New Spey Gear

[toolman]

Picked up a couple of new reels and three new lines for my two Spey Rods today. I went with 2 new Pfleuger Trion #1912, 10-12 wt., 4" O.D. large arbor reels and one spare spool, from my good buddy George at Wholesale Sports.

They are lined with an Airflow 7/8/9, 450gr. Scandi Shooting Head, with Ridgeline #20 running line.

An Airflow Skagit, 6/7, 440gr. Shooting Head, with Ridgeline #30 running line.

I lined the spare Spool with a SA, XLT 6/7, 85' Head, Distance Spey line. I know, you're thinking an 85' head is ridiculous on a 12'6", 5/6 Spey rod, but I love long lines and I'm going to see if I can cast this thing. The price was right on this line, thanks to Dave at Fish Tales, who also provided all of the Airflow lines. Big thanks to Elliot on the great job with lining the spools, running line and over 250yrds of #30 backing for each line. I won't be spooled out by a Bow river Trout ever again.

 

I was dying to try them this evening and had plans for an outing on the Bow with friends, but... and there is often a "but" in this life....I got called into work tonight and had to cancell the fishing plans...

[CDone]

Had a chance to cast some CND rods at a get together on the Squamish in the spring, most of their lines were 85' +, takes a little getting used to but once you get the timing down you can really blast out a cast. I have a couple Trion's in trout size and I find them to be great reels for the price.

 

Colin

[toolman]

I am ordering a new CND GPS 5/6 Spey line next week. I've heard they are phenomenal lines and can't wait to try one.

[SilverDoctor]

I am ordering a new CND GPS 5/6 Spey line next week. I've heard they are phenomenal lines and can't wait to try one.

 

 

I've been looking at the CND also and hope to test one out on the Meiser in the next week or so. Looks like a great line with super reviews.

[toolman]

Next time we get out Speyfishing together S.D., you can try my new Shooting head systems. I think the Scandi Head will work well with the TFO 6wt. Pro Series, as these rods have a very fast action, suitable for underhand casting. The Skagit Head and XLT Distance line should work well with the DC series Rod.

I bought two different sizes of the Ridgeline running lines, in 20lb. and 30lb., to see how well they will float, mend and shoot in different conditions. Anyone using Miracle Braid for running line with their shooting head systems?

[speyghillie]

Hey Toolman, looks like there's now stopping you now.

I hope to have a company that is dedicated to Spey fishing with rods,lines and everything else Spey becoming a sponsor of this site, and the company will be based not far from Calgary, also hope they are going to sponsor a Spey gathering

on the Bow, just trying to sort out the detail, hopefully i can get this done before i get there, so watch this space.

Going to have some nice Spey gear with me in September at really good prices because i get it trade price, so you will get it much cheaper than the stores.

Gordon.

[dino]

Next time we get out Speyfishing together S.D., you can try my new Shooting head systems. I think the Scandi Head will work well with the TFO 6wt. Pro Series, as these rods have a very fast action, suitable for underhand casting. The Skagit Head should work well with the DC series Rod.

I bought two different sizes of the Ridgeline running lines, in 20lb. and 30lb., to see how well they will float, mend and shoot in different conditions. Anyone using Miracle Braid for running line with their shooting head systems?

Let me know how you like the new Airflo Skagit. They are a little longer than the Rio's @ ~32' vs 27'.

How much were the running lines?

 

Dean

[SilverDoctor]

Hey Toolman, looks like there's now stopping you now.

I hope to have a company that is dedicated to Spey fishing with rods,lines and everything else Spey becoming a sponsor of this site, and the company will be based not far from Calgary, also hope they are going to sponsor a Spey gathering

on the Bow, just trying to sort out the detail, hopefully i can get this done before i get there, so watch this space.

Going to have some nice Spey gear with me in September at really good prices because i get it trade price, so you will get it much cheaper than the stores.

Gordon.

 

A Bow River Spey Clave would be great. I'll look forward to September.

[SilverDoctor]

Next time we get out Speyfishing together S.D., you can try my new Shooting head systems. I think the Scandi Head will work well with the TFO 6wt. Pro Series, as these rods have a very fast action, suitable for underhand casting. The Skagit Head should work well with the DC series Rod.

I bought two different sizes of the Ridgeline running lines, in 20lb. and 30lb., to see how well they will float, mend and shoot in different conditions. Anyone using Miracle Braid for running line with their shooting head systems?

 

I'm out in BC till mid next week but will give you a shout then for some Spey and slay. Also have a few new flies I need you to test that seem to work...

[toolman]

SilverDoctor, looking forward to getting out on the water and I always like new flys to swing.

Gordon, hopefully we will get another good turnout in September for a Spey gathering.

Dino, the Ridgeline running lines in #20 and #30 are $38.95 ea., at Fish Tales Fly Shop in Calgary.

The Pfleuger Trion 10-12wt. reels were $160 ea. and spare spools at $85 ea.

[MMAX]

I wonder how a spey set-up would work on the Red Deer below the dam? Any thoughts?

[Hawgstoppah]

SilverDoctor, looking forward to getting out on the water and I always like new flys to swing.

Gordon, hopefully we will get another good turnout in September for a Spey gathering.

Dino, the Ridgeline running lines in #20 and #30 are $38.95 ea., at Fish Tales Fly Shop in Calgary.

The Pfleuger Trion 10-12wt. reels were $160 ea. and spare spools at $85 ea.

 

Greg... are the running lines... the lines that are the different weight classes (for different depths on the swing)?? Don't guys just carry a leader pouch for those, or do you actually need to have each one on a separate spool?

[toolman]

The running lines are attached with factory loops to the short Shooting Head systems. The Ridgline floating running lines, are 110' in length and are connected to the backing at the other end. A good running line needs to shoot well on the cast, float well to be able to throw a long mend from your rod tip out to the head you have casted 70'-100' or more. Polyleaders or Sink tips are looped to the end of the Shooting Heads. I use a Leader Wallet for all of my Poly Leaders and Sink Tips.

 

MMAX, Spey rods are a real pleasure to cast and fish with. I highly recomend this style and method of fishing.

It's so much fun, even if the fishing is slow.

[toolman]

Had a chance to work with my two new Shooting Heads on the weekend. I really enjoyed casting the Scandi Head system and find it to be a good match for my TFO Pro Series rod. The Skagit Head takes a little getting used to, but it sure can fire out a big sink tip with two weighted streamers. I caught and landed a few trout on each Head system.

I did not like the loop connections from the running line to the heads and I worry that they may get hung up in the rod guides when landing a large fish. If I were to buy another Shooting Head System (very likely), I will get the type with the integrated running line to eliminate the loop to loop connection. It will shoot through the guides a lot better.

I hope to try my XLT long distance line this evening. I might even do a little fishing too.

I'll let you know how it goes...

[lonefisher]

Yeah TM I read your suggestions in the other thread for lines that you had that would cast well on my new rod and I appreciate the suggestions but I have been looking at the spey skagit deluxe with tips from SA...... think that would be a good choice for me? I remember you saying that the skagit lines would likely be good for the big streamer type fishing I will be wanting to do this fall...... I will likely pick up some other lines next year for fishing the other presentations and dries ect but for a good streamer tossing line would you and spey ghillie reccomend this line or another one? Just looking and now I am not sure if this is a full line or just the head......I thinh its just the head with tips which would mean I need to add a shooting line as well eh?

[lonefisher]

yes I would have to add a running line...... think I might opt for this one as I am pretty sure it has a built in running line

Scientific Anglers Mastery™ Spey Shorthead Multi Tip ........ its a shorthead so it should be a skagit style line right?

[toolman]

yes I would have to add a running line...... think I might opt for this one as I am pretty sure it has a built in running line

Scientific Anglers Mastery™ Spey Shorthead Multi Tip ........ its a shorthead so it should be a skagit style line right?

 

 

The SA Mastery Shorthead Multi-Tip Line is not a Skagit Head. It is a short belly Spey line with a selection of tips that attach to the line, for a total head length of 61' (6wt.), with a tip attached. A 450 grain Rio Skagit head is 27' long and 10'-15' tips are added to the head. The multi tip line has an intergrated running line where as the Skagit system is just the head, which is looped onto the running line. I like 30lb. running line as it mends well, but others like 20lb. running lines as it shoots a little further, but does not mend as well in the wind or at distance. For lake fishing where mending is not a big issue, 20lb. will cast your Skagit head a little further. Skagit heads can be cast with almost no back casting room, using a frontal water anchor created with the line. Skagit heads can also carry bigger sink tips and turn over heavier flys at a distance than a Short belly Spey line, and they can also be used for drys or at any depth in the water colum. They are a bit spashy when they land, as the line weight that is needed to load the rod is concentrated into a short piece of large diameter flyline. Traditional Spey lines use the weight of the head and the length of the longer head on the water to form an anchor, to load the rod on the cast.

The Multi tips system is a good versatile line for many applications and a good choice if you were to buy only one line to fish rivers and lakes with all types of flys/presentations through the entire water colum, from surface to bottom.

If you only want to fish lakes with big sink tips and splashy landings are ok, then the Skaggit will be a good choice for those conditions, but you need to strip the running line back in to be able to recast the head again. Stipping line in freezing conditions is not a lot of fun, so I prefer a traditional spey line when it is cold out.

[lonefisher]

Thanks a ton toolman this technical stuff seems harder then the casting itself..... I am still a little torn on what system to go with as I do not really want to buy several lines and running lines ect all at once..... Plus a reel..... Do you use the big reels (10-12 I think) just for the extra backing capability or is it also for a better balance on the rod? Its gonna be a week or 2 before I can get to a shop that will have anything close to a 10-12 wt reel and was planning on rigging up my okuma slv 7-8wt large arbor for the time being so I can atleast toss a line when I get the rod...... I know that I will not be running into many fish that can strip all my line and backing unless I hook something HUGE on the lower bow which will not be till after I get a bigger reel.

[toolman]

I use the 11-12wt. reel for a few reasons. 1. Balance... 2. Large diameter spools reel line in faster... 3. the large reels can be used for larger spey lines/rods, which I will purchase in the future.

[lonefisher]

Makes sense Toolman thanks for all your help!

 

PS the rod was ordered on thursday shipped on the friday before the long weekend and just arrived at 1pm today the tuesday after the long weekend...... I call that fast shipping.... Rod looks awesome and feels awesome although it does feel really long. The next 8 hours of work today and 6 tommorrow morning are gonna feel really long but I should have time to toss a couple loops before my afternoon shift tommorrow...... I can't wait as I know a few browns that I have never been able to easily reach from shore who may be the first to fall victim to the big stick....... All I can say is that with my GLX getting back to me yesterday and my new spey today I have had a great week for rods so far......

[toolman]

You're gonna love that Spey rod when you get it lined up and balanced properly. It has great sensitivity and the slower action of this long rod will help keep the trout on when using smaller hooks. If you can come into the city, we will try a bunch of lines/leaders on it and you will see how important it is too have a balanced line/reel/leader system and how well it will cast when it does.

 

Edit:

Lonefisher,

Dave at Fish Tales Fly shop has allowed me to take the G Loomis Streamdance Metolious 13'4" 5/6 for another test drive so that I can try it with my new lines. I'll let you know the results in a few days.

[lonefisher]

Toolman I wish I had camera today...... I paired the rod up with my SA double taper 6wt line, bauer jm reel, and 10ft3x leader and lead weighted Bow river bugger in olive and brown. I just wanted to toss some sort of rig on there to try and cast it..... first few casts were pretty sloppy but I finally really slowed it down and discovered it had beautiful response at slower speeds. So I started down the bow here in canmore basically just to get the feel of it..... I worked about 100 yards of river before coming to the main bridge in town. I casted out at the bridge pillar and quickly scurried under the bridge as I would not have been able to cast or hold the rod upright under the bridge...... Once emerging from the otherside I mended downstream to pick the bugger off the bottom. I kinda figured the rod would not be as sensitive to takes as a shorter rod..... wrong..... just as the bugger lifted off the bottom I felt a rod shaking thunk..... Crap snag I thought for a millisecond before the line peeled up past the pillar and around it into the current...... I quickly readjusted my drag as I had it super super tight and was surprised the line had taken that hit. Then I started to tork the fish back around the pillar I wasn't sure whether I would get her around but once she came around I new she was in the bag. About 30 seconds later after figuring out how to get the line controled with my hand with such a long rod I cradled a female brown of atleast 23 inchs...... my biggest (brown) out of the bow for the past 2 months (mind you I have not fished the lower bow since there was still some ice cept once for about an hour after fishing the highwood area). I admired the fish and took a quick measure and let her go....... Where she was landed though I would have been hard pressed to get a pic anyway but I would have loved to get a pic of the first fish on this rod. Anyways I figured that was a good first session and headed home to get ready for work Gotta say I love the line control and simple casts the long rod enables you to make..... another addiction.

 

AS to your post I would LOVE to hear the results from your line tests..... And I thank you for taking the time to do it.

 

Edit

I will try and get into the city here sometime and would love to hook up wih you and test some stuff out I will try and find the time

[toolman]

That's awesome Chris...

An officail welcome to the Spey Brotherhood is in order, since you have allready landed a big trout with your new Spey rod and on your first outing.

[lonefisher]

When do I get my Scottish Accent and flask of whisky? ...... This spey thing is tough not only do I have to learn about heads, grains, tips, and anchors I have to learn about malts and whisky ageing.....

[toolman]

Just think of what your gonna look like in a kilt, wet wading, casting and drunk on cheap scotch, with the rest of us cheering you on. Did I not mention the initiation ceremony that Speyghille and I are hosting for you and Glenbow?

Gordon talked me out of making you guys do the blindfolded river crossing for the final rite of passage....something about it's not covered in his Ghillies insurance policy or somethin'. You did'nt think it was going to be that easy to join the Clan, now did you? .

 

ps. Be sure and hide those fancy shooting head lines too, if Gordies around...he's kind of a traditionalist when it comes to these matters.