A Fly Reel for the California Surf

Red Truck Diesel 7/8

The Red Truck Diesel Fly Reel

     Seems every year I meet more fly fishers on the beach. You recognize the initiated. The ones using the right gear. But then a considerable number who are just getting their feet wet, flogging into the wind and surf with their 5wt trout rods (perch are small, right?) and up against the learning curve wondering, asking the question: What might be the ‘right’ gear for this?

So I’m thinking it might serve to answer the question by outlining what I consider the ideal, all-around outfit for meeting the West Coast surf. Each item being integral to the whole, we’ll look at one item at a time. In my last post we considered effective terminal gear. In this one we’ll discuss what constitutes a good reel for the surf and take a look at the reel I’m using right now. I should qualify this by saying that I don’t shill for any tackle manufacturers, and refuse to endorse anything I don’t love. In my guiding work I get to try a lot of gear, and the cream does rise to the top, so, in the interest of improving my reader’s game, I’ll share what I’ve found, taking into consideration, function, form, and value. And my apologies to Red Truck Fly Fishing Co. for flogging their gear so mercilessly.

When true simplicity is gained. Showing adjustable click-pawl
drag and bulletproof hardened & ground center pin. 

Anybody who takes an expensive disc-drag reel to the beach and grinds the guts out of it within a few trips to the wet sand soon learns that a designated beach reel is the way to go. Considering the species of fish encountered in the California surf, my preference is a click-pawl, rim-drag reel, as this type is sufficient to the task while least affected by the inescapable sand that is the corrosive reality of the beach environment. Simple click-pawl reels have fewer mechanisms to retain and become damaged by sand and will rinse thoroughly after use. And there is no drag system as sophisticated and intelligent, as capable of nuance, as the human hand, fingers or palm, set against a reel rim. A profoundly simple braking system, involving a challenging and satisfying skill set. And I admit the mechanical scraw of the clicker when a good fish accelerates against it does provide an additional element of excitement. Our most plentiful quarry, barred perch, seldom “get you on the reel”, so drag isn’t really a factor with them, the clicker alone usually sufficient. But I routinely catch halibut and stripers on the click-pawl, rim-drag reel, no problem, and the occasional sporty leopard shark, four feet long or better – once, a 6-footer. In my own experience, a click-pawl reel gets the nod as a designated reel for West Coast beach fishing.                         

 I like gear that exhibits both workhorse functionality and timeless style. Function is first priority but, that covered, I admit an aversion to gear that makes me look like a spaceman (or stock car racer). We all have our quirks.  But you live with the gear you buy. You have to look at it while you’re using it. Aesthetics are important. So, not being a spaceman, I’m usually no consumer of fly reels that look like futuristic space gear. And, as makers compete for the ambiguous grail of lightness, some newer reel designs are so radically machined-out and spindly if you drop them once they are toast. So much for the future. You can only remove so much aluminum.

I met the Red Truck Diesel reels when I saw something that looked like a Spey-sized Hardy Marquis mounted to Jack Mitchell’s Spey rod. He said he loved the reel. It was so well-crafted and elegant I couldn’t quit looking at it. Quality, simplicity, timeless styling. It was everything I like in a fly reel.

The Red Truck Diesel reel sports an ample, well-shaped
winding knob, an important feature in the surf where hands are
often wet and slippery.  

A fairly new tackle company based in the Bay Area, Red Truck Fly Fishing Co. is committed to offering a quality line of elegantly designed gear that functions as good as it looks. Red Truck offers the Diesel reel in five sizes, matched to appropriate line weights: 0/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; & Spey. The timeless design of these reels is a perfect match to fine bamboo or glass, as well as graphite rods.

As a reel for beach fishing, sized right for the most popular line weights used in the surf, the 7/8 Red Truck Diesel is about as close to perfect as I’ve found. I like 30lb test mono backing on my beach reel because, unlike braid, it doesn't soak up and hold saltwater that will corrode the spool, and the 7/8 Diesel holds enough to handle a bigger fish that might want to run some line off. And for those throwing lines heavier than 8wt, the Diesel Spey sized reel fills the bill.

Red Truck Fly Fishing Co. also builds a line of fine rods, with several models of particular interest to beach anglers. In my next post we’ll take a look at the Red Truck 5110-4, 11’ 5wt (140-280grain) 4 piece switch rod destined to become a star on the California beach scene. 

You can check out the full Red Truck line here: http://redtruckflyfishing.com/   

A Fly Leader for the California Surf

     For all the thought and effort directed toward preparing to fish, it never serves to treat the terminal gear as a self-actualizing afterthought. Regarding leaders used when targeting surfperch, you often hear it said: “Oh I just use six feet of _____. ” Fill in the blank with the appropriate tippet size.

And sure that’ll get you by, though it is somewhat less than the ideal way to go. Such a leader, usually 12 or 15lb test, doesn’t turn over heavy Clouser type flies as well as we’d like, and is prone to tangling in rough surf conditions.

Here’s a surf leader that is almost as simple, while a lot more functional than just the straight, six foot leader:

Seaguar Red Label fluorocarbon is a good choice for making our surf leader, and readily available (Walmart carries it). The leader butt is made from 3’ of 20lb test, giving the leader some ass for turning over heavier flies. The butt section is semi-permanent and can be attached to the fly line with either a nail knot or loop-to-loop connection. Attach a small, #12 or #14 barrel swivel to the tippet end of the leader butt. I like a uni knot (San Diego knot) for this, as it is infallible and won’t crinkle the leader. Now tie whatever length of tippet you choose to the swivel to complete the leader. The swivel not only makes changing tippets easier (and cheaper, saving material), but also keeps your line from twisting as the fly is rolled in the surf – which is what causes the running line to twist and tangle in the stripping basket, resulting in fouled casts.

For a heavier version of this leader use 30lb test fluoro for the butt section.  

A few leader rigging possibilities:

    The ‘dropper squids’ are tied on #2-#6 short-shanked hooks. The flies are tied as follows: Wind thread from the hook eye to the middle of the hook shank. Tie in a pinch of calf tail (kip) or artificial 'hair' of your choice, spread around the hook shank – tips should extend about the length of the hook beyond the hook bend. Wind the thread forward half way to the hook eye and coat with head cement. Tie in a pinch of kip and spread around the hook shank – tips should extend to about the center of the first pinch tied in. Add a few strands of flash and/or dyed mallard or gadwall flank barbs (use your imagination here regarding added appendages and fetching highlights). Wind the thread forward to the hook eye and coat with cement. Tie in a pinch of kip behind the hook eye, the tips extending to about the middle of the previous clump, and finish. The result, when wet, should be a teardrop or ‘squid’ shape. 

Though some like it, I find the 3-fly cast a bit of a hassle to fish in all but the calmest of conditions, but I like the 2-fly rig, which fishes cleaner and really does raise the fish-count. Nearly half my fish are on the dropper most outings and, some days, the smaller dropper flies are all perch seem to want. The dropper fly fishes best on a 1 1/2"-2" long  loop, 12" to 15" above the tail fly. Or one leg of the loop may be clipped to create a single-strand dropper, though the loop seems to work just as well and makes it easier to change dropper flies. 

~Steve          

Larger Central Coast Barred Surfperch on the Fly

     Was listening to fish radio, featuring some guy from the San Diego area who’d just written a book on California surf fishing. Radio host called him a “surf guru”.

The guru said a couple things that made me chuckle.

First thing: “San Diego beaches attract the largest barred perch on the coast.”

After absorbing that comment for a moment, my bullshit meter tilted. As a SoCal beach veteran transplanted to Morro Bay, above The Point, I would argue that Central Coast barred surfperch run, on average, substantially larger than their southern cousins. And consider: the world record barred surfperch was caught at Montana de Oro, right out in front of Los Osos/Morro Bay. Sure, you might find large individuals on any California beach, and that makes the effort worthwhile, but, sorry to have to disagree, San Diego Guru, day-in, day-out, the beaches north of Point Conception hold bigger surfperch. Heck, Santa Barbara area beaches hold larger perch than the San Diego area. Just saying.  

Another thing. The guru advised a caller to: “fan your casts.”

But anybody who has spent any time on the wet sand will know, as a general rule-of-thumb: You fish perpendicular to the wave sets. And move your body to change casting targets. Sure, when water is sweeping, a cast placed ‘upstream’ will counter the sweep, bringing your fly to fairly perpendicular as you strip it in. But a line thrown more than a few degrees off perpendicular will be bellied and sailed by the incoming waves. The more angle, the more line area presented broadside to the wave, the quicker the line is carried, out of control, parallel to the beach. “Fanning” casts is not a good idea in the surf unless you have nearly lake-like conditions – and that kind of surf condition, in my own experience, does not dig out enough feed to attract barred surfperch.

14" foregrip

I guess the point of this rant (if there is a real point beyond a simple writing exercise) is: Fishing the water probably brings more return for time spent than fishing the radio. 

Wish you all good luck with your books.

~Steve

Wet sand wizard Peter VanHest with a nice Hearst Ranch barred surfperch.