T&T H2 4pc 7wt, Danielsson 6nine and SA, RIo or Wulff floating Bonefish line; backup Sage RPLXi 5pc 8wt, Danielsson 7ten with same floating lines in 8wt.
Wayfarer 9ft 8wt 5pc and as a back up I have a Global Fly Fisherman 8wt 4 pc
during the pike season the GFF took the overhand, and I now prefer it to the wayfarer.
Reel: SA a large arbour 79 I think it´s the 2 series, comes in a plastic display box and retails for around 35 dollars.
Line also SA, 8wt bonefish taper floating and a mastery sinking also WF-8
If someday I´ll be a big grown up veterinarian, maybe I´ll buy a sage. I would love to fish the Bones in Aruba with a SP 6wt (with fighting butt), but unfortunately the SP series is not continued. So if anybody of you ever wants to get rid of one......
I too am a veterinarian who now works to fish,I have been flyfishing and tying for over 50 years and am not 60 yet, so I think I have maybe 10 -15 years of hard fishing left. The complete diversity of equipment that people use for bonefishing is exemplified by the song,"It "aint what you do, its the way that you do it , that's what gets results". My favourite rod is a 9wt Scott Heliply, 8'8", the best rod I have ever used and I have quite an arsenal to back that up.
For 8 years I have used a Loomis GL-3 matched with a Lamson LP-3.5 and that outfit, though not top of the line, has worked well for me.
I am upgrading this year. I spent a long time checking reels and rods trying to decide. An Everglades and a XI-2 would be nice but I just can't justify that kind of money. I wanted something light too since most of my bonefishing is as far out as I can get and is almost exclusively wading.
Here is what I decided on.
The New Sage 2580 reel. It is under 6oz, large arbor, holds 200yds, suposed to be sealed and maintenance free and I have heard good things about the drag. I know of a guide in NC that uses them and has tested them on false albacore tighteining them way down and they stood up.
I am pairing it with a TFO TICR-X 7 wt. I have a 9wt and really like it. I plan to load the 7 with 8wt line thinking it would give me good distance and help load the rod fast for those short quick casts that are so important when bonefishing.
Thats a an outfit I think should work well, weighing under 11oz total and costing under $650 total. Can't wait to try it out.
The 7wt H2 is amazing. I cast it at the shows over the winter and could not believe how well it carries line without being stiff. I hate stiff rods, can't understand how people use them. The energy that goes into the line comes from the rod's load not the arm's forcing push, or more acurately a cooperation of the two. Some rods are so stiff the arm does all the work, like a 2x4.
The T&T H2 loads clean and progressively but gets all of the arm power into the stroke. I was especially impressed with the 7wt 4pc travel rod and that's what I bought.
I never fished any other rod the entire 7 days in Acklins, never needed to despite strong winds and some long cast demands. The problem with stiff rods is that the short game stinks, but the 7wt is supple enough to make quick casts in fact I hooked and landed a nice bone on a snake roll cast after missing one pod, 90 degree change and cast to another and bang.
With longer taper lines like the SA bonefish one can aerialize a lot of line and the H2 will take it in stride. Besides I love the aesthetics of the rod, and that matters a lot to me. As much as I am impressed with the more affordable rods I see these high end rods as more matched to my personal taste in fly gear (a very subjective thing I am sure).
The Danielsson reel is the former LOOP Evotec, they designed and built these reels for the international market for many years. Since their decision to sell direct after some turbulence in the LOOP relationship the reels are now available at an incredibly affordable price.
While working in the rod business recently I had to buy a lot of reels and I own a fair collection. Some have let me down, others have gotten me through hard duty. I can honestly say that these reels offer the price/performance balance I have been after and the sealed drag is probably the best out there. Combined with the aesthetics I am sold.
There are many great rods and reels out there as this thread proves. But as my goto bonefish outfit, I can't say enough about the H2 and the Danielsson combo.
Sage xi2 890 with an satin gold Tibor Evergaldes reel and Rio bonefish line 8 or 9 weight(it depends on how windy it is.)
Sage Rplxi 690 with an black Tibor Freestone reel and Rio bonefish line 6 weight or Rio Quickshooter 7 weight when it`s too windy
Blaster Pusher
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