be the exception. Don't get me wrong, I think Rio makes some of the best lines out there. My biggest objection to any of the interchangeable tips lies with the pick up and recasting of line. I like to bring a fly much further in than most and the VersiTip was designed for those that like to pick up 35 feet of line to recast, that is approximately where the loop to loop tip connection is. If you don't pick up that much line then you will run the loop to loop connection up through your guides. And while the connection will slide through the guides easy enough, I don't like to run it, clicking back and forth, through the guides on the backcast. I also like to carry a lot of line in the air, this requires a sharp double haul, this double hauling takes a toll on the running line. My point is that I wound up using the line more because it was my only running line for both sinking and floating line situations, so it didn't take long to wear it out. But the Rio people have always been great about standing behind their products and they did replace it. I just can't get comfortable with the "clicking", so I don't use it much.


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## Capt. Bob Quarles (Mar 16, 2008)

Yep, Just what Flyipps said.. I don't like any of the interchangeable tip lines....clack, clack.. through your fly rod guides.. uggghhhh.

You will be happier with a spare spool or a spare reel rigged with a true sinking line.. 

just change the spool or reelwhen you need a sinking line....... no big deal...

90% of the time we use a floating line or a floating line with a 15 foot intermediate sink tip... those two will get the job done most of the time.


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