Help with trout Spey Skagit Setup

[durangobrad]

I want to make spey casts for swinging streamers through the deeper longer runs of my local rivers (San Juan, Animas, Rio Grande, etc. I currently do it with a single handed 6/7 weight with a short intermediate sink tip line (6-8 ft). I picked up a 12ft 2/3 im6 blank from anglers roost and will be building that shortly. The streamers I tie and use usually have some sort of weight to them, cone head, a few lead wraps, etc.

A bargain online website has 11' Rio Trout Max Skagit heads on sale for $29. It seams to me that the 250 grain would be a good place to start.

Now im looking at different tips that would fit the bill for to get my flies down in the water column a little. MOW tips? Am I on the right track here?

What about running line?

Im completely new to this and dont know anyone that does it around here. I appreciate your help.

[unknownflyman]

Sure as long as you are ordering the head rated for your single hand rod you will be fine. Every line manufacturer has suggested mow tip size for the grain line you are using.

I personally use another brand but it’s all based on the same concept.

Please keep in mind there are limits to the payload any line will carry and there is a lot of refining after you get some time on the water.

This whole spey single and two handed thing lends to some improvements and line and tip adjustments down the road as needed for the size of fly, conditions present and desired approach to presenting a fly.

The important thing is to start with the suggested line and tips for the fly fishing you want to do unless it’s entirely unusable you will adjust and figure out more down the road.

Personally I started with two hands and while I single hand cast very well I don’t dig it because I’m always looking for my handle on the other side of the reel. Also two handed casting is way easier on the body for me not just one shoulder doing the work, I’m balenced out.

Do your research but don’t overthink it too much like I did, just get on the road,

GL. Happy swings

[ddb]

Look up Steve Godshall on the inet. He knows those ARE tapers as well as anyone and he also makes custom fly lines -- high quality, modest price -- that he can tailor to your rod and specific wants and needs.

You can't go wrong just talking to him. And you could be very happy with one of his lines. Be ready to explain just what you want to do with the rod and the water conditions you frequently fish.

I have several of his lines and they way outperform the big name brands on my two ARE UHM trout speys.

I own no stock in his operation.

ddb

[flav]

Yes, Steve Godshall is awesome, I've had him make a couple lines for anglers roost rods I've built. It's worth talking to him even if you don't have him make a line for you. If you don't want to go that way contact the guys at OPST. Tell them what blank you have and what you want to do with it and they'll give you a recommendation.

[huronfly]

As the guys already mentioned, Steve is a line wizard has done testing with many anglers roost blanks, so for rec'd grain rating he'd be your guy. As for tips, sounds like you want to be able to throw a little bit of payload... MOW or iMOW(light, 80gr) tips will work good for those purposes. You could also try various lengths of T4,T6, or T8.

[durangobrad]

Thanks Everyone, I was able to find Steve's email address on some of the forums, email sent!

[eastfly66]

I think for SH you should be looking at OPST Commando head and tips. If you buy tips for the 250 Trout Max you want the iMOW (light) (T8) although that is a good price I would be looking at the kit from commando and save yourself some headache.

[unknownflyman]

OPST also released their smooth line for single hand spey.

Integrated running line like fly line, very nice for single hand and can be easily stripped in to the leader.

Liked them very much at the spey clave. Hopefully they will release a switch rod version in heavier weights for Steelhead and smallmouth bass.

[durangobrad]

I don't plan to make single hand cast with this rod. I want it to be truely a light spey setup.

I also want to be able to easily switch to different heads (scandi and Skagit) throughout the day. I don't mind having the loop to loop connections especially in the early stages of figuring out what line weights will work best.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[eastfly66]

The 250 grain your looking at on sale is the same one I use on my 3 wt trout spey with iMOW tips (light) and I use a 240 grain @ 29' Rio Scandi with either the Lazer line or Rio shooting line I think .024) The Laser line shoots better but is hard to feel in the cold.