Micro spey rod question for trout?

[smsnyder]

Any you guys use a spey rod in 3,4,5 weight for trout? How do you guys like them?

 

[mcnerney]

Fred has posted some really great info in this thread:

http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/f...le-talk/373312-trout-spey-rods-explained.html

 

[fireroad]

I've used 3 and 4 wt switches and speys for trout and love them! 3wts primarily for soft hackles and smaller, unweighted streamers and 4wts for bigger streamers and/or heavier sink tips. True 5wt speys are more for really big trout or small summer run steelhead.

 

[eastfly66]

I have a 3 & 5 and if there was a "Shootout" for "All Fly Rods" the micro spey would surely win the "Fun to Fish" category. It will also expand your fly fishing options like no other rod and to add to fireroads excellent summary lets add SMB as an option with the 4 & 5.

 

[fredaevans]

Yup, I had Steve Godshalll build me a 2 wt.

 

[huronfly]

Also have a 2 weight, paired with OPST commando 200 grain for streamers and also a DT line for small soft hackles.

 

[madison320]

I've been testing the 150 grain OPST for my 7' 6" 3wt. I didn't like it at first, but I'm starting to like it more as time goes on. Recently I tried using some cheap 20lb pvc running line and I liked it a lot better than the lazer mono from OPST. I don't lose much distance but it handles much better, no coils. I can "almost sort of" mend line with it also. I may even try the 30 lb running line to see if I can mend a little better.

 

[dryfly70]

Madison, What cheap pvc line did you actually use, I'm Curious ??? Mark

 

[coug]

I have a Burkheimer 4114 and it is a blast. I use it to swing soft hackles and streamers. Plus gets me ready for steelhead. I do not use it every time I am out.

 

[flav]

I've tried to like trout speys, I've built a couple and cast many, but I'm not a big fan. They're good for swinging streamers and soft hackles, but pretty useless for dry fly fishing, and I can do both just as well or better with a SH rod and the right line system. Trout speys are excellent for nymphing, but since I discovered how great lines like the Rio SH spey line are for turning over a heavy nymph setup my trout spey usually stays home in favor of a single hander.

 

[madison320]

Madison, What cheap pvc line did you actually use, I'm Curious ??? Mark

I got it on amazon, it's called River Peak shooting line. I think they're out of the 20lb (.02") floating. Maybe ebay has some.

Amazon.com: river peak running line shooting line floating 0.02inch 100ft (spring green): Sports & Outdoors

 

[madison320]

I've tried to like trout speys, I've built a couple and cast many, but I'm not a big fan. They're good for swinging streamers and soft hackles, but pretty useless for dry fly fishing, and I can do both just as well or better with a SH rod and the right line system. Trout speys are excellent for nymphing, but since I discovered how great lines like the Rio SH spey line are for turning over a heavy nymph setup my trout spey usually stays home in favor of a single hander.

Can you cast small/medium streamers with the Rio SHS on a 3 or 4 wt? I haven't tried that line specifically but I have tried some cheap 4 wt spey line on my 3wt and it didn't have much power for streamers. It seems to me like you need a line that's reverse tapered for streamers so the heaviest part is out near the tip.

 

[coug]

I got into using them because I would practice casting with my steelhead two-handers between the morning and evening hatches. I would always put on a streamer and end up catching a few fish. I finally broke down and bought the 4114. Glad I did because it is good practice, but I am with Flav in that I always use my single hand rods when hatches are coming off or when I am floating with my pontoon. Bottom line is that I love casting two-hand rods.

 

[flav]

Madison,
I've tried the Rio SHS with beadhead buggers on a mono leader up to about size 10, nothing very heavy or big. I've been using the 4 wt line on a 4 wt rod , although I absolutely love that line on a 3 wt but then it's pretty much all dry fly stuff. If I was serious about swinging or stripping streamers, especially if I was using sink tips, I'd go with a different line system. Since I'm usually fishing dries or doing a little light nymphing I really like the longer belly scandi type lines like the SHS.

 

[flyfishsick]

I've tried to like trout speys, I've built a couple and cast many, but I'm not a big fan. They're good for swinging streamers and soft hackles, but pretty useless for dry fly fishing, and I can do both just as well or better with a SH rod and the right line system. Trout speys are excellent for nymphing, but since I discovered how great lines like the Rio SH spey line are for turning over a heavy nymph setup my trout spey usually stays home in favor of a single hander.

So you are saying that a SH rod with a Rio SH spey line can and will do it all including fishing dry flies??? :surprise:

 

[flav]

No, I'm not saying that at all. The SHS is the best dry fly line I've ever fished, both water anchored and overhead, it's really nice for nymphing if you're doing water anchored or roll casts but not too great overhead, and if you're into swinging soft hackles or smaller, light streamers it's awesome. Where it falls short is chucking big, heavy streamers, or casting into the teeth of a strong wind, the front taper is just too long and fine. I kind of compare it to the old mid belly I learned to cast with on my spey rod, great to cast for summer dry line work, but when it gets cold or windy I'm going to reach for a skagit.

 

[bocast]

Got a Winston Boron III TH 4 wt. Microspey as an anniversary present from Gorgeous and I love it. I fish it with a Commando head 300 grain or 250 grain, and also with a 7 weight Rio Single Handed Spey 3D. As soon as I learned not to overpower the cast and apply power smoothly, it became a "smile every cast" rod. I'm totally hooked on trout Spey and smallmouth Spey. Sweet, sweet rod.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[gormaci]

In my opinion a lot depend what you want to do with you micro spey, or spey rod. I like spey casting and dislike Skagit and I use my Micro Spey mostly for swinging wet fly trout fishing with joy. Lines for such fishing is/was a problem as short spey line just cast too far!!!! I do not want to look for trout at 60ft!!! To far to connect consistently with trout on wet fly.
Gladly with some new lines, I am able to use micros on shorter, "normal" torut distances.
As I dislike skagit, I also dislike connections between head and running so I am big fun of SA Spey Light Integrated Scandi (they have also skagit too).
I used several rods but I use mostly Win Micro Spy 3. I have to say that the new Loomis (500 range price, do not remeber name) micro speys are VERY nice too but I will "survive" with Winsotns
I have MS 3, 4, 5 but in my opinion, the 3 is the way to go. I matched it wit SA Scand Light 240G. I alos cast 210 well but I want the rod to do the work for me and like it load deeper.
If you think of it, 200+G is equivalent of 7-8 weight single hand rod (8=210 in AFTM standard!) So I ma still looking MUCH LIGHTER micro spey rods!!! I am awaiting new for new TFO Switch Pro 2 reated in theory less than MS3.
I know Echo makes some lighter "spey" rods, but did not test them yet with scandi/spey line as most shows have them with skagit- I do not want to cast far with z brick!!!
Streamer fishing I am fine with MS 3 or 4 with sinking line on large rivers but I cast it overhead. Just lazy to use one hand, less tiring than single hand sinking line fishing.
For the same reason (laziness, poor stamina) I use MS 4 and 3!!! in the ocean fishing for saltwater cutthrout and even coho!! I use long belly I lines for such purpose. Overhead casting of course- lots of room in the ocean
5 weight micro spey is in my hand and opinion regular light Spey rod I use for summer steelhead and everything else including stripped bass in Atlantic. Fun.
Perhaps I fish too light in your opinion but I rearly hook monster fish and I have no problem fighting bigger fish quickly in mS butts. I use so called MIcro Spey to have more fun and to cast calssic spey methods in rivers and still feel the fish. With overhead casting on open water it is just less tiring than using single hand.
(No, I am not a skagt fun. I fish skagit to go deep in the winter for steel, of course. )

 

[cab]

Got a 5 wt combo to try and learn how for my Big Alaska Trip. Thanks to this forum and YouTube, I picked up enough to catch a few salmon with Ard, fun stuff! I keep it around for kicks, cuz sometimes you just gotta launch that streamer clear to the other side of the river.....

CAB

 

[ryc72]

Recently got a loomis imx pro 11’11” 3wt trout spey and it is a ton of fun to fish. To start I went with a running line and head system and will eventually get an integrated line as well. The world of two handed casting is so much fun that even a slow day of fishing is great...tough not to smile when you make a cast and the running line snaps against the guides...immensely satisfying. And I have also come to appreciate the slower pace of fishing. Set your anchor, make a cast, maybe throw in a mend and then just let the fly just swing away. Not only do you cover a lot of water, the real benefit of this way of fishing is that you don’t have to look at your dry fly, indicator, sighter...you actually get a chance to look around and take in your surroundings...something I don’t do often enough when I’m fishing a single hand rod. And then when you get that hard tug on a tight line as you are looking around taking it all in, WOW. Just about the perfect fishing moment.