Questions about Spey/Skagit
- This topic has 9 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated Feb 25, 2009 at 11:01 pm by
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A two-handed rod will reduce casting fatigue, which is why I got into spey casting.
If you want to retrieve line, go with a skagit or a scandi line. Both are short belly lines. A skagit is better for heavy flies, and for cutting through the wind.
With a skagit line you might need a cheater (a line extender), depending on the length of you spey rod. Also, Versi leaders will help your casting.
I assume you’re casting in the surf, which is a lot harder than casting on a river. The moving water of a river will create tension on the line, and that will make it easier to set up your anchor.
If you’re casting perpindicular to the surf the water will create slack in the line.
Because I fish stillwater with my spey, when I begin my lift I actually retrieve a little bit to keep tenison on the line.
Simon Gawesworth has a good book on spey casting. Also, Spey Casting A to Z is a good video, but I don’t know if either of those cover spey casting in the surf.
But be aware: getting into spey casting will cost you. Besides the rod and line, you’ll probably need a Large Arbor reel.
BTW, I love my Echo rod and it was less than $300.00.
Check out this board: http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/
Randy
Abe,
Referring back to this fairly recent post might help point you in the right direction:
http://www.itinerantangler.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?num=1233887073I’m just getting into the two-handed scene myself. I have an 13’6″ Echo 8-weight that I’m planning to pair with a 550gr Rio Skagit line, 5′ Skagit Cheater, 10-15′ sink tip (Type 8 or T-14) for swinging streamers for greatlakes steelhead here in Michigan. Like I said, I’m just getting into this and there are a lot of people on here that know a lot more than I do (i.e. Mike Exl, who pointed me in the right direction). That being said, it sounds like a Skagit set-up would suite your needs well, and the Rio Versi-Tip Skagit line system would set you up with everything you need (floating tip as well as multiple sink tips).
My best piece of advice, read the following .pdf article! It’s by far the best article at explaining all the different line set-ups that I have come across so far.
http://www.speyborn.com/understanding_spey_lines_2009.pdfGood luck,
TimAbe,
Can you describe your fishing situations a little more, mostly the type of water your fishing, i.e in salt are you fishing the surf? That can help narrow down what is going to be the right set up for you.
-Mike
Spey casting from a boat offers its own set of difficulties as the position of the boat limits where you can set up your anchor. I guess
you’ll have to cast parallel to the boat or at an angle to it.Also, because you’re standing a few feet above the water, I imagine setting up the anchor will be different than if you’re wading in the surf.
One handed casting a 8-weight rod is exhausting, no matter how you much you adjust your stroke.
Spey casting would not be just an investment in money, but in time.
Last season I watched the videos – maybe not the right ones – and read articles, but still I struggled with spey casting on stillwater.
A lot of that had to do with getting the wrong info on what line I should use.
But even after I got the right line, I lost a lot of fishing hours because I had to practice my spey casting.
I think you should definately go with a skagit for the surf.
Randy
Abe,
To be honest, it sounds like a two-hander would not be the most ideal thing for what you are describing as far as fishing situations.
I have a 12’6 2 hander that i use for steelies in michigan, either swinging streamers, or dead drifting stuff.
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