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Surf casting with a switch or spey

nsdrawbridge10

New member
Whos done it and howd it work out for. Thinkin about picking one up for stripers this year. I have some experience with the two hander, jus want to know how it works for you guys. Thanks, and spring is comin
 
Go see Jim Freda seminar at the Somerset show. I went last year. He is a master surf caster with a Spey rod.
 
If you want to spend the bucks, pick up Rich Murphy's book on striped bass fishing. As far as I know, many spey casters use overhead cast in the surf. But on Youtube, I saw of a video of an angler explaining how he sets up an anchor in the surf. He does in on a few inches of water.

Randy
 
Striper fishing is very much well worth it. Beats the hell outa trout fishing. There are lots of places to hit these fish and ways around the crowds for sure. I woudlnt say you need a switch rod but they do help. I have used my 10 ft rod before on the surf and it does fine and then I didnt need to buy another rod for steelhead.
 
I almost never use a Spey cast with my two hander in the surf, but nearly always use a two-hand cast. Simply flop your shooting head out beyond the rod tip, lay your running line in your stripping basket, and make one false back cast with the head and fire the rod forward, shooting out the running line. Traditional spey casts in complex moving water along the beach is difficult at best although it can be done. Most of us using two handers do the simple two-handed cast as I described. You should easily be able to shoot out at least 140' - 180' of line with a two hand rod using a two hand cast.

The guy you want to talk to is Andrew Moy from Tightlines Fly Shop. He was casting these and teaching spey and two hand casting before Jim Freda saw his first fly rod caught striper. Jim's claim to fame is not fly fishing, no offense to Jim. He's a boat captain and a good one. Nobody in NJ is as hooked into two handed surf fishing with a fly rod as Andrew.
 
I almost never use a Spey cast with my two hander in the surf, but nearly always use a two-hand cast. Simply flop your shooting head out beyond the rod tip, lay your running line in your stripping basket, and make one false back cast with the head and fire the rod forward, shooting out the running line. Traditional spey casts in complex moving water along the beach is difficult at best although it can be done. Most of us using two handers do the simple two-handed cast as I described. You should easily be able to shoot out at least 140' - 180' of line with a two hand rod using a two hand cast.

The guy you want to talk to is Andrew Moy from Tightlines Fly Shop. He was casting these and teaching spey and two hand casting before Jim Freda saw his first fly rod caught striper. Jim's claim to fame is not fly fishing, no offense to Jim. He's a boat captain and a good one. Nobody in NJ is as hooked into two handed surf fishing with a fly rod as Andrew.

Rusty, you and I spent a day fishing the surf on Sandy Hook, and you taught me everything I know about surf casting.

Still haven't caught a fish...

But thanks!
 
Rusty, you and I spent a day fishing the surf on Sandy Hook, and you taught me everything I know about surf casting.

Still haven't caught a fish...


But thanks!

So you finally admit it.:applaudit:beer::applaudit:beer::applaudit:beer::applaudit:beer:
 
Do you boobs really need to fly fish in the surf?

Nothing like the tug of a large striper, the line-ripping of a False Albacore or the jumping of a nice blue on a fly rod! I have yet to leave even the finest trout water on my best day with a sore arm, but that happens with some regularity when you get into saltwater fly fishing. Especially if you hit some blitzes. And it's a good sore and one that only a cold beer or three can cure.
 
TFO Deer Creek switch 11' 8wt. I tried couple other switch rods but the TFO was the easiest to cast for me and you can't beat their life time warranty.
 
TFO Deer Creek switch 11' 8wt. I tried couple other switch rods but the TFO was the easiest to cast for me and you can't beat their life time warranty.

Cool I hope that works out for you...

I've been dabbling in this arena lately myself (check the fly forum on SOL if you want a ton of info)...
Since I had tarpon on the beach right in front of me but was too windy to cast a normal 10 wt, I started looking for some fly rod solutions instead of using the spin rod. So I found this Overhead 2-handed surf stuff, which has nothing to do with spey casting...or spey rods, in that there's a niche for 2-handed surf rod meant for overhead casting (for those that didn't know this already).
I've been on a gear binge lately but I'm not ready for this splurge yet. I am thinking of trying the Rio Outbound line rated for my 8wt switch rod to see what its like...I think the OB line rated for this rod has more grains than the line I have been throwing on my 9' 10 wt
 
I think an 8 weight is too light for the surf, fyi. My two handed CND rod is an 11/12 that fishes like a traditional 9/10 one handed rod. Spey and switch rods fish a lot different than traditional one handers do when comparing line weights. When I fish a one hand rod in the surf, I use a 9 foot for 9 weight rod.
 
Switch Rod....... Nice what line and reel are you going with?
AirFlo Scandi Compact 6/7 Floating 420 grains on Galvan T8 reel.

Rusty Spinner - surf fishing was the least important on my list:
1. Steelhead/Salmon
2. Summer fishing on bigger rivers - small mouth / pike
3. Lake fishing - large mouth / pike
4. Surf fishing - stripers

I was debating between 7 or 8 wt and decided on 8wt so I can take it with me when I go surf fishing twice a year or so. This is my entry level rod and I can always expend my arsenal to 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 16... :) Gotta start somewhere.
 
If I can make it to Somerset this weekend I'm going to stop by the Tight Lines booth and look into getting either the Beulah 8/9 or 9/10 surf rod. Probably will be selling my RPLXi 1090 single-hand rod shortly thereafter.
 
If I can make it to Somerset this weekend I'm going to stop by the Tight Lines booth and look into getting either the Beulah 8/9 or 9/10 surf rod. Probably will be selling my RPLXi 1090 single-hand rod shortly thereafter.

The Beulahs are right on the money .... A switch in the surf .....i dunno ...a 10' nine or 10 wt like St Croix's Legend or Kenny A's custom surf rod must definetly.
a spey rod from the beach or shore is more pratical...only difficulty is the line management of the running line...surf, beach or jetty fishing is tough when conditions are less than ideal...but that's when the fish are usually there and on the feed especially stripers.

ever try fly fishing in the surf with more than 60' of running in a stripping basket, when the wind is blowing more than 10 knots or a wave catches a loop of running line that slide out and gets carried away....line mangement is a must....

It can be done...but I have yet to fish consistently with spey rod in the surf....certain places in my area it would work like swinging flies in the current rip or eddy,
can still accomplish it with my 9 or 10 footer.

BTW I never use any thing less than a 9 weight in the surf or of the beach...the size of the flies, the line, the ever present breeze, just can't deliver the goods.

Back water estuary , calm quiet nights, late spring early summer small fies an 8 is ideal...generally prospecting for the occassional fisherman stick with the heavier rod.
 
Agreed. I was out in the surf today and there was a decent breeze. Using an NRX 9' 9wt with rio inter. Outbound and I had a tough time getting a good forward cast off.
 
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