T&T Exocett Surf
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There is a very long thread about two handed rods for SW fishing over on the stripers on line site. A poster who fishes very hard for large striped bass while throwing BIG flies and seems to actually "walk the talk" had this to say about the 2 handed Exocett 10wt.
"The 10wt is a great rod. It has limitations for sure. Big surf and wind over 15mph its not going to be enough. I figured that out last fall. The 12wt is what I had to use in the NE storms. The 10WT definitely could not handle the heads you mentioned earlier in this thread.
From a practicality stand point in 52 dedicated fly fishing trips for striped bass last season only 3 trips did weather conditions make me switch to the 12wt over the 10wt. One was so bad I just left the fly rods in the car and threw spinning gear. Also at the Canal I wont use the 10wt because I needed more backbone for the fight not for the casting purposes.
However I can say that in comparison to my SH 9WT and 10WT the switch has been amazing. I wish I had done it years ago."
"The 10wt is a great rod. It has limitations for sure. Big surf and wind over 15mph its not going to be enough. I figured that out last fall. The 12wt is what I had to use in the NE storms. The 10WT definitely could not handle the heads you mentioned earlier in this thread.
From a practicality stand point in 52 dedicated fly fishing trips for striped bass last season only 3 trips did weather conditions make me switch to the 12wt over the 10wt. One was so bad I just left the fly rods in the car and threw spinning gear. Also at the Canal I wont use the 10wt because I needed more backbone for the fight not for the casting purposes.
However I can say that in comparison to my SH 9WT and 10WT the switch has been amazing. I wish I had done it years ago."
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I routinely use a sage method switch 6 weight for the surf. The grain weight requirements make the rio outbound 8wt and ideal line for surf casting. Much easier to rip a long cast waste deep in the water with the 2 hander.
On those rare flat calm days I'll sometimes do traditional spey casts as well.
Significantly less exertion for a morning of blind casting.
On those rare flat calm days I'll sometimes do traditional spey casts as well.
Significantly less exertion for a morning of blind casting.
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I know nothing about TH but you should read through that thread on SOL. Dan is a fishy guy who gets great fish at night and on the flats during the day. There is Dan who is fine with the Exocett Surf’s range throwing beast flies 60 - 80ft, then there are also a bunch of guys who are building custom rods to throw insanely heavy lines longer distances. Dan crushes the stripers up here. I don’t know what the other guys records are like but I’m almost certain they don’t get them as big as Dan.
With all that being said I bought the 10 wt and returned it. A guy that I trust tried both the Exocett and the custom THers and said the Exocett surf is a bit slow. He casts decent size flies 130’ with a Padion while elevated a few feet up on rocks.
So, I decided that I want something that will throw a 10” fly further than what the Exocett can do. I think that will be a bit longer, a but stiffer, without going crazy like the custom TH rods I had mentioned earlier.
I’m still early in this process.
With all that being said I bought the 10 wt and returned it. A guy that I trust tried both the Exocett and the custom THers and said the Exocett surf is a bit slow. He casts decent size flies 130’ with a Padion while elevated a few feet up on rocks.
So, I decided that I want something that will throw a 10” fly further than what the Exocett can do. I think that will be a bit longer, a but stiffer, without going crazy like the custom TH rods I had mentioned earlier.
I’m still early in this process.
Oh...I’ll be reading for a bit now.
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516 Posts
Also, take everything with a grain of salt. Respectfully, I think at certain points some of the custom rod guys get more focused on building a cannon than catching a fish.
I have a 7/8 Beulah Surf that I need to practice with then I can make a real investment in something bigger.
I have a 7/8 Beulah Surf that I need to practice with then I can make a real investment in something bigger.
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Two things to point out about those northern guys who really can cast a fly into the teeth of the wind in conditions that would make us south Florida guys want to stay at home...
The first is that although most of the ones I've had on my skiff can really (I mean really lay out the line) getting one to stay absolutely still while casting takes a bit of doing.. On a small skiff in shallow waters any motion your body language imparts to the boat is really noticed by spooky fish... The next thing needed is real accuracy - something that surf casting doesn't teach... That's one of the reasons that all the flies I tie will have a wire weedguard if it's at all possible... That weedguard works well when you toss a fly into the bushes instead of right next to them... The practice routine I recommend is to get good at hitting something as small as your hat with a fly at any comfortable distance you can cast at, then do it with the wind coming from different directions. When you can finally hit the hat without working at it -place that hat next to a chain link fence - then hit the hat without hitting the fence... Not easy at all.... but very necessary when your target is up under a tree or right next to some other kind of structure - and not willing to stray very far from home when going after a fly .....
Lastly, I think every saltwater angler should have a 10wt as well as their standard 7, 8, or 9wt rod... When the wind is too much for your lighter rods that 10wt will come in handy... When you want to toss a much bigger fly than an 8wt can handle - the 10wt will do the job. And although we routinely use 12wts down here for big tarpon, on more than one occasion one of my anglers has taken a solid 80lb fish on - you guessed it... that 10wt rod...
The first is that although most of the ones I've had on my skiff can really (I mean really lay out the line) getting one to stay absolutely still while casting takes a bit of doing.. On a small skiff in shallow waters any motion your body language imparts to the boat is really noticed by spooky fish... The next thing needed is real accuracy - something that surf casting doesn't teach... That's one of the reasons that all the flies I tie will have a wire weedguard if it's at all possible... That weedguard works well when you toss a fly into the bushes instead of right next to them... The practice routine I recommend is to get good at hitting something as small as your hat with a fly at any comfortable distance you can cast at, then do it with the wind coming from different directions. When you can finally hit the hat without working at it -place that hat next to a chain link fence - then hit the hat without hitting the fence... Not easy at all.... but very necessary when your target is up under a tree or right next to some other kind of structure - and not willing to stray very far from home when going after a fly .....
Lastly, I think every saltwater angler should have a 10wt as well as their standard 7, 8, or 9wt rod... When the wind is too much for your lighter rods that 10wt will come in handy... When you want to toss a much bigger fly than an 8wt can handle - the 10wt will do the job. And although we routinely use 12wts down here for big tarpon, on more than one occasion one of my anglers has taken a solid 80lb fish on - you guessed it... that 10wt rod...
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You should check on SOL. There is lots of information on there about the Exocett Surf as well as the custom rods I have mentioned. The thread is 'Two hand rods for the salt' and it is 63 pages long as of 12.11.19.
Mike Oliver likes his custom rods, and The Graveyard Shift likes the Exocett Surf, RedGreen makes his own rods as well.
Any of them will help with specific questions.
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