Boat Lines for Salmon

[speedbird]

I am hoping to do a lot more fly fishing from the boat next year. As insane as it might be I might even try my luck at fly fishing blackmouth. Nick Claytons website was a good place to do some reading on the subject. I am considering picking up a type 7, as I am often finding coho in central puget sound are deep down, between 50-80 feet, which is tough to get down to. But I am open to hearing other thoughts

 

[ffb]

I fish a Cortland Compact Type 3 out of the boat almost exclusively, for SRC and Coho, when I'm fishing near shore/points/etc...say less than 15-20ft of water or so. For the deeper water stuff, casting into bait/rips, or if the current is really ripping, I picked up a Compact Type 9 this summer which has worked really well for those situations to get down.

 

[Shad]

I haven't done much from a boat, but the salmon fishing I have done in the Sound tells me you don't have to get anywhere near 50 feet down to catch coho in places where that's doable. Indeed, I don't own any gear that would fish that deep with a fly line, and if I did, I suspect it would fish and handle like shit, and I would rather use conventional gear in that situation anyway. Fly fish where practical and deploy the gear everywhere else would be my mantra in the Sound. Even with sinking lines, fish caught on fly gear are almost always in the top 10 feet of the water column, and I have caught most of mine in the top 3 feet or less.

Certainly, others have had other experiences, but I doubt seriously anyone's hooking salmon 50 feet down with a fly line on the regular (would be interested to hear if anyone is!), so you probably don't need to set your sights that deep....

 

[Chris Bellows]

If you want deep, use mono running line and cut a length of t-14 based on rod weight. You’ll be able to get plenty deep depending on wind and current.

 

[Kfish]

@jasmillo and I have fished for salmon from a boat with success. Type 7 is the way to go, there was some instances when type 7 outfished type 5 so we have more confidence in it. It’s still not deep deep but that extra bit of sink seems to help.
Would be opened to trying type 9 though, sounds intriguing!