New fly rod and reel

[W4z]

Just the other week got a new fly rod and reel. It's a redington vapen 9ft 6wt and a rise 2 reel.

My old reel had s**t it's self and while looking for a new reel I couldn't help but get a 4 piece travel rod with it. Hoping to do some backpack fishing when trout season opens again.

So now I'm still trying to get my first fish on fly. I've already had a flick with it using Crazy Charlie's in the port hacking but no luck. I've got some bread flys that I want to try for some mullet with. Was thinking at Audley. Also have started tying a few weed flys so I can try for some blackfish.

Anyway I'm hoping someone could give me some pointers in what to target this time of year and what to use. I've never fished for blackfish, but I did do a bit of looking around cronulla today to see if I could find a likely spot. I assume there would be blackfish off the rocks around cronulla? I will give it a go anyway hopefully next weekend and see what I come up with.

Pretty sure I found some cabbage and some other weed today, can someone confirm? Cheers guys

Can't wait for the first on fly

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[thefisherman6784]

I remember the adrenalin of first fish on fly

It's very fun especially catching bigger fish

If your really desperate

Put a hook on with a bit of bait and drift it back in a burley trail

It's fun when the trevally turn up and medium tailor and bream

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[nbdshroom]

Nice gear, looks like it would be a pleasure to fish with. Yes, you are correct. I don't do any fishing for blackies but I've caught several off the rocks there at Cronulla like you said. There might be some weed there too.

[Sydneyfisher12]

The weed at the top is cabbage and the bottom stuff is green weed I'm pretty sure

[Ryder]

I dabbled years ago, fishing Parramatta River, bays and Narrabeen lake.

Burley up, bread for the bread fly, etc.

The best advice I was given was get some speed line.sorry line speed

The salt and pollutants in the water effect the fly line,making it dirty and rough.

A simple wipe every five casts makes the line flow.

Use quality flies .

Edited June 22, 2014 by Ryder

[W4z]

Cool thanks for the advice guys. I'd be out there more trying more often but these early sunsets in winter are killers.

That was another thing I was wondering about Ryder, I've heard people mentioning saltwater fly line. So fishing with just normal fly line I should use line speed? Thanks I'll try to get my hands on some

[Ryder]

I was using normal fly line in the salt, and it smoothed and cleaned things.

In freshwater it's recommended as a line conditioner, you only need to use it a few times per year.

Especially before storage.

I didn't progress to salt water line, it was my River Somewhere period.

[jimmy72]

good luck with that W4z,

- should give you hours of frustration , and if you are lucky some fun too!

heard good reports of blackfish on fly lately ( talk to royce - luderic angler for good advice on them) and still a few salmon up the parra river, though land based it would be pot luck i imagine

also give your line a good stretch before you go fishing save lots of tangles and frustration, as does cleaning it every few session and some line cleaner. - also a good tip is to tie a weight to your tippet and hang the whole line and a little backing out the guides off a bridge or similar every now and then to get all the line twist out - just let it hang for a couple of minutes then strip it back in and then reel it back on the reel ( so you dont wind it on under too much pressure and get tight coils from line memory )

we scored a few salmon on sunday but they were sporadic and patchy, we tried for bream most of the arvo on crazy charlies and similar for only a bump or two .

cheer and good luck

grant

Edited June 25, 2014 by jimmy72

[W4z]

Thanks for the advice jimmy. Yeah I've been reading the reports of blackies caught on fly and that's inspired me. Also talking to a dedicated fly fisherman in NZ and seeing him listen in disbelief as we told him that salt water fly fishing in Sydney isn't very popular gave me some motivation too.

Do you do a lot of salt water fly jimmy? Any suggestions on the best species to target first?

Cheers

Waz

[jimmy72]

hey W4z,

yeah i try get out as much as possible, usually chase pelagics, but have fished for bream , bass and flatties with varying success. going to give this luderick thing go one of these days too as i tied up a few flies for them a a few weeks ago. back in the late 90's early 2000's there was loads of fly fishers in sydney, .. there are still quite a few but mostly only seen hunting the pelagics in summer

are you land based or boat ? where are you at? let me know and i'll try and help out with some specific options always happy to help... but i warn you i tried for bream for more than a few hours on sunday for no fish , only a bump or two.. so even with all the right advice/ experience you need some luck too ;-)

PS got some salmon early though .. fun fun

let me know

grant

[W4z]

Thanks again for the advice. I don't have a boat but have a few mates that take me out on theirs. Mostly Sydney harbour then outside but sometimes outside from port hacking. When ever I have a spare couple of hours one morning or arvo I get out for a flick from the shores of the hacking. I've seen some salmon out jibbon way, wonder if they're worth a shot.

I haven't tried the fly rod from a boat yet. How do you find it with others fishing on board? Is it doable without getting in each other's way? I mean if they are using spin rods.

I'm going to head down to cronulla sometime this weekend and have a go for blackies. I've never targeted them before so not sure about my chances but I'm happy just to be out there and learning as I go

[jimmy72]

W4z,

sounds good... yeah you need to find a corner of the boat to cast and not kill anyone lol

make sure everyone is wearing sunglasses!

.. assuming you are right handed and the boat has a cabin of sorts and you casting out the back of the boat to the fish then the port back corner is best

or starboard side corner if you are approaching the fish .. so the line and fly are out over the water. if the boat approaches the fish and the fish are on port -- you'd best get up the front/ bow starboard side ... its tricky if the wind is coming from your casting arm side as it blows the line and fly into your head area... you'll work it out, or ditch those guys and hook up with other fly fishermen he he

as for blackfish .. pm royce ( luderick angler) ... i spoke to him about it and he knows much more than me by a mile .. think a little burley will be needed in the river and some moving tide -- think there is some good stuff around on youtube and other site.. google google google -- fishing the fly is pretty much same as the float fishing tech except for the equipment

PS sent you a pm (essay length with some ideas on fishing the fly for diff species)

PPS salmon are always worth a shot -- great fun on a 6wt, note you probably know but salmon usually feed in a direction which is usually into the wind and or tide so to get best results you need to get in front of them and off to the side so then dont run into the boat as you drift down on them ;-) this way the fly is stripped away from them like the fleeing bait ..,. no always though this one was just mooching about is a small school popping up anywhere at any time and going down quick, made it hard to get the boat close and get a shot .. and even then it was not until i slowed my strip down i got an eat .. a fish of 100 casts this one ! (parra river last sunday)

cheers

grant

Edited June 25, 2014 by jimmy72

[W4z]

That's a good salmon must have been great to catch it on fly.

Thanks so much for your help your a legend!

Sounds like it can be pretty challenging using a fly rod. I'll let you know how I go this weekend