Switch Setup For Sink Tips And Big Flies.

[bowbuster]

Ok, i have a 8wt reddington switch 11'3. I have both 450 and 475 gr skagit heads. Ive been swingin tips and big flies on the margaree the last month or so and dont seem to be getting the setup quite right. I can throw em outy there a ways but i think i should be getting more out of my rod as far as distance. Im not using a cheater. Made some type 5-6ish tips from an old singlehand line i had. Used diff lengths. Tied directly to the head, 12-20 inch tippet to that. Sometimes it seemed like i would blow my anchor and everything would just land in a mess. Other times i would kill it and bomb away. When it was working out i was only in knee deep water and the deeper i got the harder it was to get the line out far. I tried both heads and found the 450 a little better but my rod is rated for the 475 rio skagit short. Do the tips make much of a difference as far as weight is concerned or mostly the length to sustain the anchor better (stick). What should i be using for a tip length. Should i be using small cheaters with shorter sink tips to get a certain length and should this tip always be the same length regardles of how long the sinking part of the tip is? for example..............always 15 foot tip.....5foot floater-10 foot sink.................10foot floater -5 foot sink ect for a total of 15 feet? Ive only been out with the rod for about 10 days altogether so im still learning. Each time i try something different. im guessing the length of my tip is the factor that i have to figure out but not sure. How far should i be getting out there with my flies. Ive read 60-75 feet. i might have gotten 60 but deff not 75. Anyways , hope theres a spey junkie out there that can simplify things for me. Oh and by the way , i dont throw weighted flies, they r illegal on my home river for atlantics.

[toolman]

Your Skagit Head + sink tip + tippet should add up to between 3x - 3.5x the rods length. So, for a 11'3" rod, that would equal a 34' min. - 39' max. line system length. Use the shorter 3x ratio for larger/heavier flies and the longer 3.5x ratio for smaller flies, longer tippet. Tippet lengths should run from about a min. 2' to maybe 5'-6' on average.

For sink tips, consider fixed 10' level sections of T-8, T-11 or alternatively, 10' Rio Mow tips in T-8 or T-11. link: http://www.rioproducts.com/product.php?recKey=157

Also, consider picking up a copy of Ed Wards "Skagit Master" dvd. link: http://skagitmaster.com/

Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Greg

[bowbuster]

Your Skagit Head + sink tip + tippet should add up to between 3x - 3.5x the rods length. So, for a 11'3" rod, that would equal a 34' min. - 39' max. line system length. Use the shorter 3x ratio for larger/heavier flies and the longer 3.5x ratio for smaller flies, longer tippet. Tippet lengths should run from about a min. 2' to maybe 5'-6' on average.

For sink tips, consider fixed 10' level sections of T-8, T-11 or alternatively, 10' Rio Mow tips in T-8 or T-11. link: http://www.rioproducts.com/product.php?recKey=157

Also, consider picking up a copy of Ed Wards "Skagit Master" dvd. link: http://skagitmaster.com/

Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Greg

Thanks dude. So , do i need to add any floating tip if im using a shorter sinktip. Ive spliced an old 10wt singlehand line to a few piesec of sinking line but havent tried them yet. They al total about 15 feet with 10/5 6/9 3/12 floating/sinktip ratio. I think they r like the mow tip idea. gotta get out i guess any try it. Ill let u know how i make out. Thanks again!

[headscan]

If you're blowing your anchor try slowing down your cast, particularly the sweep and D-loop formation. Your cast isn't going as far when you wade deeper because the bottom of your D-loop might be hitting the water. Try doing your sweep and D-loop formation a bit higher when you wade deep. You still won't get the same distance wading deep - I think I read an estimate that you lose almost 10' of casting distance for every foot deeper you are. If you're planning on doing a lot of deep wading and need distance you might want to look at a longer rod. If you can, try to find a casting instructor out there. It's amazing how much you can improve in a single day with qualified instruction.

 

If you keep the length of your sink tip shorter than the length of your rod it'll be easier to cast. I use the 15' Rio tips cut back to 12' on my 12'6" rod. It'll still cast the full 15' tips, but not as nicely as 12'. If you're fishing different tip lengths, you can slow down your cast to keep from blowing your anchor on the very short ones or can compensate the tip length with a cheater. That's the whole concept behind the Rio Skagit MOW tips. Go with whatever you feel most comfortable with and adjust your cast to tip length/weight as necessary.

[bowbuster]

thanks guys for the input. Very helpfull indeed. Im headin out to a lake tomorrow to do some practicing. Got a bunch of tips set up to try out and will switch between heads. I think my problem is i over power my cast trying to rip everything out of the water to get more distance along with the tip setup ive been using. SO............what size rod should i invest in. My home salmon river is quite large and alot of the runs are hard to fish with lots of brush and bushed behind u. I def want a skagit head but just not sure of size of rod . kinda leanin to an 8wt. Will be swingin heavy tips and non-weighted flies. Also small stuff in the summer(size 4-8) and bomber dries and various skaters. might keep the switch for the lighter stuff tho. Thanks again for the info guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ogilvie]

thanks guys for the input. Very helpfull indeed. Im headin out to a lake tomorrow to do some practicing. Got a bunch of tips set up to try out and will switch between heads. I think my problem is i over power my cast trying to rip everything out of the water to get more distance along with the tip setup ive been using. SO............what size rod should i invest in. My home salmon river is quite large and alot of the runs are hard to fish with lots of brush and bushed behind u. I def want a skagit head but just not sure of size of rod . kinda leanin to an 8wt. Will be swingin heavy tips and non-weighted flies. Also small stuff in the summer(size 4-8) and bomber dries and various skaters. might keep the switch for the lighter stuff tho. Thanks again for the info guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The guys have it quite right with all their replys...however, the most important thing for you to consider is to actually slow it down and see what is going on. Since you are only fishing small flies after Atlantics what are you doing with a Skagit?I fish the Atlantic and rarely see the need for a Skagit. If you can pick up the summer edition of the Canadian Fly Fisher you will see an article by Paul Marriner(your local writer and fly fisher who also uses a Switch). Your 11'3" Reddington is actually a small Spey rod,splitting hairs yes! but it is a Spey. You might consider thinking about a line more designed for small flies such as Bombers and other deer hair dries. There are some spectaculr lines out there for you ...don't get stuck in the Skagit mind set. I am sure your water is high these days...another thing to think about is that you are casting a very heavy shooting head system that is in fact too heavy for what you want. If you send me your address I can send you a Beulah Elixir for an 8wt Switch and it isn't 470 grains!380 grains...

FYI there will be a spey casting demo and clinic in NS early next Spring...we will be posting it on various sites...keep in touch...in the meantime...go to "nilecreekflyshop.com" and click onto everything Spey and you will get some very helpful clues to achieve good casting skills.

C

[bowbuster]

The guys have it quite right with all their replys...however, the most important thing for you to consider is to actually slow it down and see what is going on. Since you are only fishing small flies after Atlantics what are you doing with a Skagit?I fish the Atlantic and rarely see the need for a Skagit. If you can pick up the summer edition of the Canadian Fly Fisher you will see an article by Paul Marriner(your local writer and fly fisher who also uses a Switch). Your 11'3" Reddington is actually a small Spey rod,splitting hairs yes! but it is a Spey. You might consider thinking about a line more designed for small flies such as Bombers and other deer hair dries. There are some spectaculr lines out there for you ...don't get stuck in the Skagit mind set. I am sure your water is high these days...another thing to think about is that you are casting a very heavy shooting head system that is in fact too heavy for what you want. If you send me your address I can send you a Beulah Elixir for an 8wt Switch and it isn't 470 grains!380 grains...

FYI there will be a spey casting demo and clinic in NS early next Spring...we will be posting it on various sites...keep in touch...in the meantime...go to "nilecreekflyshop.com" and click onto everything Spey and you will get some very helpful clues to achieve good casting skills.

C

Hey there island guy. I want the skagit head for tips and big streamers. I do have the elixor and it is perfect for the lighter stuff(i believe its the 380) Got it from the guys at riptide . If i do get a full spey, what setup would i need for fishing dries like bombers , rifflehitch micos, diff skaters. I do understand that a skagit would be to heavy/noisy hitting the water for dry fishing. A scandi setup? My ideal full spey will either be the 13' metaldetector or a loop(not sure which) paired with a speedrunner. Just not sure of line for dry stuff. Any word on the clinic yet? thanks for your input. greatly appreciated!!!!! Tight lines.

[ogilvie]

Hey there island guy. I want the skagit head for tips and big streamers. I do have the elixor and it is perfect for the lighter stuff(i believe its the 380) Got it from the guys at riptide . If i do get a full spey, what setup would i need for fishing dries like bombers , rifflehitch micos, diff skaters. I do understand that a skagit would be to heavy/noisy hitting the water for dry fishing. A scandi setup? My ideal full spey will either be the 13' metaldetector or a loop(not sure which) paired with a speedrunner. Just not sure of line for dry stuff. Any word on the clinic yet? thanks for your input. greatly appreciated!!!!! Tight lines.

Waiting to see what the weather says...clinic will follow..

you don't have to re-invent anything when Dry Fly Fishing with Spey set-ups...the 13' is a good option,especially in the East...My favorite line for dry fly work with a small 2 hander is a Snowbee 2D followed closely by the Snake River outfitters Vector line...for Atlantic fishing I would likely go with the 2D...

C