Level 4 prepping
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Saltwater Flyflingers
Forum Description: A forum for saltwater fly fishing enthusiasts
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=134059
Printed Date: 10 Jun 2026 at 4:23am
Topic: Level 4 prepping
Posted By: Goobernator
Subject: Level 4 prepping
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2020 at 8:46am
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Hi ya,ll Forget toilet paper, flour and hand sanitizer Last level 4 lockdown had me wishing I had a fly rod and reel to learn/practice. Going to the garage and playing around with all my other rods just didn't cut it. End goal will be mainly kahawai , snapper. Was looking at this combo: https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/fly-fishing-rod-and-reel-combos/airflo-beast-fly-rod-9-and-flylab-beast-fly-reel-7-8-combo-cold-salt-wf9i-30lb-back-blue" rel="nofollow - https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/fly-fishing-rod-and-reel-combos/airflo-beast-fly-rod-9-and-flylab-beast-fly-reel-7-8-combo-cold-salt-wf9i-30lb-back-blue Its 9ft 9wt has a 7/8 reel. Would the 7/8 reel hold enough backing? For $350 could I do any better or worse? |
Replies:
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2020 at 9:22am
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A quick look suggests the reel will be plenty big enough. It seemed to have a good diameter in the picture, but I couldn't find any specs to tell me what its specs actually are. Suffice to say it looks wide enough to give you a good retrieval rate. I'm sure you'll get plenty of backing on there. The combo package seems like a very good deal. I can't tell you what the rod will be like without casting one, but fly rods that are completely "good enough" can be remarkably cheap these days. 
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Posted By: Goobernator
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2020 at 9:42am
| Thanks, was on the verge of buying a setup, but lockdown beat me to it, was going to pick pick the brains, get hands on and buy from a swf retail shop(auckland). With another level 4 possible, it's a cheap setup or no setup. Better than the one you don't have.... |
Posted By: Crochet Cast
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2020 at 9:42am
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It will be OK ish. I haven’t fished this rod but have handled them in the store. Too heavy for snapper and kahawai but you will get smoked with that reel with Kingfish What are your target species? |
Posted By: Crochet Cast
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2020 at 9:46am
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Sorry I didn’t read your original post properly. Reel would be fine but think about a 6wt for those species. It will be a much more enjoyable experience. Can you stretch another $100.00. The step up would be very noticeable. |
Posted By: Goobernator
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2020 at 11:05am
| Will be fishing land based, typically an auckland east coast bays type scenario would be as rugged as it gets, so thought a 9wt would be a little more suited to the rocks. The same setup is available in 8wt as well. |
Posted By: taurangatroutmaster
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2020 at 12:29pm
| I use my 6w on Trev's, kahawai, snapper and kingfish. All landbased. Get smoked by the odd kingfish but I wouldn't want to go any heavier |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2020 at 1:15pm
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2o to 15 years ago I used an Abu 8/9 weight rod reel. It easily handled kahawai and most of themwere 2 to 2.6kg in a very strong current area and never got antwhere near spooled. Things have only improved since then I'm sure.I once used a 2 handed 12wt monstrosity and caught a legal king and a very big trev and at the time I thought it wasn't too much fun. If you can afford that set up I could only guess it would be streets ahead of what i used to use and I really enjoyed casting flies to kahawai with the old Abu ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Jofly
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2020 at 4:31pm
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Have a look at the salterwater fly combo's from I love fly fishing ( http://www.iloveflyfishing.kiwi" rel="nofollow - www.iloveflyfishing.kiwi ). They support my YT videos with gear so I am affiliated, but I have owned their predator rod since well before being such and I am a big fan of it for the price. Barrie has some 8wt ones coming soon, but at the moment I think he only has 10wt ones. The 8wt predator paired with the shield reel is a nice combo. Cheers, Johan
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