Fly Fishing Forum banner

Two Handers for Chasing Albies/Bass

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  dmas 
#1 ·
Does anyone have experience chasing busting schools of bass and albies in a boat with a two handed rod? All of my bass/albie fishing is done off Montauk from a 21 foot Grady and often in nasty chop. I have been toying with the idea of getting an 11 foot 9/10 two hander and throwing intermediate heads with it for my Montauk fishing. Seems to me that if you had a stripping basket it would give you an awesome advantage. Especially on those days when the fish are up top for only a fleeting few moments. In all my years off fishing out there however, I never remember seeing a single angler fishing with a two hander out in the fly boats.

Tight lines
 
#2 ·
Two handers from boats cuz its fun.....(and effective!)

Spent the last few years doing mainly two handed fishing from boats (11X11 CND) and a few "european speys"....intermediate and floating shooting heads and a good stroke allow you to consistently cast 100+ feet (actual distance not 100 feet of line with s's measuring to 80 ft) with one backcast or a water haul "spey style: change of direction on a dime....very effective in montauk @ times (what isn't when its good?)

Here's the thing....I cannot say that anyone I have seen (whether using on or two handed rods) consitently does well on albies either running and gunning or when they are poppinf for a second (flukes happen and being able to rip off a cast 110 feet away really quickly to popping fish may up your results)

For pure #'s, when they are around IMHO it is Better to just cover the water , strip and slip in the rips...

I mainly fish the two handers becuse it is a fun way to catch fish (yes its easier to throw lots of grains (500+) and big (12" +) flies all day and all the jazz about extra distnace etc. )

But mainly because its fun....
 
#3 ·
thanks Davidstrout,

yeah I'm first and foremost a steelhead guy....about the only time I ever use a single hander these days is when I'm out on the salt during the fall run. You're right two handers are a blast...I'll probably go out and get an Atlantis for next season. What is one more rod in the quiver.

tight lines
 
#4 ·
Of course everyone has their opinions on this matter and ultimately it's up to you whether a two-hander can be a good boat rod for you... but after conducting a significant number of trials with the rods I designed I feel it's certainly not a bad match...

To cut to the chase, there is good and bad to it:

good: when working a rocky shoreline, by the time your partner is getting ready to false cast you could be hooked up with a fish on the rocks because of the ability to reach out and quickly cast further. Also, by the time he gets the line in it will be time to move the boat back away from the rocks for safety. And guess who gets to drive the boat away? The guy without the fish on of course :lildevl:

bad: even though an 11ft rod is only slightly longer than a 9ft single from grip to tip, there is a little more rod to deal with over the gunwhale when a sounding fish is on the line. For instance when slammer bluefish are dogging the fight under the boat the extra length feels like a lot of rod over the side.

good: you can throw an insanely big popper with 600 grains of floating line, throw a full size bunker fly reasonably well or sink a sandeel into the fastest rip currents with a 600 grain fast sinking line. And that is an easy lob with a two-hander, it would splinter any single hander that is comfortable to cast, and using a big single will put you in physical therapy to boot.

bad: when fishing albies from a boat they can popup anywhere and having a very long cast out there can work against you. I don't think this has anything to do with the rod, if a single hander cast as far the same problem would result. However, like the dog cleaning himself we get tempted to throw the long bombs 'because we can'.

Just be careful to buy a short rod with the action suited to overhead casting; if you buy a 14ft traditional Spey action rod the bads will outnumber the goods 10:1.

IMHO with the right rod configuration and line to match there are just as many goods as bads, beside the extended handle fits in a standard factory rod holder for the run to and fro the blitz. ;)
 
#5 ·
juro said:
bad: even though an 11ft rod is only slightly longer than a 9ft single from grip to tip, there is a little more rod to deal with over the gunwhale when a sounding fish is on the line. For instance when slammer bluefish are dogging the fight under the boat the extra length feels like a lot of rod over the side.

Really great point that I had not even considered.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top