Just wondering how deep one could target fish fishing with a 9 WT. Seems like most fly fishing adventures seem to happen around the durface, does anyone go deep, and if so, how deep?
Yes you can go deep with a flyrod but you better be patient. Sinking lines are generally rated in ips. Inches Per Second. The teeny lines I have are 250 grains and 350 grains and have a sink rate of something like 3-5 ips.
The 600 grains line I have for bluewater sinks at 7-9 ips.
so basically you can fish fly lines deep if you use the right stuff and just allow the fly to get down.
A number of the rockfish reports I read from the OBX this winter were using deep lines and almost jigging the fish off the bottom.
The key to getting deep is to find the best compromise of weight and diameter - which I guess could be called density. For example, a really thick 600 grain line will not sink as fast a thinner 500 grain line, especially if you are fishing in any type of current.
The best line I have found for 'dredging' is Rio's T-14. This is a very thin sinking line that is 14 grains per foot. It is a straight sinking line, like LC-13, and doesn't have a taper to it.
The good thing is that it is inexpensive, and you can pick up a 30' section of T-14 for around $5-8 to make a shooting head. I coupled it with an old Airflo DI-7 full sinking running line and I could use this rig as an anchor
When I really want to drag bottom in 25' of water in fast current, I go to the T-14 line and it gets down quick, and stays down for more of the retrieve than my workhorse line, which is a 425 grain Cortland 555.
The Cortland can also fish that deep, but it takes longer to get to the bottom, and once I start retrieving, the thicker line brings it to the surface faster.
I have had good luck with heavy sinking lines. Down into the Mid 20 foot range. To really get down deep I use a super heavy full bodied clouser and strip out line like crazy to get it down deep. Strip it up toward the surface a few feet and drop it back and repeat till the line gets in front of the boat while drifting through strong rips. Sort of like jigging.
Thanks for the info, it is most helpfull, as I am really only just starting into this adventure of waving the long rod. With sinking lines, would 300 or 400 grain line be ik tofish on a 9 wt rod to get to the 35 foot level with a slight current? Should I increase the length of leader with a heavy clouser to help get to the bottom?
If you are drifting with the current you should be able to get it down with weighted fly, but it will take a while. If you are nosed into the tide with trolling motor or anchored it will be difficult unless the is just a small amount of tide. Fishing super deep is probably the most difficult type of fly fishing. Not all fish are near the bottom. Many times fish will be in the top part of rips or around structures, so work all depths.
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