Deep dredging a fly at the CCNPP "Rips"

[Porkchunker]

If you wanted to get a fly deep in the current, what would you do?

I've tied some heavy "gonzo" flies (basically a clouser on a jig hook) that help me get deep, but I haven't found the right 9 wt fly line to get down in the current.

Recommendations?

Dave

aka

[Shortylong01]

T 14 is the heaviest line I know of to get down fast. (I know this will start some weight vs. thin line conversation but I like the T 14 for get down quick applications)

The way those fish hug the bottom at those RIPS I think it would be a difficult trick to get the line that deep in the strike zone... but it is worth a try... let me know how you do,

[TimeFlies]

Use a Rio T-14 shooting (or something similar, Deep Lake 7,etc) head (length will vary depending on weight of rod, usually about 28-30' with 9 or 10wt rod) and cast as far up current as possible, let the line sink down current until the line is straight (I usually pull off the whole fly line so it sinks as far as it can), then strip it back. Of course, using heavy dumbbell eyes will also help. In addition, use a drift sock to slow down your drift. This will help the line get down below before your boat drifts down current.

[Wild Bill]

TF-

I am with you until you mentioned the drift sock. A sock will only help with wind. Strong current collapses it. I think it would be useless in the Rips.

Dave-

About all you can do is what has been mentioned:

Use a heavy lightly dressed fly.

Use T-14 shooting head or SA Custom Tip Express line.

Cast ahead of the boat up the rip.

It is frowned upon by many CCNPP regulars but it would work better to anchor on the edge of the rip and cast the line up the rip to let it sink some. Your only real chance is on the swing. Once it straightens behind the boat, the line will lift out of the zone.

Paxfish may have some other suggestions. He has probably fly fished the rips more than most.

I had very poor success in the strength of the rip, but when the fish stage down at the end of the rip, they can easily be caught. Your depth finder may not work very well in the strong part of the rip but down off the end you can see the fish on the finder if they are there. Those fish can be caught on the drift with a fly much like anywhere else. I never caught the real big ones there with the fly, but then I only fly fished the rips a couple of times. It is not my favorite place to fish. I think fly fishing the rips is more trouble than it is worth, unless there are fish down off the end. Then it can be fun.

[dpost2]

On a different board, Mark Sedoni (sp?) suggested taping three 10' sections of T-14 (or similar line) together to create a short (10"), heavy head. He claims this concentrates the weight and ,by reducing the length, reduces the water resistence while sinking. He admits that it's not a thing of beauty to cast, but by laying the line on the water on the back cast he can water haul to make a reasonable cast. I haven't tried this, but taping seems a bit crude to me. If I ever try it, I think I'd whip loops to both ends of a 10.5' section and then whip one end of the 2 remainng strands to the looped strand near the loop. I'd then braid the 3 strands tightly and whip the ends when I got to the loop on the far end. Like I said, I haven't tried it but it makes sense and he recommends it for getting down in heavy current. On the other hand, I snag bottom frequently at the rips using a 27' LC-13 head.
I agree with Joe that casting up current and using a heavy fly can only help your cause, but I think I have to disagree with Joe about the drift sock. A drift sock (aka wind sock) is effective in slowing a wind induced drift but not too effective in slowing a current induced drift because the sock is also moving with the current at, more or less, the same speed as the boat.

[Salmo trutta]

It's also about timing when the fish are most active and when the fishing is the best in the rips. Right around now things start to get going there pretty regularly. But maybe it needs more of a warm up. I tried last weekend and it was slow but heard shortly before it was red hot.

Once there is a consecutive bite, the fish are all through the water column and will hit flies more readily. Especially first light and last light. It pays to have access to flag harbor so you can hit first and last light. The fishing can be amazing at these times. Then there's later on past or during the later half of the trophy season. The place gets invaded with schoolies that are often not on the bottom and again all over the water column.

I think Paxfish will say that anchoring helps and a thin diameter sinking line will cut through the fast current better. As for big dumbbell eyes, try watching your fly line when you strip it in and the fly is say 20-30' from the boat in clear water. The belly of the line will usually be deeper than your clouser, hence the fly line is sinking faster than a 1/4oz fly. But if you have to add 1/4 oz or 1/2oz to a fly rod, why not just use a spinning rod? A fly rod is not the tool for the job to cast heavy weight but if you can spread out the weight in a good sinking line than it is a decent tool for getting deep plus a lot more comfortable and safer to cast.

My first big striper over 36" was at the rips on March 1st, 2001 and I was a HO on JayB's boat. I didn't have sinking line that morning but the first cast I made into the boil at first light gave me that big fish and it hit seconds after the 1oz jig hit the water. Then consecutive casts gave me several nice 26" plus fish and every time a fish that size would follow the fish on the line all the way to the boat. Jay was into them with sinking line that morning but he was no where near the bottom. When the morning flurry ended only bottom bouncing jigs right up against the boil worked for smaller fish while we were anchored. I've fished it several times since and found similar patterns.

So either strip out your whole line while drifting and miss god knows how many strikes and only get one cast per drift, or anchor or use a jigging rod. Or wait until the fishing is red hot and the fish are all over the water column so you can make several casts per drift.

[Wild Bill]

But if you have to add 1/4 oz or 1/2oz to a fly rod, why not just use a spinning rod?

Basically I agree with ST's statement. It is sometimes fun to see if you can catch fish on a fly rod in difficult situations. Simon and I caught some nice sea bass in 90' feet of water over a wreck out of Ocean City. We anchored the boat, fished in a mild tide, used a T-14 line, put pinch on lead half way up the leader and cast up towards the bow of the boat. The bass loved the flies and we would catch one each cast as the line got to the back corner of the boat. It was fun but it was a stretch of the equipment. A casting or spinning rod and jig would have been the best tool for the job.

[Porkchunker]

Thanks for the input.

I have an SA Streamer Express, but have never put together my own T-14 to running line configuration. Will have to try that.

I've used the heavy gonzos and the SA Streamer Express to get down 25' onto the oyster bars near the Target Ship with good luck...even in windy conditions where the boat was drifting fairly fast. One can catch a lot of nice croakers on the oyster bars that way. I like the gonzo for that because the hook point rides up and rarely snags the oyster shells.

BTW, rather than tie 3 T-14 heads together in parallel, why not use a much shorter section of lead core trolling line...say a 30 or 50 lb variety? But, if I have to go to those lengths, I agree a spinning rod would work better.

Dave

aka

[TimeFlies]

Thanks for the corrected advice with the "sock", makes sense that it's not as helpful. I know around the CBBT, when there are strong currents it can be tough to get the line down to the strike zone.

[Porkchunker]

I have fished with Walleye Pete twice, and both times, when the wind came up, he tossed out a drift sock connected to the spring cleat. Not only does it slow down the drift to get deeper, but it holds the boat perpendicular to the wind, and dampens the rock/roll. That allows two fly fishermen...one on each end of the boat...to get deeper without tangling with the sock.

I have tossed a 6' diameter sock out several times on my 25 Parker, with success. One time the wind was so strong, that I put two 6' socks out, one behind the other. I was dragging about 50' of line and socks, but it really slowed me down so I could stay on the bottom. One just has to be careful to get the sock far enough back that you can land a fish without tangling with the sock.

They have their place, but I don't think I'd use one at the Rips.

Dave

aka