300 Gr. Now that we have set the stage, let's dive in. Additionally, it's shorter length lends itself better to the compact strokes required to cast Skagit heads, making it easier to transition between the two line systems. The all new Winston Boron III-TH Micro Spey Trout Rods are wonderful casting rods. Now Spey rods are being made by several manufacturers in sizes #2, #3 and #4 weight. It will initially include six rods in total, ranging from a 9’9” Micro Skagit Two-Handed 3wt up to an 11’6” 8wt, and every whole rod weight in-between. And one of the top three lightest in terms of swing weight, (behind the Beulah Platinum and T&T DNA). But I was wrong. I would suggest thinking of these sinking heads as niche items. This video runs through RIO's series of Trout Spey lines, and explains when to use each one to get the very best performance from a Trout Spey rod. The lines have always been designed that way, and so are the rods. Skagit casting isn’t really much different than any other style of Spey casting. If you are looking for a line that can do almost anything, experience the Commando Smooth. A specific casting style developed to compliment the lines and to allow for the heavy weight the lines carry without damaging rods. These lines are created similar to a modern floating weight forward line, except the ‘weight forward’ or ‘belly’ section of the line is much longer than in other styles of spey casting. These rods average 10-1/2' to 11-1/2' in length and they are designed specifically for trout fishing. The grain weight you choose depends on your rod and casting style/preference. These rods were designed by Skagit legend Ed Ward and represent decades of dedication purely to sustained-anchor two-handed casting. We have a good review for you and some line recommendations as well. These rods blend the joy of spey and trout all into one rod. I go doublehanded when casting further than that, or when throwing larger, weighted flies. Shown above: a variety of Skagit lines being prepared for rigorous testing. In short, Skagit lines have done to Spey fishing what shaped skis did for skiing. 390 Gr. A common point of confusion for new spey anglers is the grain weight system used to designate the line weight of Skagit (and Scandi) heads. Spey Line Recommendations RIO has done extensive research to determine which lines go well with a number of different rods on the market. #5.5 - 390 Gr. Rio scandi versitip spey fly fishing line #5 - 3 tips. A spey line is the most important piece of your two-handed gear. A long line caster delivering a 14'0” rod will feel comfortable with 55' to 65' of aerialized line grain beyond the rod tip. Structurally, Scandi heads achieve the above attributes by having a long front taper and an overall longer length than Skagit heads. Designed for light double-handed duty and with a short, powerful head, the Skagit Lite is ideal for smaller streams and trout Spey applications. Boom! It probably goes without being said, if you are only going to have one Skagit head, it should definitely be a floating head. your back is up against the bank or there is a tree overhanging to one side of you) . Get a FREE Rio Fly Line credit (up to $100) with the purchase of this rod. can be used with microspey rods, are the ones marketed by manufacturers as being able to cast spey style. floating vs sinking). Some of our staff loathed these conversations, I loved them. That being said, I can seriously nerd out on this stuff, so if you like, feel free to shoot me an email and we can do a deep dive on whatever questions you have. The INTOUCH TROUT SPEY line is a very easy casting, short head style line for anglers using light two-handed trout Spey rods, and regular single-handed fly rods (just check the grain weight to match).Each line is built on RIO’s ultra-low stretch ConnectCore for maximum sensitivity, and has a seamlessly integrated running line for ease of use. ... OPST 5' Micro Tips. Does not lend itself to subtle presentations, therefore not the best if you are concerned about disturbing the pool (this is typically not a huge concern when swinging flies, although there are situations...), Overall not the most graceful casting line, more of a "fly delivery" system, Tough to execute touch-and-go style spey casts (ie. Here are approximate Scandi grain windows for common spey rod weights: 6 weight spey rods: 300 to 420 grain scandi heads, 7 weight spey rods: 420 to 510 grain scandi heads, 8 weight spey rods: 510 to 620 grain scandi heads, Examples of Scandi Heads Currently on the Market, Airflo Scandi Compact, Rio Scandi, SA Ultimate Scandi Taper. However many manufacturers are also now offering "Short" skagit heads (18-20 feet), and even "Micro" skagit heads (11-18 feet). They call them Trout Spey or Micro Spey and they range from 1-5 WTs, however, they are still 10.5 to 11.5ft long and can be lined up with up to 390-grain lines. When used correctly, these rods can open up a whole new world of casting and fishing possibilities on your local waters, by letting you utilize two-handed techniques once reserved for salmon and steelhead anglers. Haha 'they' class rods from 10 to just shy of 12 that are designed to spey cast 'spey rods'. A few years ago I probably would not have included this section, however nowadays there are quite a few variations of Skagit heads on the market. Typical Spey fly patterns are way too big for Pennsylvania trout. Spey Fly Lines Showing 1 to 6 of 6 total Ideal for surf casting, salmon and large trout, our spey fly lines guarantee fine line control and precise timing for those large flies. If you could only have one spey line, it should most likely be a Skagit. Dealer Locator . Again, these are both shooting head line systems, where the Scandi/Skagit designation refers to the type of shooting head. In the modern world of Spey fishing, anglers have a multitude of choices when it comes to selecting a fly line. When I first heard the term micro spey, I was a bit incredulous. While Skagit heads have a clunky, get-er-done, huck anything type of attitude, Scandi lines lean towards grace and presentation. I can say without a doubt, that there was absolutely no singular topic that caused more widespread confusion (and panic) than that of Spey Lines and their subsequent components. They can chuck a decent size fly and are awesome for fish up to around 10lbs. Spey Lite Skagit Head. They can chuck a decent size fly and are awesome for fish up to around 10lbs. Therefore, as some of you may have noticed, a few fly line manufacturers have now begun producing spey lines designed specifically for single hand rods. As such, they are not as versatile as Skagit heads. Scientific Anglers' newest Skagit line is a short, powerful head from 11' to 18' in grain weights of 150 to 360. I always felt a tinge of giddiness when one of our staff would creep into my office and say to me "Hey Reid, do you have a minute? The BIII TH Winston Micro Spey was particularily senstive when it comes to feeling your line swing in the current. Skagit heads are arguably the easiest spey line to learn to cast with and provide the greatest ability to cast in tight quarters or with limited backcasting room. But first, some context. Lastly, both Skagit and Scandi heads require a tip or polyleader to be attached to the front of the shooting head. Like Skagit heads, line manufacturers have started to offer Scandi heads in different lengths. November 6, 2019. To put it simply for now, "tips" are used with Skagit heads, and polyleaders (also called Versileaders) are used with Scandi heads. To help make building your spey line process easy, here is a diagram of how a modular spey line system is put together. As I mentioned earlier, today’s traditional Skagit heads, such as the Airflo Skagit Compact. I thought someone was simply referring to a switch rod. N/A N/A 20lb MS 4110-4 300 Gr. ). Rule of thumb: Classic Spey line belly lengths will generally be 4 to 4.5 X the rod’s length. While those rods remain popular, more recently, focus has shifted in part to single-hand spey … Typically, micro speys are longer (at 12.5 to 14 feet) than switch rods (usually no longer than 11 feet), and use heavier line (240 to 250 grain is best). So they are micro spey as they cast a much lower grain than a traditional spey rod. Scandi heads are known to be easy casting smooth feeling lines. Dealer Locator . This is the first of a three part post series on the topic of Demystifying Spey. Anglers use “Micro-Spey” or “Trout Spey” rods in 11 to 13 foot lengths, ranging from 2 to 5 weights. The Commando Smooth is designed to be used with our Micro Tips and Commando Floating Tips, from 5 to 10 feet long. February 11, 2017 paflyguide1 4 Comments. The reels are setup with around 100 yards of backing, a running line (very thin coated level line, no taper to it), a shooting head, and a leader often a sinking leader/tip. Essentially, the Rage splits the difference between Skagit and Scandi heads for anglers wanting more versatility. Best for spey rods in the 12'6" - 14' length range. Buy a Skagit line if: you are a winter steelheader, you routinely throw big flies and heavy tips, backcasting room is minimal on your rivers, you can only have one spey line, you are new to spey and unsure which line will be best. The same running line can be used for both Skagit and Scandi heads. Best Selling Spey Line System Components at Red's Fly Shop. Some purists may turn up their nose at this, but I refer to Rage heads as Scandi heads and pretty much exclusively fish Rage heads in Scandi scenarios. 20lb Beulah Fly Lines Mackenzie Spey, this is the line for when you don't want to strip in a lot of running line and you need to cast far in able to reach the taking spots. John Arnold. Design forward rod makers such as Tim Rajeff's Echo brand now offer two-handed models in the 11' range with line weights down to #3 that are coveted among the cognoscenti. A 13'0” rod will like 50' to 55' etc. Sunray micro thin fly lines contain fewer 3M microspheres which makes our fly fish lines thinner. The relatively new category of "Micro Spey" gear scales things down for both fish and playing field. N/A N/A 20lb MS 4110-4 300 Gr. Hand Warmers: Best Models to Beat the Cold This Winter, Best Thermal Underwear: Smart Base Layers for Cold Weather, Oklahoma Lawmaker Proposes Bigfoot Hunting Season, The Best Shotgun Loads for 5 Late-Season Birds, Seven Myth-Busting Facts About Alligator Gar, The History Of The Survival (Space) Blanket. That being said, if I could only fish one spey line system for the rest of my life, it would most certainly be a Skagit. Plus, if you have limited backcasting space, you can still make big roll casts with a micro spey, keeping your fly out of the trees and in prime water. We think they’re onto something, and after fishing OPST’s new light weight Commando Skagit Heads on tiny single handers this past summer at Alaska West , we think the advantage is undeniable (see them in action in the video below! Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Additionally, feel free to email me if you would like a hand determining the correct grain weight for your specific spey rod...chances are I have cast it and have an opinion on the best grain weight for that particular rod. They were originally designed for winter steelheading scenarios in the PNW that entailed heavy sink tips, big flies, and minimal back casting room. The exact grain weight within the above suggested grain windows you choose for your rod will depend on a) which rod you own, as different rods perform best with higher/lower grain weights, and b) your casting stroke and preference. Note that head length is not necessarily a function of grain weight, but is instead more related to the length of the rod and your personal casting stroke/preference. Although there is no such thing as a "7wt skagit head", there are typical grain windows associated with different weight spey rods. Add both rod and line to your cart to save! Skagit History Skagit lines were born out of necessity. They’re especially useful for summer steelhead, smallmouth, and walleye in rivers. These heads are also an excellent tool for windy days, and making long casts with minimal space for a D-loop. Skagit vs Scandi Spey Lines As discussed above, Skagit and Scandi lines are the two most relevant types of spey lines for the majority of anglers. 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