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Flash Pan Dan
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 8:20 pm • # 1 |
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Joined: 12/16/13 Posts: 8
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Hello all,
In an earlier post I detailed my adventures into the world of UL fly fishing after a hiatus of many years from casting longer, faster, heavier rods for long distances. I have now put in several hours of lawn casting and have been able to get my timing and casting stroke to where I can cast my 7 foot Echo Carbon 2 weight about 55 feet, without double hauling, using an Airflo DT 2 line and 7 foot leader. Now to my question;
Is this the practicably limit for this rod? Even double hauling didn’t get me much more distance. The rod seem to hit a wall here, more to the point, it would collapse if I tried any further. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever need to cast any further or for that matter, even this far while fishing, but I’d like to know my limit. You just never know what you can run in to while fishing.
Thanks,
Dan
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philos
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:08 pm • # 2 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 02/16/13 Posts: 461
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Dan, My guess is you are very close to the limit -distance wise- and could possibly eek out a little more with a different line and aggressive casting such as a double haul. I cannot remember ever casting a UL rod more than 40 feet in a fishing situation but that is not to say you might not encounter a need to go farther. Were you casting the line sans leader? It is elementary but leader/tippet and flies change things but probably not nearly as much with ultralight fishing since you will likely not be casting big deer hair bugs or slinging a load of lead as you may have done with the big guns prior. I have never tried to cast my Echo very far-I probably won't get the distance you did but I can always try and come back with a post and lie about the 90 foot cast I made
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aggieoutlaw
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:20 pm • # 3 |
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Full Member |
Joined: 09/10/12 Posts: 242
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I can throw an entire DT line easily into the backing w my Echo Carbon 732...of course it's cut in half.
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jkurtz7
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:36 pm • # 4 |
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Administrator |
Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 4828
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55' is pretty darn good with a 7'2" 2wt. Most might not even get that distance, but the rod itself is capable of a bit more in the right hands.
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Flash Pan Dan
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:40 pm • # 5 |
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Newbie |
Joined: 12/16/13 Posts: 8
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Philos,
That was with leader and nice big tuft of florescent wool tied to the tippet. I can cast past 55 feet if I double haul, but I am unsatisfied with how the leader and fly turn over and land. Up to 55 feet I can get a good lay down of leader and fly.
I really don’t have a feel for this rod yet. So I am unsure if that is the limit or not. I am so focused on the timing that it is hard to just relax and focus on the target and feel the rod work. It may sound like I am struggling but I am having the time of my life again.
Thank you for the feed back.
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jkurtz7
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:43 pm • # 6 |
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Administrator |
Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 4828
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What kind of leader are you using? It is best to use a leader that is appropriate for light lines. Leaders that one would normally use on a 9' 5wt using don't work all that well. There are leader formulas that have been developed for UL.
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mbarker68x
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:56 pm • # 7 |
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Hero Member |
Joined: 03/02/11 Posts: 1003 Location: Vinton, Va
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I have a cheap cabelas WF 3wt line that I use on my echo carbon. Most of my casts down her in Honduras fishing on the pond are within the 20 ft range. I have pushed the envelope and as long as the wind isn't to bad I can get 60-65 feet and still maintain enough accuracy to effectively fish. I typically use a 8' leader, a#12 bead headed nymph with a 3/8 diameter strike indicator. I am by know means an expert, but I don't see a reason to fish more than 30 ft or so.
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Flash Pan Dan
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:17 pm • # 8 |
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Newbie |
Joined: 12/16/13 Posts: 8
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jkurtz7 ,
I’m using a 4 foot twisted nylon leader with a 3 foot tippet. I scaled it down to the lighter line by using 2X nylon instead of my 0X material which is what I used for my 5 weight rods. It does a great job of turning the fly over and I can go up to a 4 foot tippet if need be.
mbarker68x
Yeah, is amazing how little wind it takes to blow your line completely off target, especially when you have 40 to 50 feet of line just about to land on the water.
Thank you all for your input. It has given me a better perspective on where I am in learning to cast this wonderful little UL rod.
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albertyi
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:23 pm • # 9 |
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Jr. Member |
Joined: 01/31/12 Posts: 67
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If you're looking for a pretty cast with this rod, try a furled thread leader and trim the practice yarn down to the size of a typical dry fly you'd use on the water (small little puff instead of a nice big tuft). You'll be grinning ear to ear with each cast, and be wanting to cast instead of fish!
- Albert
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Flash Pan Dan
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:17 pm • # 10 |
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Joined: 12/16/13 Posts: 8
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albertyi wrote: If you're looking for a pretty cast with this rod, try a furled thread leader and trim the practice yarn down to the size of a typical dry fly you'd use on the water (small little puff instead of a nice big tuft). You'll be grinning ear to ear with each cast, and be wanting to cast instead of fish!
- Albert Can you recomend maker or supplier?
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Flash Pan Dan
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:37 pm • # 11 |
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Newbie |
Joined: 12/16/13 Posts: 8
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Just an update, I found out that the line I was using was not an Airflo. It is a Cabela’s 2 weight line which, according to their description, is a half weight heavier. So I tried an 3 weight SA line, I had, and found out that what Cabela’s calls a half weight heavier is more like a full one line heavier. I need to get a true 2 weight line to see how this rod really works. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Dan
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philos
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 5:15 pm • # 12 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 02/16/13 Posts: 461
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Dan
JimWright has a couple of 2 weights in the classified here that might work. A WF and DT. One is a Sylk line that might not be best for distance though.
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