troutlover Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 I am going to go chase some steel this fall and i need to buy a spey rig in the next few weeks to start practicing the cast. Question i have is what length and weight? i am looking at the Hardy zenith 8wt 13ft. Second question is if i buy a spey for the bow say a 4wt and practice with that is it going to cast a lot different from the 8wt and will i not have the "feel" for the 8 when i go to fish for steel? Should i stick to practicing with what i am going to use. last questions the advice i have been given by a very experienced steel chaser is stick to skagit does anyone have recommendation for lines? Thanks for any help. ..... on a side note if anyone wants to take me out and show me a thing or two i give really good hugs.....whaaaaaat?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishpro Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 By no means am I an expert, but I was in your position a year ago. An 8 or 9 weight will be a good all around rod for steelhead. As for lines, I used the Rio Skagit Flight and found it was good, stick with any skagit as it will turn over heavy tips and flies better. With either Rio or Airflo, you can go online and view a chart for recommendations for line weight for your rod. I used the heavy end of that guide and it worked well (Rio gives a range of weights). My biggest piece of advise is to take a lesson, with private lessons being the best. I did just a two hour lesson and it helped me a ton, then I did some practice on the water 4 or 5 times, and was able to cast effectively after that. You don't need to be a fantastic caster to catch fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeler Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Definitely practice with the rod you'll be using. A 13' wt is a good place to start but also try shorter lengths to see how they feel as well. If you're going to be doing alot of casting without the need for distance the lighter weight and shorter length can reduce fatigue a bit. Fishtales does have skagit head kits available for dialing in the weight that feels best to you once you have a rod. As mentioned, get lessons once you have the rod to get rid of any kinks in your casting before they become habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkk Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Go with an 8 wt. The hardy zenith 8wt is actually a 13'6 rod. Great length for a first rod, one that you will always use, even if you get any other steelhead rods later on (shorter or longer). It is a very easy casting rod that takes very little effort.I like it with a 510gr - 540gr airflow intermediate compact skagit and a type 3- 129gr 15 ft sink tip with whatever fly I want. You can also use 15 ft of type 6 sink tip if need be. For dryfly the 510 - 540gr compact scandi and a 12ft leader. My preference is the 510 for both, but almost like splitting hairs. Rio's recommendations are a little on the heavy side. The zeniths definitely don't like being overloaded. Ian Gordon designed those rods and on his website he recommends 500 - 550 gr for skagit style lines. More grains for longer lines. I seem to have gravitated towards airflow lines for all shooting heads, I like how they cast and they last longer than the rio lines. Rods are so light these days that a 8wt isn't going to give any more fatigue than a shorter 7wt. A shorter lighter rod is one that might be better for smaller steelhead on smaller rivers. Get a 5 wt (great on the bow) and fish the hell out of it. Dont get a switch, i think they are just a basterized overhead rod and a basterized Spey rod, good for neither. And also get out with the rod you will use for steelhead. If using compact lines on both the stroke is essentially the same with only small variances due to a slightly different rod length. And getting lessons is worth it's wt in gold. Dont let your casting inability minimize your steelhead experience. Don't bother taking out the line kit from fish tales, it will only confuse yourself because you won't be able to tell the difference. Go with recommends from an experienced shop. The line company's and rod company's usually give recommended line wt for each rod. I find the one from the rod company usually the closest. Are you thinking of buying the hardy at Fishtales? I am a Hardy prostaffer with 20yrs of Spey casting under my belt. If you buy one pm me and I will take you out for a couple of hours and give you the basics. Lots of good videos of different casts on utube - have a look because it with give you some great insite. Peter Kirkegaard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxwell Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Pete nailed it! give me a shout if your looking to get out dude once your sorted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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