Lefty Ray's Fly Gear Recommendations

Fly Fishing the Saltwater Flats		Fly Fishing the Jetties
Fly Fishing the Texas Hill Country		Fly Fishing for Winter Rainbow Trout
Home	Contact Info		210-260-6154

A 9 foot, 8 weight is the best size for the Texas coast. Hurling big flies and battling the SE wind are the top 2 conditions to overcome plus landing a 30 inch, 10 lb redfish is easier with a beefy stick. When your skill level rises, dropping to a 7 weight or even a 6 weight is possible. Also during periods of no wind along with the use of small flies will allow a lighter rod like a 6 weight. Two-piece, three-piece, and four piece rods are common.

Currently I am using the G. Loomis "one-piece," 9 foot, 8 weight Cross Current fly rod (FR1088-1CCPro-1) ($405). This rod is currently the top of the food chain in saltwater fly rods. In essence it is a one piece GLX with no ferrules. It is also available in a four-piece version for those than are unable to transport a one-piece 9 foot rod. The reel seat has the "Fear No Fish" logo on top. The recoil stripper and snake guides are all flexible and will snap back into place if bent. The best reason why I like this rod is it's actual low weight. It weighs about the same as a 6 weight from another brand.

For a mid-range priced rod, I would recommend the GL3 ($290). A great starter rod would be the GL2 ($195) or the Pescado Kit. The Pescado Kit contains an 8 weight fly rod, reel, fly line, and leader (aprox $200)

Overall I recommend a four-piece rod. Traveling via auto or airplane is easier than a standard two-piece rod.

The reel must match the rod size so an 8 weight reel is the ticket. The top of the line reel I recommend is the 3M/Scientific Anglers System 2 LA Model 890. I started using this model at the start of the 2003 season and I love it. The middle of the road reel would be the 3M/Scientific Anglers System 2 Model 78 (second picture). This reel has remained unchanged over the past 15 years. It is a workhouse and does not need babying. There are more of these reels around than any other. As you can see in the second picture I have a drawer full. For an entry level reel I recommend the G. Loomis Venture Size 7 ($100) (third picture).

Overall I recommend a metal reel and not a graphite reel. I encounter several stories per year on how a graphite reel melted under duress.

We have also started to use a Galvan fly reel. It is a large & wide arbor reel. Very light weight, easy to clean and easy to switch from left hand crank to right hand crank. A slight click on the way out and no noise as you retrieve the line back in. The drag has infinite click settings so a repeatable setting is possible. An enjoyable reel to use and beautiful to look at.

A weight forward (WF-8-F) tapered floating fly line will handle 90% of the fishing situations. I recommend the 3M/Scientific Anglers, Mastery Series Saltwater taper. The Bonefish taper is a good product but south Texas, although hot, does not have the tropical heat needed to completely straighten out this line. Line color does not make a difference but most are colored to blend into the sky. The latest SA color is called "Horizon." I have used various SA lines over the years and found all of them to be of the best quality.

Leaders: 9 foot tapered leaders are pretty common. The least size to use is 10lb. or 0X. Redfish are not particularly leader shy. I would try to find the strongest for the chosen diameter. I have been using Climax leaders, Cabela's leaders (which are made by Climax), and Orvis Super Strong leaders. Fluorocarbon leaders are Ok, but pricey. Low cost options include using a 9 foot section of 15lb.Berkley Big Game fishing line (yea, it sounds ugly but it works). The key is to use the same product so you know how much stress you can put on it before it breaks.

Sunglasses: A pair of polarized sunglass are the top items to have to be able to spot fish. Pick a brownish-amber shade as this color will enhance the contrast of items in the water and allow you to see the fish much better. Gray lenses only remove the glare. Amber may increase the contrast too much and cause headaches. Copper lenses shift the colors to much for me.

Columbia brand shirts and shorts are pretty common, functional, and readily available. I would recommend the long-sleeved shirts over the short-sleeved. Many years ago I made the transition and have not noticed any difference or additional discomfort. Pick a shirt color that will blend into the surrounding area. Blues and greens work great. Stay away from white and yellow.

Wading booties or shoes are the preferred footwear. Currently I am using the Simms Flats Sneaker ever since they discontinued their neoprene bootie. Shimano, Orvis, and others make neoprene booties, just chose a pair with the thickest soles. The lace-up style is relatively new and a good choice. I also use a pair of cotton socks to prevent the small pieces of shell from entering and chaffing my feet.

Following a trip to the coast, rinse out your reel(s) and spool(s) with warm water. Flush them out good and set then out to dry. After drying lubricate with Quantum Hot Sauce Reel Grease and Reel Oil.

Midway through and at the end of the season, I will use the 3M/SA Fly Line Cleaning Pad and Fly Line Dressing to clean the fly line. The cleaning pad will not turn your 8 weight line into a 7 weight. The pad does have abrasives but they are micro sized and in fact will polish you fly line while removing dirt and debris. The line dressing will lube your fly line and actually allow you to cast further without any extra effort.

The ferrules on multi-piece rods need to be waxed so that they don't stick when taking them apart. Typically it is a big temperature change that will causes the sections to stick.

A 9 foot, 8 weight is the best size for the south Texas jetties. The big draw to fly fishing the jetties is knowing what you are gong to catch next. In most cases it is going to be big. A good second rod to bring along would be 10 weight. The numbers of tarpon are increasing, oversize redfish are plentiful, and kingfish are always nearby. For these brutes a bigger stick is a necessity.

My 10 weight is also a G. Loomis Cross Current (FR10810-4CCGLX) ($685) albeit the four-piece version. This rod is so light I forget I have a 10 weight in my hands and think it must be an 8 weight.

Texas Toothpicks: Stay tuned for more info on using 2-handed overhead casting fly rods.

Fly fishing from the jetties restricts your movements in chasing hooked fish. Reels with large amounts of backing are highly recommended. For the 8 weight rod I use the 3M/Scientific Anglers Mastery Reel Model 89 (first picture). On the 10 weight I use the same model in the 1011 size (second picture). Both of these reels have a stainless steel disc drag that can stop a train. For a mid-priced choice I recommend the System 2 Model 89 and 1011.

The jetties are very abrasive on fly lines. I tend to use last year's fly line rather than a new one. A weight forward (WF-8-F) tapered floating fly line will handle 90% of the fishing situations. I recommend the 3M/Scientific Anglers, Mastery Series Saltwater taper. The Bonefish taper is a good product but south Texas, although hot, does not have the tropical heat needed to completely straighten out this line. Line color does not make a difference but most are colored to blend into the sky. The latest SA color is called "Horizon." I have used various SA lines over the years and found all of them to be of the best quality.

Sinking lines, sink tips, and sinking shooting heads are very useful on the rocks. Fast sinking ones are the best. The further you move out on the rocks the deeper the water. trying to get the fly down in a fast manor is the ticket to success. Lines like the SA Deep Express are the fastest available.

Chest packs or Backpacks: Being mobile is the key to success. Carrying all of your gear in either a chest pack with a rear compartment or a fanny pack along with a backpack will allow you to move up and down the jetty with ease. The chestpack I am currently using is the Coastal model from William Joseph (first picture). It has 2 large fly box pockets in the front and the rear compartment holds a Camelbak water bladder. The Camelbak backpacks (second picture) are also ideal.

Stripping Basket or Plate: This item is real handy for controlling your fly line and prevents tangling around the rocks and crevices.

Golf towel: A slime towel comes in real handy. Since you are fishing way above the surface of the water, it is impractical to wash your hands after landing a fish. A golf towel will work just fine.

The jetties can be very slick and dangerous. Currently I am using the Simms Lightweight Boot with the AquaStealth sole. I have also installed the studs which came with the boots. Golf shoes or golf sandals also work very well, but the metal cleats are getting harder to find since the golf industry switched to plastic cleats.

The ferrules on multi-piece rods need to be waxed so that they don't stick when taking them apart. Typically it is a big temperature change that will causes the sections to stick.

A 9 foot, 4 to 6 weight fly rod is perfect for our Hill Country streams. I prefer a 6 weight due to the fact that some distance may be involved in casting and some of the hairbugs we throw are pretty large. Wind is also an issue and a 6 weight would be easier to throw than a smaller 4 weight. If the stream happens to be not as large and perhaps we are targeting perch, then a 4 weight would be the weapon of choice.

Currently we are using a G. Loomis Stream Dance GLX fly rod. This is one of the lightest fly rods per line size ever made. It casts with very little effort at long distances.

For those on a budget we recommend the G. Loomis Rainbrook Kit. It contains a 9 foot, 6 weight fly rod, a graphite reel, fly line, and leader. This starter kit will get you up to speed with all you need in one package.

The Scientific Angler System 2L series is an excellent reel. We use the 56L model and the 45L. Both have the stainless steel drag found on more expensive reels and both are machined out of blocks of metal.

We highly recommend any of the S/A Mastery floating fly lines. We use the XPS (WF-6-F) in Texas and find it casts great. Because of the large number of choices, pick a fly line to handle the majority of your type of fishing.

The ferrules on multi-piece rods need to be waxed so that they don't stick when taking them apart. Typically it is a big temperature change that will causes the sections to stick.