mahi on the fly

[mems]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/015_zps3wgza3fc.jpg (http://s15.photobucket.com/user/mems15/media/015_zps3wgza3fc.jpg.html)
Aloha went out yesterday to nice flat seas and light winds. We ran into a school of hungry mahi. I was able to get a bunch on the fly. We kept some for dinner and headed in. It was like being back in baja, big school right at the back of the boat.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/022_zpsrwn4e88w.jpg (http://s15.photobucket.com/user/mems15/media/022_zpsrwn4e88w.jpg.html)
Hope you guys have a good end to summer, Mems.

[Darian]

That must've been fun. Altho, not much like La Ventana for our trip in June this year. We didn't get even one Dorado; didn't even see one. They do seem to be there now, tho. I'm envious.... :D

[mems]

Yeah Darian, sorry you guys didn't get any mahi this year in baja. I read they just now started to show up there. It has been like that here in Hawaii, we didn't have much mahi this summer, and now they are showing up. Problem is the ahi were not around last weekend. We had a blast on the mahi down with Jay last summer. They are my favorite bluewater fish on the fly. They are also pretty good on the dinner plate as well. I am going to make up some ceviche and have fish tacos tonight. Hey and thanks for always responding to my posts. Don.

[Jiim]

Nice fish, Don. Is that a 10/12 TFO Bluewater you're using? If so, how do you like it, and have you tried the 13-15? None of the shops near me have any in stock to test cast. I hear they have plenty of butt strength.

Cheers,
Jim

[mems]

Hey Jim, that is the light duty 12wt. I have the baby blue 10wt, would have been perfect for that size mahi. I also have the medium 14wt and the heavy 16 wt. The 12wt and the baby blue are great for casting and both are great for fish up to 60lbs. I caught a 80lb GT at CI last time on the 12wt and it handled that fish with ease. I think the medium or the heavy would be a good choice for marlin or big tuna. But do you ever know when they will hit? Today I got a 40lb ahi on a baitcaster on chunk bait. My fishing buddy hooked something much bigger and almost got spooled when the 100lb swivel snapped. Ahi just never stay in the same sized school, so you just never know who will hit. I got a couple of mahi on bait, tried the fly, but they were not fired up enough. I think you would like the 12wt as far as castability and fish fighting. If you don't high stick it should land just about anything. What do you intend to use it for? Don

[Jiim]

Thanks, Don. I need 2 loaner rods for all my buddies from up north who descend on me in the spring for the tarpon migration. They are not used to big rods or big fish and tend to break them often using all kinds of techniques.. We fish late into the night because they all want to catch fish instead of a case of frustration, and this definitely ups the breakage rate. Many are also around 70 and do not do any exerecises to tune their muscles despite my nagging over the winter, so a strong butt with a softer tip would be nice for them - both for casting and fish fights.

The bluewater series looks like it fits the bill. The big mammas usually hug the bottom toward the end and lifting power is essential. I would quess your large Pacific mahi are like our large Atlantic dolphin and do the "deep spiral on the side" trick under the boat toward the end of the fight.

I personally think the original RPLX which has a very stiff tip and foregrip, is the best stick ever made for tarpon fights, but the stiff tip made it harder to cast and it wasn't very popular, so Sage softened it up even before changing its model number.

I have them in 11 and 12, but a buddy broke one with a storage lid and Sage made up a new, original tip for it, but it took several months. I'm looking for another one now in a 12 especially but also an 11. That same buddy broke an Xi3 12 tip casting,wiich didn't take so long to replace - but Sage doesn't make a foregrip any more and I don't want to have to keep shipping rods back to them either. And it's not like I don't ocassionally break a rod myself either. They might stick me on a "no fix" list for the ancient rods. :(

On the very sketchy TFO site they mention a revolutionary "reverse" ferrule with no description or even a picture. What is that about? I can't even tell from their website if the 13 wt is the same rod as the 15 wt or the 10 wt the same as the 12 wt. Very sketchy indeed.

I will call them up in a couple hours for clarification, but hearinig from an actual product user is a better way I think.

Thanks, Don.

Cheers,
Jim

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Lefty Kreh says they are suicidal fish.

Loreto, Baja in July, off the full moon, is one of the best places, on average, to get them on a fly, without trolling.

I went there twice, once was OK and then the second grip was unreal.



I think 10 to 12 weight rods are best.

First choice is a Rio Outbound Short Tropical full floating line and salt water poppers.

Then a super fast sinking integrated Rio Tropical line on another rod with Clouser type Sardina patterns for under water.

.

[mems]

Jim, the bluewater series is great for big fish. the baby blue, 10 wt is good for fish up to 60lbs and is a great caster. the 12wt light duty would be the best big tarpon rod. It is good for casting and has a butt strong enough to land strong fish. It makes a 7 curve instead of parabolic like most rods, so you can really put a lot of pressure on fish. If you were night fishing and the fish were big and close to the boat the medium would be pretty good for a short cast full bore pressure fight. The heavy 16 is tough to cast, but was designed more for teased up marlin and big pacific sails. The only reversed guides I have seen are on the loomis surf casting rods. They might have changed the heavy with those type guides, because the made one long cork grip instead of a second grip. I think for tarpon the 10 and 12, baby and light duty would be rods you and your clients would love. Yes mahi here do the death spiral on us. I like to put the boat into gear and gaff them while they are happy inthe bow wave. Big ahi different story. Shut the engine off put up the leg and get them to the boat with constant pressure. They own you on a fly rod. If you have questions call TFO they are very helpful and the repair policy can't be beat. Don,

[Jiim]

Thanks, Don. I talked with TFO tech today, and the "Heavy" is the only one with the reverse ferrule - female on the butt side. Frankly, I don't understand why all rods from 11 on up with 4 sections don't do it that way. I snapped an 11 last year just below the ferrule on a 4 piece which was completely unexpected for the pressure I was putting on. But to be fair, it was a well used demo rod I'd gotten for cheap, so no telling what it had been through. I'm waiting on some 1/2" x o.o12" Kevlar tape to see if I can make a stronger butted 3 piece out of it. :D

Anyhow, I'm partial to foregrips - which are usually 4-6" further up the blank than the extended handle. The fellow I talked with at TFO gave me the name of a dealer who may have some older foregrip ones in stock. I called but he wasn't in yet, then I got busy and didn't get a chance to call him back. I think you're probably right about the light 10-12. The grain weight range is a bit shy of what I often have out the tip, but for the guys I fish with that would probably be better anyhow. I can always put an 11 wt line on it if they don't like it. I've only bought one rod without casting it first and it was a dog compared to others in the same series, but since I probably won't even be using it, I quess it doesn't matter much. I'm just gonna go for it if he has one.

Thanks again Don. I appreciate the help.

Cheers,
Jim

[E.Drucker]

Very cool! I got two Dodos with Maury Hatchs group in La Ventana at the end of May. I felt very fortunate as there was a total absence of Dorado on that trip....amazing experience catching them on a 10wt