west & east coast africa salt water set up

fishy ping pong

New member
Hello

I am planning on doing and extended vacation for a long period of time and would like to fly fish of the beach and kayak. I am looking at getting a good all round set up that will enable me to go for small fish 1- 2 kg and large fish up to 20 kg.

So far i have put together this set up please let me know if i am on the right track and recommend anything you think is better etc .. . . 

Rod
 TFO Axiom 9ft 9 wt

Reel
Shilton SL 6
+ 1 x spool

Line ?????
 

Monster

Senior Member
Hi Ping

I have a TFO TiCR 10wt 9ft and the same reel. You should be able to catch most species with it. I use Intermediate line but I know a lot of the guys prefer floating.

Your setup is a perfect all rounder and i wthink you will have hours of fun with it. I really don't think you need a nother setup. My two cents worth would be to get a lekker spinning outfit for the days that the wind is to hectic for the fly. The TFO rods are awesome and can cast a mile. So enjoy your extended vacation.

Start fishing first and the see what you need in stead of getting to the water and then realize you have all the wrong stuff. At the end of the day you need a rod, a reel backing, fly line, leader and as much time with a fly in the water as possible!!!  
 

Monster

Senior Member
Hi Ping

I have a TFO TiCR 10wt 9ft and the same reel. You should be able to catch most species with it. I use Intermediate line but I know a lot of the guys prefer floating.

Your setup is a perfect all rounder and i wthink you will have hours of fun with it. I really don't think you need a nother setup. My two cents worth would be to get a lekker spinning outfit for the days that the wind is to hectic for the fly. The TFO rods are awesome and can cast a mile. So enjoy your extended vacation.

Start fishing first and the see what you need in stead of getting to the water and then realize you have all the wrong stuff. At the end of the day you need a rod, a reel backing, fly line, leader and as much time with a fly in the water as possible!!!  
 

Monster

Senior Member
Hi Ping

I have a TFO TiCR 10wt 9ft and the same reel. You should be able to catch most species with it. I use Intermediate line but I know a lot of the guys prefer floating.

Your setup is a perfect all rounder and i wthink you will have hours of fun with it. I really don't think you need a nother setup. My two cents worth would be to get a lekker spinning outfit for the days that the wind is to hectic for the fly. The TFO rods are awesome and can cast a mile. So enjoy your extended vacation.

Start fishing first and the see what you need in stead of getting to the water and then realize you have all the wrong stuff. At the end of the day you need a rod, a reel backing, fly line, leader and as much time with a fly in the water as possible!!!  
 

fishy ping pong

New member
thank you monster. If i get it online i save a @#$% load of money. I have been fresh water fly fishing for 18 years so i feel that a fast action rod like the TFO would be the right style for me. So 9 weight it is then :) its the line that gets me, do you need specific cold and warm salt water line or is there a product that does both ? I want to buy a kayak and do some off shore fly fishing and would guess that sinking is a must ?
 

Monster

Senior Member
I Believe you with the money save.

I have only ever fly fished in the surf so I have no Idea about the line and would not want to give you the wrong advice. TFO support is awesome broke my rod tip out first time and had it replaced within a week.  
 

Monster

Senior Member
I think it took a shot eithe at the store or on the way to Mozambique. It broke as I was making the first cast and on inspection there was a little dent where it broke. After the replacement tip the rod is almost bullet proof.
 

jock0

Member
If you're happy buying rods online have a look at redtruckflyfishing.com or albrightflyfish.com Albright are having a massive sale at the moment and there are also some very good links to comparitive rod tests in the sort of weight you're looking at. Fed ex courier fees should run you roughly 100USD and if you list the correct SARS import code on the invoive they'll be duty/customs free...

The TiCrX placed 16th out of 20 rods IIRC. I've got one before any one thinks I'm being biased :)
 

Fin-S

Sealiner
I would need a bit more info. Where will you be going. What seasons, what targets, driving, hiking, boating or flying?
Personally as good all rounders, I would take 2 rods, each being multi piece, with spare tips for each. Two reels with a spare spool for each. One sinking and one floating / intermediate loaded on each. One 8 wt and one 12 wt. A 10 wt is overkill in the surf in most regions and like a pellet gun for the big fish. I use Stealth guide series for my travels and they are just fine. SL7 for the 12 and an system 2 for the 8.
 

4kolfish

New member
hi there ping,

i got a tfo axiom 9wt with a shilton sl 6, im not saynig this because i have it but for me its the best set up....  my fishing partner has a horizan 9 wt and and a sage 9 wt fli.he prefers the horizan. its also a really great rod. we are both using the sci anglers tropic express line, it is brilliant and not so expensive, you wont go wrong with this line.

go to you local dealers and ask them to cast the rods, and you choose.

lots of guys recon you shouldnt only fish the coast with a 9wt....that 90cm gt just might take you fly so may youll be looking at a 12 wt...thats you choice.

think you gonna have a leka joll on you trip.

good luck on trying to find the perfect rod.....can take a lifetime...
 

fishy ping pong

New member
Fin-S wrote:
I would need a bit more info. Where will you be going. What seasons, what targets, driving, hiking, boating or flying?
Personally as good all rounders, I would take 2 rods, each being multi piece, with spare tips for each. Two reels with a spare spool for each. One sinking and one floating / intermediate loaded on each. One 8 wt and one 12 wt. A 10 wt is overkill in the surf in most regions and like a pellet gun for the big fish. I use Stealth guide series for my travels and they are just fine. SL7 for the 12 and an system 2 for the 8.
Thanks for the solid advice Fin-S

Basically i am leaving in January 2011 driving up the west coast of Africa and will ship my car to Canada and do the entire west coast of the Americas and back up the east coast and back down East Africa. planning on 3 years for the trip. I will take a Sea fishing Kayak and also be fishing estuaries and off rocks. I think that i am naive when i say 20kg fish maybe i should have said i want to target 10 kg max but if i hook a big guy i dont want to loose my line or bust my rig, so i want to be on the safe side. Space in the car is a serious issue as i will be living out of it and need to take the absolute minimum amount of gear. I would buy an extra tip and third segment that will slip into the same rod holder.

The guys at frontier fly fishers suggested the 10# as it is a good all rounder and can handle a large fish which is inevitable on such a long trip. 
 

Fin-S

Sealiner
Sounds like a nice trip. I would hesitate to take on large fish with a 10wt. West coast means Angola and Gabon - tarpon and snappers. Senegal for sailies. East coast, Djibouti, Kenya, TZ - big GT's etc. All of these can, will and have been taken from a kayak. Admittedly you cannot put much lateral pressure on a fish from a yak, however should you need to control a fish and stop it reefing you, a stiff stick would be better.
I also think a 10 is a bit heavy for targetting smaller fish in the surf and for casting all day.
But, just my 2c.
 
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