Fly Fishing - Saltwater Fly Fishing Reel Selection Advice?

norm289 · Location: SW PA

Hey guys, need a little help and I know there are a few two hander people around.

I would like to get a skagit line for my TFO Deer Creek switch rod 11' 7wt. I have been researching some of the recommendations on several sites. Seems like the RIO skagit short 20' head in either 425gr or 475 gr, RIO skagit flight 24.5' 450gr, or the Airflo compact skagits 23' 450 gr or 24' 480gr are the most popular choices. Does anybody use any of these lines, even if not in the sizes listed? Does anybody have the same rod, what do you use? Any personal opinions on matching sink tips to these lines? Pre made 15' tips or cut your own using T-8, T-14etc?

I have a shooting head system on the rod now. Mainly for two handed overhead casting, single hand close in work, and simple spey casts with no sink tip, long leaders and smaller flies. Want the skagit so I can throw some sink tips to get down and have 3 to 5 inches of pure nasty swimming around begging to be eaten! LOL!

I have a running line so I am just looking for the heads and the sink tips.

Thanks in advance guys!

kory_k · Location: New York, NY

norm,
I have been fishing Skagit lines for a while now. When RIO lines first introduced them 7 or 8 years ago, I had to try them out on my annual BC trip and fell in love with them. Of course the guys who invented Skagit lines had been using them for a long time before that and were custom making them. Anyway, I am a huge fan of the Skagit for all of my spey fishing that involves heavy flies and sink tips. I don't use them for floating line fishing because they aren't really designed for that and they land very hard and have a lot of resistance when swinging because of their huge diameter. They are designed to turn over heavy flies and sink tips especially when you don't have a lot of room and they do that incredibly well. The spey cast with a Skagit line is different than a conventional longer belly line because the head is so short. You have to really shorten up your casting stroke. Once you do that though, they will seriously launch lines and can turn over huge flies and heavy sink tips. Also because they load the rod so easily, they are much easier for a beginner to learn with.

Anyway, as far as what grain to use with your rod I think you are on the right track. I usually start with RIO's recommendation chart that you can find on their website. They put one out every year and also include older rods on there as well. Even if you are not going to buy a RIO line it gives you a good reference for the grain weight that loads the rod well. Simon Gawesworth from RIO puts this together and he is very helpful if you ever have questions. You can usually email him and he is happy to help. For switch rods in general that is the reason they brought out those shorter heads so I would definitely stick with that. I have a Sage 11' 7 weight which is a slightly different action and have a 375 grain on there and it works very well. I have also used shooting heads a lot on that rod including the RIO AFS line and the Loop which I think is a vision? (Patrick Ross up at the angler's lodge on the Salmon River in upstate New York gave it to me when I broke my running line on a foul hooked Chinook which is another story so not sure of the exact model) and I really like those lines on there. They shoot incredibly well and I really enjoy fishing them, but they are not as easy to handle as a Skagit and don't turn over the big nasties as well.

For sink tips, I have used both factory made 15 foot tips and made my own from T-14 and T-17. I still use both but prefer the custom made tips. You can get the same depth with a shorter length since they sink at a steeper angle and a shorter length is easier to cast and pick up out of the water. The big difference between factory heads and custom heads is that custom heads sink at a steep angle whereas the factory heads sink at a more gradual angle. As a result, in order to get deeper with a factory head you use a narrower diameter that still weighs the same (it is denser). With custom heads to get deeper you add more length. Typically you need much less length with custom heads to get the same depth so that makes it easier to cast.

One final thing to keep in mind is that Skagit lines and custom heads are very heavily forward weighted so you have to focus on not overpowering your rod or you will constantly have tailing loops. This combo also tends to land very hard on the water since there is so much weight and density in that front section.

Hope this helps! It makes me want to go launch some spey casts! Very Happy

norm289 · Location: SW PA

Kory, thanks for taking the time to post all that! Very helpful.

This skagit stuff is new to me, heck it's all new to me lol. Only been using the two handers for about a year now. Started out with a short belly spey line on a 13' 8wt and the line I previously mentioned on my switch. Now I want to get a skagit system. I decided to get one for my switch because I use that rod more than my 13'.

The tip info was good. I think I am going to use something like T-10, T-14 instead of the premade tips. I fish alot of smaller waters and the steeper angle with the cut tips would be better I think. Eventually I will get more tips and various lengths, but for now I just want to get a setup and start casting and fishing lol.

I like the sounds of the RIO skagit short with the 20' head. I understand the part of having to slow the casting stroke down with the shorter heads. Is there much difference due a 3' or 4' length difference. For example, RIO short 20' head and the Airflo compacts 23' or 24' head. Does that 3' to 4' difference really give a benefit. Not sure if I worded that right.

Eventually i will get a better traditional spey or scandi line for it too but I want to get the skagit first. My line I have already does good enough for me for the dry/damp style swinging and for the overhead. Now its time to get deep! Thanks again for all that info!