Single hand Spey line setup and general questions

[exal]

Hi everyone! New to the forum and new to this Spey setup.

I have tried reading everything I can online, watching videos and just thinking about it but there doesn’t seem to be any really good I go out there about how to set up a single hand Spey line. So if omyour inclined to help a newbie out can you help me clarify these questions? I am looking at a tfo bvk 4 wt 10’, what do you think?

How are the line systems setup? There’s the backing, the running line, the head?, the tip?, and then tippet?

What are tips? There is tons of info out there about heads but not about tips.

The line that I am looking at is the Wulff ambush triangle taper fly line, I’m pretty sure this is an integrated line from reading about it. What do you think about this line for my first set up? Is the tip already included in this line?

I think that about sums it up, but I feel like there is still a bunch I don’t understand. Thanks for the add and any info you can pass my way!

 

[Ard]

I only have one line that is titled by the manufacturer (RIO) as a single hand Spey. That line has integrated running / shooting vinyl coated line fused behind the belly. All my lines are integrated runner types and that truly simplifies things regardless of you being new to the game or an old hand.

On a 4 weight rod "tips" are going to be sinking tips you may add if needed however I can't imagine you being able to cast very much sink tip to any great distance using a 4 weight rod & line. If you need to sink a fly a bit look into Airflow Clear Intermediate Poly Leaders. They cast well enough to make you think they are regular Mono but do sink. If you intend to fish streamers in fairly deep conditions perhaps consider a heavier rod / line combination. The advantage being ability to cast larger & heavier flies greater distance with little effort.

Your questions are always welcome here and someone will always pony up with some info for you.

Welcome to our forum,

Ard

 

[flav]

First off, what do you intend to do with this setup? Is it primarily for nymphing and dry flies, or as I suspect, more for swinging and stripping streamers with sinking poly leaders or sink tips? You're line choice will vary greatly depending on what type of fishing you intend on doing.

 

[exal]

Ard,

Thanks for the reply and info! So I’ve read more into this and I was under the impression that a sagit style head always needed a tip. Or does the polyleader your talking about essentially act as a tip? I guess with the polyleader attached I would then just attach tippet when needed correct, no point in adding another tapered leader after that?

Flav,

You are correct my plan is mainly to be able to sling heavier streamer flys than I would typically be able to with a 4wt. I live in central Texas and most of our rivers are shallow and slow moving (especially during the summer months) so I dont need anything that sinks very quickly. I would like to possibly use the set up in still water scenarios to get further out as well though. The reasoning behind the 4wt is that most of our streams out here do not hold huge bass, if I catch a 2lb bass I’m going to be jumping up and down! Anything over a 4wt and you start to loose enjoyment with the fight!

 

[Ard]

Yes, Skagit heads usually require a sink tip for streamers but if you can find 10 foot Airflow Poly leaders in the clear intermediate that would serve as a tip. I know they sell a clear 10 foot for salmon & steelhead and I would expect that to work if you can't find lighter versions. They are not all that heavy and I'd be willing to try one if I came up short on a trout model.

 

[flav]

Thanks, now I know what you're planning. I also fish a 4 weight for river smallmouth for exactly the same reasons. I use two lines; a Rio single hand spey for lighter flies and an OPST smooth for heavier flies and/or sink tips or poly leaders.
I don't think you want the wulff TT, it's the wulff ambush or ambush short you want, those two lines are skagit type lines. One has an 18 foot head, the other 14. Either will work nicely for what you want to do.
For these light, short head skagits I prefer poly leaders over level sink tip material. Polys just turn over more smoothly. I usually use a 5 foot intermediate poly leader, but I also carry floating and fast sinking versions as well as 10 foot polys for different situations. I just choose the poly I feel is right for the water and fly I'm casting, add 3 or 4 feet of tippet, and I'm ready to go.
I've not cast the 10 foot BVK, but the 9 footers I've wiggled were pretty stiff and fast. Skagit casting is all about slow and easy, and you may find a rod with a more moderate action to be a much better tool than a fast action rod. That's not a hard and fast rule, you can use any rod you like and it'll probably work just fine, those are just my feelings about it.