Your Input

[flyangler]

I was contemplating a TFO Pro two hander and wondered if I would really be that much better off with a 9 wt that's 14' than with a 8wt 13' 3"? Total novice here.

 

We're fishing the Skeena system this fall. I have a one hand 8wt and access to spinning and casting rods for this trip.

[toolman]

I would say that it depends on the type of fishing you prefer to do. Skagit shooting heads are suited to shorter, softer actions rods, such as the TFO Deer Creek series and the use of long/heavy sink tips and big flies, usually fished deep.

Longer rods with softer actions are best suited to traditional long belly lines and shorter sink tips. These lines are also available as a Multi tip system, to fish from surface to bottom.

Longer fast action rods like the TFO pro series, work well with Scandi Shooting heads for surface presentations, but not as suitable for fishing heavy sink tips. The Pro series has a Skagit model as well.

So it's a matter of the type of fishing you like to do and the conditions you are fishing. I have both series of these TFO rods in the same length and line weight, with 3 different types of lines and have all options to effectively fish any type of water, at any depth, in all conditions.

The longer the Rod/Line size, the farther you can cast heavier sink tips and flys.

Best to try a couple of different rod sizes and line systems before you buy.

I really like the TFO DC series, as it is great for Skagit Heads, Traditional Spey lines or with a Multi-tip system.

[flyangler]

I'll probably go to the dark side for fishing sub surface. I'd like the spey rod for skating flies. So can I save a little weight with the smaller rod reel and line set up, or will I just not be able to deliver the fly where it needs to go on a big river without a 14' rod?

 

Thank you for your reply, I just maybe don't know enough to ask smart questions.

[speyghillie]

Hi flyangler,

If you can wait another wee while and come along to a little spey get together you will have the chance to try out different rods and lines and see what suits you, there is very little difference between 13ft 3in and 14ft for weight, line or distance

for skating flies, a longer bell line will give you much more control over a skated fly , easier to manouver the fly and mend the line, running line has very little chance of doing this as the line is so thin, and at any sort of distance it can become useless at controlling the fly.

Gordon.

[flyangler]

A longer bell line?

 

Do you plan to come down to Minneapolis any time soon?

[speyghillie]

Hi Flyangler,

Sorry no Minneapolis for me, but hopefully we can all help with questions, and there are Speycasters near you i'm sure, as there are Speycasters all over the world ( it's a terrible addiction).

At the Spey right now, next stop Calgary.

But if you have any questions, we all i'm sure will try and help out.

Thanks Gordon.

[flyangler]

Thank you. Now, a longer bell line?

[lonefisher]

I'm guessing he meant a longer belly line...... basically means that instead of a short shooting head and a longer running line it has a longer head hence a longer belly..... Really though I should not be guessing as I know next to nothing about spey lines but as I understand the longer belly line is going to have a much longer fat section before tapering down to the running line. This thicker line will make mending a long line easier....... I think

[speyghillie]

Hi Flyangler,

A long belly line is as Loneangler decribes, Speycasting lines come in all shapes and sizes, just the same as single-handed lines or Trout lines, all short or long belly lines are tapered to what is call the head of the line , after that the line gets thinner to make it easier to shoot more line , most new lines have a colour change at the head so you can where the head or heaviest part of the line is, makes it easier to see while fishing , because heavier line will throw lighter line ( it can never be the other way round ) the idea is to draw the line until the head of the line is at the tip of the rod, this will maximum the line for a speycast.

If you know the river you are fishing try and get a line to suit, i have sent you a PM and hope it will help with fishing the Skeena area.

Gordon.

[flyangler]

Very helpful! Thank you for these replies and Speyghillie also for the PM.

[flyangler]

We were shopping for our drift fishing needs and happened to find a pretty good deal on a two handed rod. We got a St. Croix Legend Ultra 7/8 wt 14'. The reel is a Cabela's LSR #4, which is actually a large arbor 9/10

 

We haven't gotten a line yet. Any thoughts on that? Multi-tip or not?

[toolman]

Congrats flyangler, that is a reputable rod by St. Croix and I have heard good things about its performance. I would recommend a multi tip line to cover all of the fishing conditions you will encounter. I have not casted this particular rod, so any line recommendations will be based on product name and reputation, rather than first hand casting experience. Also, I would recommend that you ask the folks who sold you the St. Croix, what the grain window is for the rod, so that a balanced line system, that matches the grain load required to cast the rod properly can be deterimined. Most lines in a 7/8wt. should be fine. That said, the CND, GPS multi tip line seems to work for just about everyone and is highly rated. I own and use a few different Airflow Spey lines that all perform well and would recommend them. Silver Doctor owns the Airflow 7/8 Multi tip system and he may be able to comment on his experience casting/fishing with it.

Now get that rig lined up with 30 lb. backing, a new line and start swinging.

Welcome to the wonderfull world of Spey! You're gonna love it...

 

ps. Are you certain it is a 14' 7/8wt.? I looked at the company's site and St. Croix lists the Legend Ultra 7/8wt. as a 13' rod and the 14' as an 8/9wt. Click on Rod Specifications at the bottom of the page at the St. Croix site link below.

http://www.stcroixrods.com/rods/default2.a...amp;section=fly

http://cndspeyusa.com/Pages/gpslines.html

http://www.flylines.com/Flylines_AirfloFly...ey_MultiTip.cfm

[flyangler]

 

ps. Are you certain it is a 14' 7/8wt.? I looked at the company's site and St. Croix lists the Legend Ultra 7/8wt. as a 13' rod and the 14' as an 8/9wt.

 

 

See, that's what happens when I type on a different floor than the rod I'm typing about. My memory is quite sieve-like where numbers are concerned. I didn't want to go with a 9/10, that was my psychological barrier in the store, even if it meant a shorter rod. But the dh (dear husband) was impressed with the quality of this model and the deep discount.

 

Thanks for the line rec's.

[flyangler]

We settled on the Rio Windcutter line in 7/8/9 wt. which we'll pick up tomorrow. My speycasting teacher is taking a break because he came down with Lyme disease! I'll have to do some more grass casting.

[SilverDoctor]

We settled on the Rio Windcutter line in 7/8/9 wt. which we'll pick up tomorrow. My speycasting teacher is taking a break because he came down with Lyme disease! I'll have to do some more grass casting.

 

If you intend to practice on grass you should check out a grass casting practice leader either commercial or make your own. They are basically a leader with short 2" pieces of mono or leader material tied onto about a 12" length. It grips at he grass to try and simulate water drag on the bottom of the D loop. I does help to simulate the action but nothing is like casting on water.

[flyangler]

If you intend to practice on grass you should check out a grass casting practice leader either commercial or make your own. They are basically a leader with short 2" pieces of mono or leader material tied onto about a 12" length. It grips at he grass to try and simulate water drag on the bottom of the D loop. I does help to simulate the action but nothing is like casting on water.

 

 

Good point! I thought of practicing with my regular 8wt line on the grass. It has a beat up old leader on it. Will I be missing a lot on the grass if I don't use my nice new Rio?

[toolman]

The regular WF 8wt. line will not be heavy enough to load the rod properly, especailly on the grass. A grass leader is an inexpensive alternative for practise on the lawn with your Windcutter Spey line. Each rod has a miminum and maximum amount of load that can be placed on it to allow it to cast properly. The grass leader tries to mimick the extra load that you would normally get from the line/leader forming an anchor when it is laying on the water at the begining of the cast.

[flyangler]

So I need a foot of mono tied in two inch segments at the end of a leader?

[toolman]

I have never used one, so I can't tell you much more than the reason why one is used when casting on grass. I thought they were longer than a foot, but I don't know exactly what the correct length would be. Maybe SilverDoctor or Speyghille will be able to make a recommendation.

These guys will have what you are looking for. http://www.redshedflyshop.com/

[speyghillie]

Hi Flyangler,

A grass leader can be made with about six feet of mono just notted, or you can put little pieces of line like fishing with droppers, just get some heavy mono tie some knots in it and try it, it really is just to snag the grass enough than you can make an anchor without the line just sliding on the grass, this way you can form your D loop.

Hope this helps.

Gordon.

[flyangler]

Hi Flyangler,

A grass leader can be made with about six feet of mono just notted, or you can put little pieces of line like fishing with droppers, just get some heavy mono tie some knots in it and try it, it really is just to snag the grass enough than you can make an anchor without the line just sliding on the grass, this way you can form your D loop.

Hope this helps.

Gordon.

 

Excellent! I can do that.

[flyangler]

What kind of leader would you use with my set up? Shall I tie some knotted leaders or do you think a knotless leader for each of the heads would be best for fishing

[toolman]

I would recommend Airflow, 14' Polyleaders, 24lb. core, in an intermediate sink type, to extra super fast sink type, for fishing at different water depths. A short piece of tippet, 2' - 4' is added to the pre looped end as required. I use regular Mono and Fluro tapered leaders in 10'-15" lengths for dry flys. I also use 10' Polyleaders with 12lb. core, intermeditate to extra super fast sink rate, for swinging small flys sub surface.

Learning what leader type and size to use for different fly sizes/weights and fishing conditions is important and I would start with these leaders.

Hawgstoppah and I should be up in Terrace/Smithers area, around Sept. 28th-30th, fishing for 4-5 days. We'll try and hook up.

 

I'm assuming that your Windcutter is a standard line and not the multi-tip line.

[Mykiss]

The system I run on all my tips from intermediate all the way through to my t-14 is 2-4 feet max of maxima....the reason for this is mono floats and the tip sinks so if you run longer than that it kind of defeats the purpose of running tips....Turn over is never a problem as maxima is a pretty stiff mono.

[flyangler]

Toolman, it will be cool to meet you guys. We get to the area on the first of October. PM me on how we'd reach you.

 

I have the multi tip windcutter spey line. Should I just use a few feet of maxima on each tip and tie the fly to the maxima? Then, I assume that I'd replace the maxima as needed, just like tippet.

 

My practice session on an actual river went ok. After about an hour, I got to the point where I could deliver 10 double spey casts in a row to the intended target, but only with my left (non dominant) hand on top. That didn't make me sore, either .