i have a six weight fly rod i just got it as a bday presnt and have been practing my casting catching some nice lil bream in the ponds around mtp. is this to small to go on the flats with. i know the summer heat has made the water very warm. will it take to long to get the fish in on a 6wt. i dont want to kill any fish. should i wait till the water cools down?..i am saving up now for an 8wt but also saving for my wedding so it might be awhile before i get up the cash for a whole 8wt set.
quote:That 6wt will definitely kill the fish.
Originally posted by smokeybonesi have a six weight fly rod i just got it as a bday presnt and have been practing my casting catching some nice lil bream in the ponds around mtp. is this to small to go on the flats with. i know the summer heat has made the water very warm. will it take to long to get the fish in on a 6wt. i dont want to kill any fish. should i wait till the water cools down?..i am saving up now for an 8wt but also saving for my wedding so it might be awhile before i get up the cash for a whole 8wt set.
But… right now any rod will kill the fish. So, the factor is putting stress on fish. 
The 6wt is at the very low level of rod weight to stop a red fish from powering away from you. The 6 wt has little if any stopping power. The seven jumps up pretty quickly in stopping power mainly because, most inshore reds are smaller than 32 inches. The 8wt will help stop a fair size red in some thick grass and the 9 wt will bring any inshore red to a stop or good turn.
I’m think that you will feel better if you don’t put undue stress on redfish this month with a 6wt. The water has just been too hot! I’m only taking my 9wt and picking and choosing very active fish.
That’s just me. Find your own comfort on the water. Best of luck Smoky.
quote:True story. I met a guy who got a divorce. He said he lost all of his fly fishing gear in the divorce. I asked, " so she kept the gear because she fly fishes, also?"
Originally posted by smokeybonesi have a six weight fly rod i just got it as a bday presnt and have been practing my casting catching some nice lil bream in the ponds around mtp. is this to small to go on the flats with. i know the summer heat has made the water very warm. will it take to long to get the fish in on a 6wt. i dont want to kill any fish. should i wait till the water cools down?..i am saving up now for an 8wt but also saving for my wedding so it might be awhile before i get up the cash for a whole 8wt set.
He said, no.
18’ CC w/ 115 Yami
Lemme know when ya wanna go and I’ll bring ya a 8wt to play with I’d rather you have fun and keep fish alive BTW… I am looking to sell my Orvis Streamside 8wt… just sayin… 
“Paddle faster boys… I hear banjo music!”
SC Chapter Coordinator- Heroes on the Water
http://www.HeroesOnTheWater.org
Charleston Director- SCKayakfishing.com
Tarpon 160os
“But… right now any rod will kill the fish.”
I hope your bass aren’t dying man, the fish i’ve released this summer don’t appear any less healthy than they have in past years. They are still tailing hot and heavy, both the schools down south and in the ones in the Harbor area. I feel like the fly forum has been overly concerned about water temperature over the past few posts. I wouldn’t recommend a 6 but i’ve been using my 7 all summer and many have splashed me during the release. I rarely remove them from the water to take pics anymore, cause you can only have so many redfish pictures, so perhaps thats why mine haven’t seemed stressed. Had a big bass fight into the backing on the South Ed. on one of those 7.5 footers we had a few weeks ago and she kicked away swiftly even after a drawn out fight. keep em in the water and take time with the release and they should be fine. And the 6 weight is fun in the winter on schools of pups but its scary when a big one eats.
quote:No dead fish yet but, have had two try to roll over when released. They were feeding strong and fought strong and got to me fairly quick. So, I held then a bit and as they started to move off they would start to roll a bit. Grabbed them and worked them til they were really pushing strong. I don't pull them out of the water either.
Originally posted by Colt“But… right now any rod will kill the fish.”
I hope your bass aren’t dying man, the fish i’ve released this summer don’t appear any less healthy than they have in past years. They are still tailing hot and heavy, both the schools down south and in the ones in the Harbor area. I feel like the fly forum has been overly concerned about water temperature over the past few posts. I wouldn’t recommend a 6 but i’ve been using my 7 all summer and many have splashed me during the release. I rarely remove them from the water to take pics anymore, cause you can only have so many redfish pictures, so perhaps thats why mine haven’t seemed stressed. Had a big bass fight into the backing on the South Ed. on one of those 7.5 footers we had a few weeks ago and she kicked away swiftly even after a drawn out fight. keep em in the water and take time with the release and they should be fine. And the 6 weight is fun in the winter on schools of pups but its scary when a big one eats.
Some of the water I’ve been standing in is almost too hot on my feet.
I haven’t had any die yet, and have had all of them swim off strong, including a couple that ended up swimming back towards me then spooking and taking off like a rocket.
JohnH0802
hey nikon id love to take u up on the offer…have never caught a redfish in the 4 years i have lived here…im free mondays and wednesday all day and mostly any day after 5…how much do u want for the orvis?
IMHO, You can probably beat these fish quick enough with the six wt. The important thing is to take the time to revive the fish. That said, however, get an 8 b/c it is ALWAYS blowing. I think the 9 wt. Line lands a little heavy and spooks more fish. 8 is the way to go.
I fish almost exclusively for several years now with a Winston 6 wt.
Never had problems…some of ya’ll are way over emphasizing the water temp. and released fish!
Maybe some of you play em on the rod waaaaay too long cause its cool!
Dunno…never had a problem whipping a 30" fish or fish not swimming away strong…dunno?
quote:
Originally posted by grapexIMHO, You can probably beat these fish quick enough with the six wt. The important thing is to take the time to revive the fish.
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>No, the important thing is to match your equipment to your quarry in the first place. Then it is every bit as important to properly release the fish.
Smokeybones, please disregard Grapex’s post above as it is way off the mark. A 6wt is NOT</font id=“red”> an appropriate sized setup for someone new to flyfishing to chase reds on the flats with. Stick with using that rod for those bream, and get out and chase trout with it this fall. Once it cools just a bit and the shrimp are thick you can have a lot of fun with that stick and a mess of trout.
And if you’re having fish roll over on you you’re doing something drastically wrong.
Pillage and plunder with a 9wt and a fist full of clousers.
[/quote]
A 6wt is NOT</font id=“red”> an appropriate sized setup to chase reds on the flats with. Stick with using that rod for those bream, and get out and chase trout with it this fall. Once it cools just a bit and the shrimp are thick you can have a lot of fun with that stick and a mess of trout.
Couldn’t disagree more but to each his own and this will forever be debated much like rifle calibers!
Pillage and plunder with a 9wt and a fist full of clousers.
[/quote]
quote:
Originally posted by CalibogueA 6wt is NOT</font id=“red”> an appropriate sized setup to chase reds on the flats with. Stick with using that rod for those bream, and get out and chase trout with it this fall. Once it cools just a bit and the shrimp are thick you can have a lot of fun with that stick and a mess of trout.
Couldn’t disagree more but to each his own and this will forever be debated much like rifle calibers!
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>Not really. A 6wt has little stopping power. What is the debate?18’ CC w/ 115 Yami
It’s just my opinion, but I feel strongly that a new flyfisher would have trouble landing a red in a reasonable amount of time to ensure a healthy release with a 6wt.
Pillage and plunder with a 9wt and a fist full of clousers.
quote:
Originally posted by jerms“And if you’re having fish roll over on you you’re doing something drastically wrong”. -The worlds most Knowledgeable Fisherman
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”> :clown_face:
Jerms, that I agree with and guess the topic has digressed somewhat from its origin.
IFly, the merits of the 6 wt in an avid salt fly-fishers arsenal has long been discussed and debated.
To each his own given his/her understanding and knowledge of their respective tackle!
quote:
Originally posted by CalibogueJerms, that I agree with and guess the topic has digressed somewhat from its origin.
IFly, the merits of the 6 wt in an avid salt fly-fishers arsenal has long been discussed and debated.
To each his own given his/her understanding and knowledge of their respective tackle!
Cheers to that!
Pillage and plunder with a 9wt and a fist full of clousers.
6wt is fine! Obviously, everyone has their own opinion. I have a 9wt, 6wt, and 5wt. The 6wt is the most fun with the reds. I have never had a red die when i reeled them in up in the grass. I have had to spend some time reviving them, but if you take time they will come back.
quote:
Originally posted by hotsauce6wt is fine! Obviously, everyone has their own opinion. I have a 9wt, 6wt, and 5wt. The 6wt is the most fun with the reds. I have never had a red die when i reeled them in up in the grass. I have had to spend some time reviving them, but if you take time they will come back.
Really??? If you have to “spend some time reviving them” you’re playing them too long… and if you’re using a 6wt I’m gonna say the rod is the reason you’re playing them that long. Not to mention a fish thats brought to the point of needing to be revived has a massive amount of lactic acid built up, and the survival rate of those fish is alot lower that those that can swim off quickly under their own power after a fight. Just because he swims off after you “spend some time reviving” him… does not mean he lives… thats just the facts…
You can debate the issue all you want, hell if I really wanted to I could take my ole 3wt out there and probable land a redfish… but my pecker won’t get any bigger, so I just respect the fish and use an 8 or 9 so I can release those fish healthy without having to perform CPR to bring them back because its “fun” to catch them on my 6wt…
Just an opinion of course…
Mad Mike
"to hell with insane… I’m OUTsane!!! "
6wt for redfish is like deer hunting wiht a .22… yeah you CAN kill a deer with it but really, who wants to do that much tracking and go through all the BS associated with it… Serioulsy dude, min 8wt for reds. I have an 8wt and a 10wt on my kayak when I go out, if it’s a smaller tail the 8wt, if I see a big tail I throw the 10wt. I’d rather be a little over gunned when reds are the quarry… Just like Mike, this is just my $.02 also
“Paddle faster boys… I hear banjo music!”
SC Chapter Coordinator- Heroes on the Water
http://www.HeroesOnTheWater.org
Charleston Director- SCKayakfishing.com
Tarpon 160os