Ken, thanks for the explanation on the black Amnesia - I do remember hearing something about the coating material being used as a UV inhibitor for the mono. It certainly pays to replace the stuff if it looks like it's starting to degrade.
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Lee, I've tried the multiple-fly dropper set-up for shad - it seems to get down fairly easily for 7-wts & up in shallow water, usually with the help of a split shot or two. If heavy mono is used, the tippet doesn't quite seem to offer sufficient sensitivity to detect the grabs during the swing (I found this out while fishing the Yuba earlier this year). Thanks for suggesting the Rio & SA clear intermediates - I'll have to look into these running line products & see if they'll work for the lighter fly outfits. I'm curious if these products still need to be stretched before each use (even though they're low stretch lines) & whether they coil when used in cold saltwater (say 55 deg F or less). It's a real chore keeping the Amnesia in the basket when its windy - I often don't use the stripping basket if it's really breezy, though it requires a favorable current to keep the excess line from wrapping or bunching up around my legs when wading in the surf. These running line alternatives may help in that regard. Thanks again!
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I think there are a couple reasons why the 15 lb Amnesia has worked for me (so far) in fighting & subduing large fish (especially stripers) in the surf:
A. Favorable hydraulics. I'll make every attempt to locate & take advantage of favorable surf characteristics when fighting large fish. Shorebound surges & waves usually help in pushing the fish towards up the beach if the rod & reel line simultaneously exert steady pressure. Many of the stripers I've caught from the beach have occurred during the incoming tide, usually right after the ebbtide or just before the peak tide, when the waves & surge usually advance towards shore. Good footwork & timing are critical factors to successfully landing fish with the help of the surf action.
B. Shallow water. I've found that nearly all of the large fish I've caught & landed have struck in relatively shallow surf & within close proximity of the shoreline. The stripers I've encountered along the coast typically fight high up in the water column, even when they've struck in a deep hole, channel or trough. I'm not sure if this is normal for the species - maybe they're more buoyant in saltwater? (air bladders inflate more after they've left their freshwater habitat, perhaps?). Consequently, the tackle has less hydrostatic pressure to overcome, unlike fighting leopard sharks, rays, rockfish & other species that love to hug the bottom & fight like a wet rug with all that water sitting ontop of them.
C. Appropriate fighting form. I feel the amount of pressure exerted on a fish can be properly balanced between the rod, reel & line system in many situations (unless fighting a really big stingray, shark or other large bottom-hugger). In my opinion, the reel drag adjustment should be on the tight side, but there needs to be enough give to accommodate sudden surging runs by the fish. If the running line (say 15-lb Amnesia) is the weakest element in the line system, I'll distribute the load evenly across the tackle until the running line is fully retrieved back onto the reel. In the worst-case scenario where the rod is severely undergunned, pointing the rod tip at the fish & letting the drag fight the fish becomes the last resort (the less-sporty Mark Sosin solution, as previously mentioned in this thread).
Here are a couple photos to help illustrate these points. This +30 in. striped guy was landed a few months back on the 0-wt TXL:
This is a shot of the 0-wt taken a few minutes into the fight following the initial hook-up:
Several things stand out in the second photo that complement what I've described above:
- a portion of the 15-lb Amnesia running line has emptied from the reel, so most of the load is being shared between the rod & reel (the drag's adjusted so that there's no need to palm the reel, the arm is partly extended to absorb any shock imparted on the rod)
- the incoming tide is producing favorable waves, surge & current that are assisting me in working the fish towards shore (it took about 7 minutes to land this fish)
- the fish is swimming near the surface (at the top of the water column) & within fairly close range of the shorebreak, so the tackle didn't have to overcome much of a hydrostatic load
- I'm wading into the surf to position myself as close as possible to the fish in preparation for back-peddling up the beach once I've retrieved all of the mono back on the reel - then it just became a matter of waiting for the right set of waves & surge to arrive in order to land the fish.
I think it's important to understand that these techniques provide a comprehensive, balanced approach to fishing the surf, whether on light, medium or heavy fly tackle. I just refine the methods to reflect the specific gear I'm using.
Another comment about using small or light hooks in the surf. Although I frequently experiment with small flies, I've been able to successfully land some decent stripers on very small flies - this 26 incher...
...was caught on the corner of its jaw...
...using one of my #14 flies I refer to as the sandhopper patterns...
...while fishing with a 3-wt Redington RS2 last year. I've found that the smaller hooks tend to embed in the fish's mouth tissue quite easily, depending on the hook style. I'm surprised by the number of fairly big fish that have grabbed & remained latched onto undersized flies that feature the relatively small hooks (#12 & under) - it's sort of like applying nymphing techniques to the surf. Of course, I don't always succeed in landing the larger fish on such scaled-down saltwater fly patterns, but it can be done when favorable surf conditions prevail. As previously explained, small or light-wire hooks can function as effective safety valves in situations when the running line is weaker than the terminal tackle & a quick break-off is required.
These are some of the observations & experiences I've accumulated while experimenting with fly fishing gear over the years. I've used this knowledge to figure out how to formulate an effective strategy for seducing & handling a variety of fish in the surf. Without a doubt, there's lots of room for improvement & refinement - some may find this useful in other angling environments or for targeting other fish species. As always, I appreciate any helpful recommendations & suggestions.
Mark
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