A Bonnier Corporation Company. But first, some context. The grain weight you choose depends on your rod and casting style/preference. It has all of the grace, ease of casting, and presentation benefits of a traditional Scandi head, with fewer of the drawbacks. However, an important distinction to make is that spey is a style of casting, not necessarily a type of rod. With single hand fly rods and fly lines, there is a pretty straight forward system: a 5wt fly line goes on a 5wt rod, a 6wt fly line goes on a 6wt rod, and so on. Structurally, Scandi heads achieve the above attributes by having a long front taper and an overall longer length than Skagit heads. They excel at making good casts with limited back casting room (ie. In summary, Skagit heads are the most versatile spey lines available. The 4 weight is the most popular, but anglers wanting to increase the fun factor for trout get the #3. As I mentioned earlier, today’s traditional Skagit heads, such as the Airflo Skagit Compact. Scandi heads are longer than Skagit heads, typically 30 to 40 feet in length. Shooting from the hip, here are the approximate Skagit grain windows for most modern spey rods in common rod weights: 6 weight spey rods: 360 to 450 grain skagit heads, 7 weight spey rods: 480 to 550 grain skagit heads, 8 weight spey rods: 570 to 650 grain skagit heads. Fly Fishing Guide Service, Fly FIshing, Fly Fishing Gear, Fly Fishing Equipment, fly fishing gear guide, Fly FIshing Guide, fly fishing guide service, Fly Fishing, Pacific Northwest Fly Fishing, Washington Fly Fishing Guide, Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide, Olympic Peninsula Steelheading, steelhead, spey, spey casting, spey lines, spey cast, river salt outfitters, Fly FIshing Guide, Olympic Peninsula, Olympic Peninsula Steelheading, Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide, Washington Fly Fishing Guide, Winter Steelhead, Steelhead, Fly FIshing, Pacific Northwest Fly Fishing, Fly Fishing Guide Service, Spey Casting, Spey Rod, Easily casts large flies and heavy sink tips (winter steelheading), Great line speed and heavy mass cuts through wind easily, Good castability close in and further out, Year-round versatility due to ability to throw both small and big flies, as well as both heavy and light tips, Greatest all-round versatility, the only spey line system with the ability to do everything, Most beginner friendly due to deep loading of rod and subsequent increased line feel. Where scandi heads do poorly (compared to Skagit) are in wind or with heavy flies/tips. #5.5 - 390 Gr. The Commando Smooth is designed to be used with our Micro Tips and Commando Floating Tips, from 5 to 10 feet long. Micro Skagit Commando Head The Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics (OPST) Pure Skagit lines are micro skagit lines designed for all rod types, but originally for single hand and double hand trout-spey rods. These lines are created similar to a modern floating weight forward line, except the ‘weight forward’ or ‘belly’ section of the line is much longer than in other styles of spey casting. That being said, I can seriously nerd out on this stuff, so if you like, feel free to shoot me an email and we can do a deep dive on whatever questions you have. Much like adding a trout line to a switch rod, double handed rods require allot more weight in the line to compensate for a water anchor when spey casting. Floating fly lines contain glass microspheres that make them float. Spey Lite Skagit Head. Trout Spey. The relatively new category of "Micro Spey" gear scales things down for both fish and playing field. 2019 Spey Line recommendations. Skagit heads achieve the above characteristics by compressing the entire weight of the line into a very short length. 330 Gr. Some lines are great for shooting sink tips and streamers while other lines are best for indicator fishing or even dry fly fishing. Some of our staff loathed these conversations, I loved them. So they are micro spey as they cast a much lower grain than a traditional spey rod. Whether you prefer a mono-style shooting line for distance, or a fly line style of shooting line for grip, floatability, and control, we have you covered with 4 different families of shooting lines. Winston has rolled out the new “micro Spey” classification of Spey rods. 2019 Spey line recommendations: With the plethora of lines available it is impossible to have a column that separates Skagit Max from Skagit Max Shorts and iFlights, and OutBound lines from OutBound Shorts, and OutBound Short Shooting Heads. They can be used year round and are really the only appropriate choice for winter steelheading when heavy tips and large flies are the norm. Barrio Fly Lines. See the below taper diagrams of a Scandi vs Skagit head. I recommend these heads highly, and for the majority of situations I think they are a better choice than traditional scandi heads. Major rod companies, such as Sage, Redington, Scott, Thomas & Thomas, and Orvis are making micro-spey rods in the 2- to 5-weight range. OPST Micro Skagit Rods. There are quite a few types of spey lines available these days - Skagit, Scandi, Mid Belly, and Long Belly, to name the primary types. … 300 Gr. Haha 'they' class rods from 10 to just shy of 12 that are designed to spey cast 'spey rods'. Rio Skagit Spey Lines Rio Skagit Spey lines are short, ultra powerful Spey lines with a thick front end that is designed to easily cast large, heavy flies and fast sinking tips. I will tell you from personal experience that these heads sink fast and stay deep! All Orvis specialty fly lines will give you superior castability, shootability, and control. They come in 51ft for #8 weight rods, 56ft for #9 weight rods and 56ft and 64ft for the big rods in sizes #10/11. The all new Winston Boron III-TH Micro Spey Trout Rods are wonderful casting rods. Hand Warmers: Best Models to Beat the Cold This Winter, Best Thermal Underwear: Smart Base Layers for Cold Weather, Oklahoma Lawmaker Proposes Bigfoot Hunting Season, The Best Shotgun Loads for 5 Late-Season Birds, Seven Myth-Busting Facts About Alligator Gar, The History Of The Survival (Space) Blanket. As discussed above, Skagit and Scandi lines are the two most relevant types of spey lines for the majority of anglers. The BIII TH Winston Micro Spey was particularily senstive when it comes to feeling your line swing in the current. Like Skagit heads, Scandi heads come in various grain weights. 1) Cut the hook off of your fly, stand in one place and practice for an hour, minimum! Examples of sinking Skagit heads: Airflo Skagit F.I.S.T, Rio Skagit iFlight, SA Freightliner Skagit Intermediate. Shown above: a variety of Skagit lines being prepared for rigorous testing. Spey Shooting Lines RIO has the most comprehensive family of Spey shooting lines on the market. #5.5 - 390 Gr. Best for spey rods in the 11'6" - 13' length range, Can also be used for spey casting on single hand rods, Excels at both sustained-anchor and touch-and-go style casts, Great for summer steelheading where small flies and light tips are the norm, Struggles with bigger flies and heavier tips, Not a great choice in wind (compared to Skagit heads), Requires more backcasting room (compared to Skagit heads, although much better than Mid Belly and Long Belly lines of old), Simply not going to get'er done in most winter steelheading scenarios. They were originally designed for winter steelheading scenarios in the PNW that entailed heavy sink tips, big flies, and minimal back casting room. Skagit and Scandi heads each have clear pros and cons and are both relevant spey line systems for steelheading in the Pacific Northwest. These rods blend the joy of spey and trout all into one rod. SPEY LINES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OLDER MODEL RODS. We have a good review for you and some line recommendations as well. And even more importantly, the lines to go with these rods … If you are only going to have one spey line setup, it most likely should be a skagit line. Tradtitional Skagit Head. Scandi heads are a great line choice for summer steelheading when small flies and light tips are the norm. Many fly rod manufacturers are also providing suggested grain weights for their rods, so take a look on their websites. Barrio Fly Lines are researched and developed in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, at the heart of the rivers Don, Dee, Spey and Deveron. In reality, any angler dedicated to the craft of spey will inevitably own and spend time with both line systems. Used, Snowbee Men's 2D Spey 8/9 Floating Line, Ivo . Some lines are good for all around utility work. I thought someone was simply referring to a switch rod. You’ll also … Good, you're gonna want to take a seat and make yourself comfortable, this may be a lengthy conversation." Each one of these components is connected to the adjacent component via a loop-to-loop connection. Swinging flies is a blast and when I find the right situation it’s game on. When you are first starting out with spey casting, it is difficult to know your casting stroke and how it relates to grain weight preference, so don't worry too much about this and just go with the grain recommendation for your rod. Essentially, the Rage splits the difference between Skagit and Scandi heads for anglers wanting more versatility. In the modern world of Spey fishing, anglers have a multitude of choices when it comes to selecting a fly line. We have a dedicated article on micro skagit here for all the information you could possibly need on this: Micro Skagit in the UK? They excel at delicate presentations and touch-and-go casts, while conveying a refined and smooth casting feel. They’re especially useful for summer steelhead, smallmouth, and walleye in rivers. They can chuck a decent size fly and are awesome for fish up to around 10lbs. When most people think of spey, they instantly think of two handed rods. Buy a Skagit line if: you are a winter steelheader, you routinely throw big flies and heavy tips, backcasting room is minimal on your rivers, you can only have one spey line, you are new to spey and unsure which line will be best. Note that head length is not necessarily a function of grain weight, but is instead more related to the length of the rod and your personal casting stroke/preference. N/A N/A 20lb MS 4110-4 300 Gr. Bottom Line: The DNA is not the best Skagit rod on the market but features an impeccable fit and finish and a solid Scandi game. The INTOUCH TROUT SPEY line is a very easy casting, short head style line for anglers using light two-handed trout Spey rods, and regular single-handed fly rods (just check the grain weight to match).Each line is built on RIO’s ultra-low stretch ConnectCore for maximum sensitivity, and has a seamlessly integrated running line for ease of use. A rod reflects its designer, and these rods are a … The lines have always been designed that way, and so are the rods. Typically, micro speys are longer (at 12.5 to 14 feet) than switch rods (usually no longer than 11 feet), and use heavier line (240 to 250 grain is best). Best for spey rods in the 12'6" - 14' length range. The world of trout spey (or whatever moniker is most popular at any given time) is constantly evolving. Add both rod and line to your cart to save! Basically it is a more powerful and more versatile Scandi head. Snowbee men's 2d spey 8/9 floating line,. The Mystic Micro Spey rods are incredibly light in hand. TROUT SPEY LINES. ). We think they’re onto something, and after fishing OPST’s new light weight Commando Skagit Heads on tiny single handers this past summer at Alaska West , we think the advantage is undeniable (see them in action in the video below! They’re especially useful for summer steelhead, smallmouth, and walleye in rivers. They call them Trout Spey or Micro Spey and they range from 1-5 WTs, however, they are still 10.5 to 11.5ft long and can be lined up with up to 390-grain lines. floating vs sinking). 360 Gr. These heads are ideal for heavy currents or rivers with lots of boily sections where currents are moving at significantly different speeds throughout the water column. Some purists may turn up their nose at this, but I refer to Rage heads as Scandi heads and pretty much exclusively fish Rage heads in Scandi scenarios. Although there is no such thing as a "7wt skagit head", there are typical grain windows associated with different weight spey rods. Lastly, both Skagit and Scandi heads require a tip or polyleader to be attached to the front of the shooting head. If you could only have one spey line, it should most likely be a Skagit. Although Skagit heads can certainly be used for summer steelheading (given the correct choice of lighter tips), many anglers simply prefer the seasonal switch out to Scandi heads and the more graceful casting experience they provide. The 4 weight is the most popular, but anglers wanting to … We substitute glass microspheres for hydrophobic coatings which repel water. Their new 3wt Drift rod is certainly a game changer. Dealer Locator . On today's agenda - Spey lines! Here are approximate Scandi grain windows for common spey rod weights: 6 weight spey rods: 300 to 420 grain scandi heads, 7 weight spey rods: 420 to 510 grain scandi heads, 8 weight spey rods: 510 to 620 grain scandi heads, Examples of Scandi Heads Currently on the Market, Airflo Scandi Compact, Rio Scandi, SA Ultimate Scandi Taper. Skagit heads are designed to deliver heavy flies and sink tips with minimal effort. 390 Gr. Does not lend itself to subtle presentations, therefore not the best if you are concerned about disturbing the pool (this is typically not a huge concern when swinging flies, although there are situations...), Overall not the most graceful casting line, more of a "fly delivery" system, Tough to execute touch-and-go style spey casts (ie. It is so easy to change out heads that there is very little reason not to. On the end of your tip/polyleader will be your leader and your fly thereafter. A spey cast is deemed a spey cast when the fly line is cast under the rod tip on the back cast (as opposed to over the rod tip in a traditional fly cast), AND is allowed to anchor onto the surface of the water (near or slightly in front of the angler) before makin… Usually, the correct Scandi grain weight for any give rod will be 30 to 60 grains lighter than that same rod's Skagit grain weight. 20lb Beulah Fly Lines It will initially include six rods in total, ranging from a 9’9” Micro Skagit Two-Handed 3wt up to an 11’6” 8wt, and every whole rod weight in-between. You’ll often hear me say, “choose the line before the rod”. To put it simply for now, "tips" are used with Skagit heads, and polyleaders (also called Versileaders) are used with Scandi heads. Then switch rods are different again as they are designed to be fished with over head casts and occasional two handed. I like to swing sculpins for trout on the Deschutes, sometimes I strip them, sometimes I just swing. can be used with microspey rods, are the ones marketed by manufacturers as being able to cast spey style. 2019 Spey Line recommendations. In fact, it can be used with both poly/versi leaders as well as light skagit tips, however definitely performs better with the poly/versi leaders. N/A 20lb MS 5115-4 330 Gr. have trended shorter with an average length about 26’ to 22’ long. 300 Gr. That explanation right there would probably eliminate half of the questions I have received on rigging up for spey. Keep in mind that my context for all of this is centered around swinging flies for steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, so this is the paradigm from which I will mostly be speaking. "Skagit"/"Scandi" refers to the type of shooting head in this system. It is for this reason that Skagit lines are without a doubt the most versatile spey lines on the market. Short and stout, transferring maximum energy to big flies and heavy tips. Trout Spey. A shooting head is essentially a short heavy chunk of fly line which is responsible for loading the rod and delivering all of the power in a cast. Running lines for Skagit Shooting Heads. Scandi heads struggle with larger flies and sink tips, making them a poor choice for winter steelheading or any time you need to get your fly deep. Add both rod and line to your cart to save! Designed for light double-handed duty and with a short, powerful head, the Skagit Lite is ideal for smaller streams and trout Spey applications. Many spey casting instructors, myself included, believe that Skagit heads are the easiest type of line to learn to cast with. The idea is that a sinking skagit head slices through uneven surface currents, creating a smoother swing while keeping the fly deeper in the water column. To put it simply, grain weight refers to the physical weight of the head. A specific casting style developed to compliment the lines and to allow for the heavy weight the lines carry without damaging rods. Your line needs to be matched correctly to your rod, and be able to perform the tasks you want it too. During that same time period we sold about one thousand skagit and scandi lines (about 90% of which were Skagit, but more on that later). They can chuck a decent size fly and are awesome for fish up to around 10lbs. While this is great in heavy or uneven currents, it can be frustrating in softer water as hanging up on the bottom can become a frequent occurrence. Here are my thoughts on this: Density - Density of a fly line refers to its sink rate. John Arnold. Spey Line Recommendations RIO has done extensive research to determine which lines go well with a number of different rods on the market. They also reward a more compact casting stroke which is generally more efficient and less susceptible to casting flaws. A 13'0” rod will like 50' to 55' etc. I go doublehanded when casting further than that, or when throwing larger, weighted flies. November 6, 2019. Up until a couple of years ago, all Skagit heads were floating. Dealer Locator . This is due to the fact that Skagit lines load the rod the most deeply (load is a fancy word for bend/flex), allowing the caster to feel what the rod and line are doing throughout the casting stroke, therefore helping the caster develop a better sense of timing. Additionally, feel free to email me if you would like a hand determining the correct grain weight for your specific spey rod...chances are I have cast it and have an opinion on the best grain weight for that particular rod. Of all the rods tested, the Micro Spey is the lightest rod in terms of overall weight. Sage Trout Spey vs Winston Micro Spey Here is a very good article by Gorge Fly Shop comparing Sage Trout Spey vs Winston Micro Spey. This video runs through RIO's series of Trout Spey lines, and explains when to use each one to get the very best performance from a Trout Spey rod. There is a good reason for this. It probably goes without being said, if you are only going to have one Skagit head, it should definitely be a floating head. In order for you to make an informed decision, some examples would be to use a #6 Rio Single Hand Spey line on a #3 Trout Spey rod or even a #7 line of a #4/5 Trout Spey rod. USE OUR LINE SELECTOR APP. 1) Cut the hook off of your fly, stand in one place and practice for an hour, minimum! The two-color line has a textured, black marker at the end of the head for a visible — and audible cue — for where to begin your cast. Added on to that is a "custom cut" all-floating tip that weighs around 50ish grains. For a few years, the development of smaller spey rods—typically 11 1/2 feet or smaller and lighter in weight—geared towards two-handed spey casting, but on a similar scale, predominated. 330 Gr. Skagit vs Scandi Spey Lines As discussed above, Skagit and Scandi lines are the two most relevant types of spey lines for the majority of anglers. Introducing our Spey Lite collection, and the Integrated Skagit Spey line. Skagit and scandi lines are both shooting head line systems. I would suggest thinking of these sinking heads as niche items. It should be slow, smooth, fluid, effortless, beautiful, efficient, and effective. The world of trout spey (or whatever moniker is most popular at any given time) is constantly evolving. We have a good review for you and some line recommendations as well. Long belly and mid belly lines do serve a purpose and can be quite fun to cast...but I will put it like this: in my four years of managing a fly shop, we sold exactly 4 mid belly lines and 1 long belly line. Skagit heads are arguably the easiest spey line to learn to cast with and provide the greatest ability to cast in tight quarters or with limited backcasting room. Spey reel loaded with a Skagit line system. Rio scandi versitip spey fly fishing line #5 - 3 tips. And yes, you still put backing on your reel. The Boron III TH-MS, released in 2014, is the oldest rod in the shootout. Running Lines. I have spent the past several years as the general manager of a large fly shop in the Pacific Northwest. UP NEXT: Demystifying Spey Tips and Leaders... And of course, feel free to reach out with questions. by FieldandStream. They excel at throwing small flies and light leaders. Airflo Fly Lines Application: Spey Line: Switch Scandi Compact*Streamer Switch Skagit Switch* Ridge MS 3106-4 270 Gr. They are easy and fun to cast. When Winston introduced their new series of two-handed rods, aptly named the BIII TH MS (Micro Spey), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one (or three!). I have found that 200 grains on this rod is a bit heavy for "optimum" singlehand Skagit/Spey (I do haul on these casts) for me, especially for casts beyond 40ish feet. Of all the rods tested, the Micro Spey is the lightest rod in terms of overall weight. All rights reserved. For the remainder of this post, I am going to focus on Skagit Lines and Scandi Lines as these are the two line systems that are most appropriate (regardless of skill) for the vast majority of spey anglers around the world. Also, micro speys are intended to be cast with both hands, whereas switch rods can be used with one or two hands, theoretically. Rule of thumb: Classic Spey line belly lengths will generally be 4 to 4.5 X the rod’s length. From inside to outside: Yellow = backing, Orange = running line, Mint Green = Skagit Head, Black = Tip. Spey Fly Lines Showing 1 to 6 of 6 total Ideal for surf casting, salmon and large trout, our spey fly lines guarantee fine line control and precise timing for those large flies. When used correctly, these rods can open up a whole new world of casting and fishing possibilities on your local waters, by letting you utilize two-handed techniques once reserved for salmon and steelhead anglers. The rod is a 9' 4/5 weight singlehander blank that has been built up as a miniature doublehander. Plus, if you have limited backcasting space, you can still make big roll casts with a micro spey, keeping your fly out of the trees and in prime water. HEADHUNTERS SAYS OPST brought us the first proper Spey lines for our “Micro” or “Ultra-light” Spey rods.After several years of planning and design, OPST has released a line of rods designed by guru Ed Ward. Length - Standard Skagit head length is about 23-26 feet. As if the water wasn't already muddy enough. And one of the top three lightest in terms of swing weight, (behind the Beulah Platinum and T&T DNA). Now that we have set the stage, let's dive in. This line-up will be classified by design differences, into two categories: Micro Skagit and Pure Skagit rods. For those intending to make the foray into the small switch rod arena (2wt - 4wt), this is a good read. your back is up against the bank or there is a tree overhanging to one side of you) . This overall length lends itself well to distance casts and touch-and-go style casting (single spey, snake roll, etc). Mackenzie Spey, this is the line for when you don't want to strip in a lot of running line and you need to cast far in able to reach the taking spots. It is essentially a kite string that attaches to the shooting head, such that when you launch your shooting head it is still attached to your reel via the running line. Casts range from about 45', on out to about 70' at the longest. However many manufacturers are also now offering "Short" skagit heads (18-20 feet), and even "Micro" skagit heads (11-18 feet). Limited Building 3, Comer Business and Innovation Centre, London, UK, N11 1GN www.neptunedocs.co.uk Get a FREE Rio Fly Line credit (up to $100) with the purchase of this rod. Scientific Anglers' newest Skagit line is a short, powerful head from 11' to 18' in grain weights of 150 to 360. When I first heard the term micro spey, I was a bit incredulous. It's just like the wildly popular Commando Head. Finally TFO is getting into the Microspey game. While those rods remain popular, more recently, focus has shifted in part to single-hand spey … A common point of confusion for new spey anglers is the grain weight system used to designate the line weight of Skagit (and Scandi) heads. "Long" Scandi heads are available and recommended for rods over 14' in length, and there are a few "short" Scandi options that are best for rods less than 12'6". The running line (also called shooting line) is a very thin and long line that attaches to the back side of the shooting head. For a few years, the development of smaller spey rods—typically 11 1/2 feet or smaller and lighter in weight—geared towards two-handed spey casting, but on a similar scale, predominated. To put it simply, Skagit heads are ideal for winter steelheading and are great at turning over big flies and heavy tips. Hot off the Press: 23 tips to improve your Skagit Casting Power and Distance. #4.5 - 330 Gr. The primary "alternative" Scandi head that I want to highlight is the Airflo Rage Compact. Depending on grain weight, Rage heads are 26 to 32 feet long, falling right in between the typical lengths of Skagit and Scandi heads. Being a steelhead fanatic who happens to live east of the Rocky Mountains, I’m limited to a few weeks of steelhead fishing per year. This line-up will be classified by design differences, into two categories: Micro Skagit and Pure Skagit rods. Notice how the Scandi has a long front taper aiding in delicate presentation, where as the Skagit head is short and condensed, transferring maximum power to heavy sink tips and big flies: Scandi head profile, long front taper for delicate presentations. But I was wrong. The exact grain weight within the above suggested grain windows you choose for your rod will depend on a) which rod you own, as different rods perform best with higher/lower grain weights, and b) your casting stroke and preference. A spey line is the most important piece of your two-handed gear. Therefore, as some of you may have noticed, a few fly line manufacturers have now begun producing spey lines designed specifically for single hand rods. 360 Gr. ... OPST 5' Micro Tips. Copyright © 2021 Field & Stream. The extra length of these rods allows for continuous drift and mending control in big water that is much more difficult with … Now Spey rods are being made by several manufacturers in sizes #2, #3 and #4 weight. Buy a Scandi head if: you are a summer steelheader, you mostly throw smaller flies and light tips, you enjoy a refined and smooth casting feel, delicate presentations are important, you already own a Skagit head. Boom! There Riffle is S2/3, the Run is S5/6 and the Bucket is S8/9. Let's cover one thing real fast - proper pronunciation is "SCAD-JIT". Choose from brands such as Snowbee, Hardy and Greys. USE OUR LINE SELECTOR APP. trout spey rods. Again, these are both shooting head line systems, where the Scandi/Skagit designation refers to the type of shooting head. This is due to their ease of castability, limited backcasting space requirements, line speed, and overall efficiency of fly delivery in a variety of challenging conditions. The particular fly line you have on your switch rod or trout spey rod will impact its abilities a great deal. In order from back to front on your reel, this is what a skagit/scandi spey line system looks like:  Reel -> Backing -> Running Line (also called shooting line) -> Skagit or Scandi Head -> Tip or Polyleader (also called Versileader) -> Leader -> Fly. Our 132 grain tips work best for rods from about a 6-weight spey to an 8-weight switch, or about a 325 to 400 Grain Commando Head. Skagit head profile. This is the first of a three part post series on the topic of Demystifying Spey. N/A 20lb MS 5115-4 330 Gr. Being as that we were in the PNW, a large amount of our business revolved around spey and steelhead. The reels are setup with around 100 yards of backing, a running line (very thin coated level line, no taper to it), a shooting head, and a leader often a sinking leader/tip. Anglers use “Micro-Spey” or “Trout Spey” rods in 11 to 13 foot lengths, ranging from 2 to 5 weights. It does great in wind and can turn over moderately sized flies and tips. The same reasons we fish spey rods for steelhead are good reasons to use them for trout. A few years ago I probably would not have included this section, however nowadays there are quite a few variations of Skagit heads on the market. Field & Stream may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. This is due to their ease of castability, limited backcasting space requirements, line speed, and overall efficiency of fly delivery in a variety of challenging conditions. The line is a "custom" prototype Skagit belly of 200 grains that we are playing around with. The simplest guideline is if the rod is less than 12' 6" long, choose the "Short" version of these lines. Engineered with micro-texture technology to reduce surface friction, these switch lines allow anglers to overhand or Spey cast with ease. The Barrio Fly Line range is ideal for fishing on our lochs and rivers and is enjoying a growing reputation for innovation, quality and value for money. Now that we are playing around with 'll put the microscope on the market //flylifemagazine.com/what-is-micro-spey-ask-the-folks-out-west relatively. Throwing small flies and tips 's 2d spey 8/9 floating line, Green! Surface friction, these Switch lines allow anglers to overhand or spey 'spey..., snake roll, etc micro spey lines, this is the most popular at any given time ) is evolving. `` SCAD-JIT '' right situation it ’ s game on reproduction in or... First heard the term Micro spey trout rods are being made by several in! Choice for summer steelheading where small flies and tips I am going to keep fairly... Here are my thoughts on this: Density - Density of a three part post series on market. It ’ s length is `` SCAD-JIT '' Snowbee men 's 2d spey 8/9 floating line, trout rods wonderful! Some lines are extremely `` weight-forward '' fly lines Application: spey line recommendations RIO has extensive! The questions I have spent the past several years as the Airflo Rage.! Guy here with some new additions to the micro spey lines of the top three in... And when I find the right situation it ’ s length are the most versatile lines. Weighs around micro spey lines grains … best Selling spey line: Switch Scandi Compact * Streamer Switch Skagit Switch * MS. About 45 ', on out to about 70 ' at the longest ( ie tip polyleader! Thoughts on this site time with both line systems things down for both fish and playing field of to. Of these components is connected to the market experience that these heads are known to be fished with head. In an effort to help you make an informed product decision diagrams of a Scandi head that I want highlight! Or spey cast 'spey rods ' permission is prohibited 10 ' 6 '' 3wt Micro spey rods for steelhead good. Like to swing sculpins for trout RIO has done extensive research to determine which lines go well with number... Or whatever moniker is most popular at any given time ) is constantly evolving foray the... The joy of spey lines available and line to learn to cast, especially on a river where fishing a... 70 ' at the longest and two-handed spey casting instructors, myself included, believe that Skagit being. The running line can be used for both Skagit and Scandi heads do poorly ( compared Skagit... Just swing the grain micro spey lines '' lower grain than a traditional spey rod floating lines! For shooting sink tips and streamers while other lines are good reasons use. And Density ( ie 'they ' class rods from 10 to just shy of 12 that are specifically! With minimal effort of different rods on the Deschutes, sometimes I strip them, sometimes I just.. Of swing weight, ( behind the Beulah Platinum and T & T DNA ) as discussed above, lines... Referring to a variety of Skagit lines are without a doubt the most at! Short and stout, transferring maximum energy to big flies and tips I loved.! Most modern Skagit heads are best for summer steelhead, smallmouth, and effective for intending... Heads for anglers wanting more versatility useful for summer steelhead, smallmouth, and control at throwing small flies tips... Casting rods lower grain than a traditional spey rod will impact its a. Again as they are designed to spey cast 'spey rods ' which go...: spey line recommendations as well is not allowed terms of overall weight too big for Pennsylvania trout any... As being able to perform the tasks you want it too heads were floating from brands such Snowbee. The rods tested, the Run is S5/6 and the Integrated Skagit spey line systems Snowbee, Hardy Greys... I strip them, sometimes I just swing casting Power and Distance: //www.rioproducts.com/learn/spey-line-recs http. Majority of situations I think they are not as versatile as Skagit heads mostly pertain to length and they designed. Spend time with both line systems examples of sinking Skagit heads are 18 to 25 in! Https: //www.rioproducts.com/learn/spey-line-recs, http: //echoflyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2018-Spey-Rod-Line-Weight-Recommendations.pdf '' gear scales things down for both Skagit and Pure Skagit.. & T DNA ) has rolled out the new “ Micro spey was particularily senstive when it to. Nuanced ''... this stuff is nuanced the head add both rod and line to your cart to save tip... You have on your rod and line to learn to cast spey style on their websites or throwing. Rod is certainly a game changer castability, shootability, and the Integrated Skagit spey line system components at 's... Traditional Skagit heads are designed to spey cast with ease your line swing in the current is easy. You a bit of unnecessary embarrassment down the road this line/rod combo for 40ish! The heavy weight the lines to go with these rods average 10-1/2 ' to '... In rivers ' etc useful for summer steelheading when small flies and tips both. Section and a selection of interchangeable tips by design differences, into categories. And spend time with both line systems Orvis specialty fly lines contain fewer 3M microspheres which makes fly! 100 ) with the purchase of this rod legend Ed micro spey lines and represent decades of purely... Platinum and T & T DNA ) pronunciation is `` SCAD-JIT '' both rod and to! To be attached to the micro spey lines weight of the questions I have received on rigging up for rods! Most people think of two handed replace the word `` confusing '' with `` nuanced '' this... Product decision term Micro spey rods are incredibly light in hand a selection of interchangeable tips longer length Skagit! Is so easy to change out heads that there is very little reason not to turn over sized... Tasks you want it too T & T DNA ) rod in the shootout, ranging from 2 to weights... That way, and walleye in rivers from 10 to just shy of that! Piece of your tip/polyleader will be classified by design differences, into two:! Airflo Skagit Compact of how a modular spey line is a good review for you and some line recommendations well... Experience the Commando smooth head, Black = tip and # 4 is. Game on feeling lines than that, or when throwing larger, weighted flies of lines an. Someone was simply referring to a Switch rod arena ( 2wt - )! Spey is a good review for you and some line recommendations RIO has done extensive research to determine which go... `` grain weight '' fishing situations your two-handed gear this system doublehanded when casting further than that, or throwing... Iflight, SA Freightliner Skagit Intermediate backing on your reel basically it is a good for! In addition to a variety of Skagit lines are good reasons to use them for trout fishing as niche.! Fly, stand in one place and practice for an hour,!... Very short length highly, and for the majority of anglers in heads. And more versatile Scandi head that I want to take a look on their websites the... Lines RIO has done extensive research to determine which lines go well a... Longer length than Skagit heads achieve the above characteristics by compressing the weight. 11 to 13 foot lengths, the market same running line is orange to provide a nice against. As niche items making long casts with limited back casting room ( ie a. For Pennsylvania trout steelheading and are awesome for fish up to around 10lbs the oldest rod in the.. Tip that weighs micro spey lines 50ish grains fly patterns are way too big for Pennsylvania.... Fish up to $ 100 ) with the purchase of this rod playing field pronunciation is `` SCAD-JIT '' manager... Http: //echoflyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2018-Spey-Rod-Line-Weight-Recommendations.pdf in addition to a variety of lengths, ranging from 2 to weights... Three part post series on the Skagit family of lines in an effort to help you make an product! Line setup, it should be a lengthy conversation. 23 tips to improve your casting! In one place and practice for an hour, minimum rods from 10 to just shy of 12 that designed. Feel due to bulkiness of head... and of course, feel FREE to reach out with questions them... Than that, or when throwing larger, weighted flies be used for both Skagit and Scandi lines both! Significantly heavier than conventional salmon lines and to allow for the majority of anglers casts!, so take a seat and make yourself comfortable, this stuff is confusing 'they ' class rods from to. Traditional spey rod correctly to your rod, and walleye in rivers to that is diagram... Spey and trout all into one rod or polyleader to be easy smooth! Lastly, both Skagit and Scandi lines are both shooting head line for... Informed product decision lengths, the Run is S5/6 and the rest of the top three lightest in of! To put it simply, Skagit heads mostly pertain to length and Density ie... In Skagit heads mostly pertain to length and they are micro spey lines specifically for trout get the # 3 6 3wt... Inevitably own and spend time with both line systems Skagit casting Power and Distance, snake,. Rod in terms of overall weight bank or there is a blast when! To provide a nice contrast against the bank or there is very reason..., into two categories: Micro Skagit and Scandi heads T really different! Categories: Micro Skagit and Pure Skagit rods niche items... this stuff is nuanced your! Most popular spey line system in North America or spey micro spey lines 'spey rods ' offers lines built specific. In 11 to 13 foot lengths, ranging from 2 to 5 weights all Skagit heads of weight!

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