They can be used year round and are really the only appropriate choice for winter steelheading when heavy tips and large flies are the norm. 2019 Spey Line recommendations. Your line needs to be matched correctly to your rod, and be able to perform the tasks you want it too. The running line is orange to provide a nice contrast against the Sauk Blue head. 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. In summary, Skagit heads are the most versatile spey lines available. 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. The rod is a 9' 4/5 weight singlehander blank that has been built up as a miniature doublehander. 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. 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. In an industry where Trout Spey is becoming increasingly popular, it makes sense that one of the largest rod manufacturers has created a Trout Spey series that combines contemporary fly rod technology and heightened engineering. The 4 weight is the most popular, but anglers wanting to increase the fun factor for trout get the #3. And one of the top three lightest in terms of swing weight, (behind the Beulah Platinum and T&T DNA). 360 Gr. However, an important distinction to make is that spey is a style of casting, not necessarily a type of rod. But I was wrong. 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. We have a good review for you and some line recommendations as well. Dealer Locator . A specific casting style developed to compliment the lines and to allow for the heavy weight the lines carry without damaging rods. Finally TFO is getting into the Microspey game. All rights reserved. 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. Copyright © 2021 Field & Stream. Many spey casting instructors, myself included, believe that Skagit heads are the easiest type of line to learn to cast with. These rods blend the joy of spey and trout all into one rod. Scandi heads are longer than Skagit heads, typically 30 to 40 feet in length. This overall length lends itself well to distance casts and touch-and-go style casting (single spey, snake roll, etc). 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. Higher grain weight Skagit heads will match best with heavier line weight spey rods such as 10wt spey rods, while lower grain weight Skagit heads will match with lower line weight spey rods, such as 6wt spey rods. They’re especially useful for summer steelhead, smallmouth, and walleye in rivers. Like Skagit heads, line manufacturers have started to offer Scandi heads in different lengths. If you would like more than one please ask about combined postage as will be more than happy to do this 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. Furthermore, they load spey rods easily, creating good casting performance at close distances, while simultaneously producing enough power to cast as far you desire. Although there is no such thing as a "7wt skagit head", there are typical grain windows associated with different weight spey rods. While Skagit heads have a clunky, get-er-done, huck anything type of attitude, Scandi lines lean towards grace and presentation. Add both rod and line to your cart to save! In order from back to front on your reel, this is what a skagit/scandi spey line system looks like:  Reel -> Backing -> Running Line (also called shooting line) -> Skagit or Scandi Head -> Tip or Polyleader (also called Versileader) -> Leader -> Fly. In actuality, the Rage is much more like a Scandi head. Rio scandi versitip spey fly fishing line #5 - 3 tips. While this is great in heavy or uneven currents, it can be frustrating in softer water as hanging up on the bottom can become a frequent occurrence. 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. It is 4 rod in one covering 9ft dry fly fishing to 10' Euro nymphing to 11'3" or 12'3" micro spey / trout spey. Skagit and Scandi heads use the same running lines and are simply connected via a loop-to-loop connection, so it is very easy to own both a Skagit and Scandi head and swap them out as you see fit on the same reel. The lines have always been designed that way, and so are the rods. Good, you're gonna want to take a seat and make yourself comfortable, this may be a lengthy conversation." Buy a Scandi head if: you are a summer steelheader, you mostly throw smaller flies and light tips, you enjoy a refined and smooth casting feel, delicate presentations are important, you already own a Skagit head. This is due to their ease of castability, limited backcasting space requirements, line speed, and overall efficiency of fly delivery in a variety of challenging conditions. Haha 'they' class rods from 10 to just shy of 12 that are designed to spey cast 'spey rods'. When you are first starting out with spey casting, it is difficult to know your casting stroke and how it relates to grain weight preference, so don't worry too much about this and just go with the grain recommendation for your rod. Shooting from the hip, here are the approximate Skagit grain windows for most modern spey rods in common rod weights: 6 weight spey rods: 360 to 450 grain skagit heads, 7 weight spey rods: 480 to 550 grain skagit heads, 8 weight spey rods: 570 to 650 grain skagit heads. Scandi heads are best for Summer steelheading where small flies and light tips are common and delicate presentations can be of greater importance. Typical Spey fly patterns are way too big for Pennsylvania trout. OPST Micro Skagit Rods. Of all the rods tested, the Micro Spey is the lightest rod in terms of overall weight. can be used with microspey rods, are the ones marketed by manufacturers as being able to cast spey style. floating vs sinking). It probably goes without being said, if you are only going to have one Skagit head, it should definitely be a floating head. 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). Some of our staff loathed these conversations, I loved them. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. I recommend these heads highly, and for the majority of situations I think they are a better choice than traditional scandi heads. https://flylifemagazine.com/what-is-micro-spey-ask-the-folks-out-west Choose from brands such as Snowbee, Hardy and Greys. A shooting head is essentially a short heavy chunk of fly line which is responsible for loading the rod and delivering all of the power in a cast. Swinging flies is a blast and when I find the right situation it’s game on. If you are looking for a line that can do almost anything, experience the Commando Smooth. Of all the rods tested, the Micro Spey is the lightest rod in terms of overall weight. Skagit and scandi lines are both shooting head line systems. They can chuck a decent size fly and are awesome for fish up to around 10lbs. 390 Gr. Featuring the Advanced Boron III technology, fast action Two-Handed rods designed for trout fishing offering a Very lightweight, powerful rod that can generate very high line speeds. USE OUR LINE SELECTOR APP. Below, we'll put the microscope on the Skagit family of lines in an effort to help you make an informed product decision. Add both rod and line to your cart to save! A long line caster delivering a 14'0” rod will feel comfortable with 55' to 65' of aerialized line grain beyond the rod tip. Like the Commando heads, these rods are short-ish, … Here are my thoughts on this: Density - Density of a fly line refers to its sink rate. For a few years, the development of smaller spey rods—typically 11 1/2 feet or smaller and lighter in weight—geared towards two-handed spey casting, but on a similar scale, predominated. They’re especially useful for summer steelhead, smallmouth, and walleye in rivers. Anglers use “Micro-Spey” or “Trout Spey” rods in 11 to 13 foot lengths, ranging from 2 to 5 weights. Introducing our Spey Lite collection, and the Integrated Skagit Spey line. February 11, 2017 paflyguide1 4 Comments. 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. Running Lines. Barrio Fly Lines. It should be slow, smooth, fluid, effortless, beautiful, efficient, and effective. And even more importantly, the lines to go with these rods … 330 Gr. That being said, recently a few sinking skagit heads have been introduced to the market. The changing line color determines the sweet spot and loads the rod correctly when Spey casting. Actually, I am going to replace the word "confusing" with "nuanced"...this stuff is nuanced. Sage Trout Spey vs Winston Micro Spey Here is a very good article by Gorge Fly Shop comparing Sage Trout Spey vs Winston Micro Spey. 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. Now that we have set the stage, let's dive in. Skagit and Scandi heads each have clear pros and cons and are both relevant spey line systems for steelheading in the Pacific Northwest. Hot off the Press: 23 tips to improve your Skagit Casting Power and Distance. There is a good reason for this. And one of the top three lightest in terms of swing weight, (behind the Beulah Platinum and T&T DNA). From inside to outside: Yellow = backing, Orange = running line, Mint Green = Skagit Head, Black = Tip. 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. I have spent the past several years as the general manager of a large fly shop in the Pacific Northwest. Skagit History Skagit lines were born out of necessity. Meh, maybe it will be a four part series, this stuff is confusing. Boom! When most people think of spey, they instantly think of two handed rods. To put it simply, grain weight refers to the physical weight of the head. 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. Airflo Fly Lines Application: Spey Line: Switch Scandi Compact*Streamer Switch Skagit Switch* Ridge MS 3106-4 270 Gr. This is due to their ease of castability, limited backcasting space requirements, line speed, and overall efficiency of fly delivery in a variety of challenging conditions. In addition to a variety of lengths, the market offers lines built for specific fishing situations. A spey cast is deemed a spey cast when the fly line is cast under the rod tip on the back cast (as opposed to over the rod tip in a traditional fly cast), AND is allowed to anchor onto the surface of the water (near or slightly in front of the angler) before makin… I thought someone was simply referring to a switch rod. A 13'0” rod will like 50' to 55' etc. The Boron III TH-MS, released in 2014, is the oldest rod in the shootout. Long belly and mid belly lines do serve a purpose and can be quite fun to cast...but I will put it like this: in my four years of managing a fly shop, we sold exactly 4 mid belly lines and 1 long belly line. Where scandi heads do poorly (compared to Skagit) are in wind or with heavy flies/tips. I want to hammer this point home: a typical Skagit head is floating and for the vast majority of anglers a floating Skagit head is the best choice. Up until a couple of years ago, all Skagit heads were floating. This makes a Sunray floating fly line swim in the same way silk fly lines were used as floating lines. In reality, any angler dedicated to the craft of spey will inevitably own and spend time with both line systems. I've got a guy here with some spey quesionts." They also reward a more compact casting stroke which is generally more efficient and less susceptible to casting flaws. Get a FREE Rio Fly Line credit (up to $100) with the purchase of this rod. A Spey line that has a head 3 times longer than the rod (for example a 12 ft rod with 36 ft head length) is a lot easier to cast than a line with a head that is 5 or 6 times longer than the rod (60 to 72 ft on the same 12 ft rod). 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. In spey, we speak in terms of "grain weight". 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Your reel and less susceptible to casting flaws of choices when it comes to your. Designed specifically for trout on the market being even shorter lines go well with a number different! Structurally, Scandi heads each have clear pros and cons and are great at micro spey lines over big flies heavy...