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Hi, I'm new posting here, but have lurked for awhile. I live in NYC and have been fly fishing for around 1 year. I'm decent at distance casting (mostly from the SL app!) but am not that good at recognizing when to use technical casts/actual fishing. That probably why I enjoy saltwater fly fishing more; i think the only other cast/tactic i use other than a straight cast is swinging a fly in current.

So I have a trip to Florida (the lower Keys) in 4 weeks and the stiffest rod I have is a cheap 8 wt and I was looking at the Cts to expand my lineup of rods. Does anyone have experience with one? I was also looking to do the Angler's Fly event at the ACA this year (20g shooting head) so I was also wondering how stiff the rod was compared to other 10 wts (yeah I know that stiffness/=distance but prefer a stiffer rod).

I have seen the CTS 10 mentioned many times in stripersonline forum flyfishing section.

Esa

Hi Andrew,
Where exactly are you going and what do you hope to fish for?
A 10wt is a strange rod for the Keys.

Pete

Esa, I have read most of the threads on stripersonline for the CTS, there is not much info in regards to stiffness compared to other rods. I will pm one of the builders on there for more info I guess.

Pete, I would fish for anything that would take my fly! I am staying in Stock Island which is right next to Key West. I am doing DIY and plan to fish the flats around Geiger, Surgaloaf and Saddle Brunch Keys on a kayak and from foot. I will also have the opportunity to fly fish the upper Keys for a couple of days as my family will be taking a road trip to the Keys this year (mainly to bring the kayaks). I already have a 3wt, 6wt and 8wt for smaller species and thought a 10wt would be the next logical step up. Why would a 10wt be strange? Are there just no target species that fit the bill; would the 10 wt would be in the "no mans land" between an 8/7wt for bonefish and 11/12wt for tarpon?

Hi Andrew
The only real fish down there for a 10wt are permit. They are very difficult.
The bonefish in the Keys are generally larger than in the Bahamas or other places you may know. I would not fish with anything less than a 8wt.
For tarpon you will need at least a a 11wt. You can have fun with a 10 but the fish are very big and will be very difficult to land on a 10 and even more difficult without a boat.
At that time of year, early April, your main target will probably be bonefish. but you can if you want catch snappers etc. around any docks. Tarpon may have begun their migration but it is a little early.
If you are going to the upper Keys they may also have the chance to fish for redfish and snook. I prefer a 9wt for them as the flies are rather larger than bonefish flies. As far as I am aware, wading in the Upper Keys is practically impossible as the bottom is mud and you will sink up to your waist.
If you choose to target permit then OK but you may end up very frustrated. I try to consider a shot at a permit as a bonus.

One of the most import parts of your tackle is/are the reels that you use. You must have a reel with 200yds of backing and a very good brake.

Thanks Pete for the info.

Yeah, I omitted permit for a reason :/ lol. Maybe I will treat myself to a new 8 wt instead. I have never fished for bonefish (on purpose) so I may as well go straight to the lower keys to fish the flats. Last year I stayed at Sanibel and caught a few snook, had a small tarpon throw a fly but mostly caught ladyfish. Fun on light tackle but I wish I could cast better at the time as I had a hard time casting far enough to where the snook hung out. I will concentrate on bonefish this year. Also are there any good locations on the Gulf side?

In respect to reels, would a Danielsson L5W hold up?

Also what is a the general rule of thumb when converting spinning lure weight to fly line weight? I may use a spinning blank for the 12 weight and maybe even the 8 wt. Esa I think I read something about this from you. Maybe in another forum?

I've made a few heavy fly rods from spin blanks. So far, all have been unsatisfying experiences. They sit in the corner, unloved.

Build on a fly blank.

Cheers,
Graeme.

Graeme H wrote:I've made a few heavy fly rods from spin blanks. So far, all have been unsatisfying experiences. They sit in the corner, unloved.

Build on a fly blank.

Cheers,
Graeme.

Not even a CTS spinning blank? H&H has some on sale. AA 66 seems fast enough. I am bit stubborn and also wouldn't mind a nice spinning rod so I may just order one to see if casts a fly line well and if it doesn't I will build as spin.

Also, do you prefer fluro or mono for your twisted leaders? I use 15lb ande mono with your method of twisting. How much stiffer does fluro make it?

@pete, the tarpon are already there...now if I can catch one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFmVdfv1ECw


Finally can I use barrio lines in tropical conditions, or do they get too limp? Does anybody know the breaking strength of the cores?

If you don't mind making a spinning rod, by all means, get the blank and see what can be done with it. Everyone should experiment a bit: it leads to a much better understanding of their craft. If that blank works, you'll get a huge sense of achievement from the exercise.

The stiffness in the twisted leaders can't be ascertained from the material alone. Different brands of FC and nylon have different stiffnesses. Many makes of FC are more supple than a lot of similar gauge nylon.

I swap between nylon and FC to alter the sink-rate of the leaders.

I change my material thickness to suit the line I'm using. For instance, 25lb Nitlon FC makes a really good 10wt leader, as does the 20lb Black Magic FC or Nylon.

Cheers,
Graeme