How do I choose a rod for spey casting?

Two-Handed Rods

There are three factors to consider: length, weight, and action. The length and weight of the rod are most often determined by the physical characteristics of the fisheries one fishes, the species of fish targeted, and techniques used to catch the targeted species. Rod action is most often determined by the particular spey casting “style” and the fishing techniques and lines associated with each particular style of spey casting.

For anglers with beginning to intermediate overhead casting skills selecting a medium to medium-fast action two-handed rod will provide feedback as the rod loads aiding the development of a good casting stroke.

For anglers with advanced overhead casting skills selecting a rod that is similar in action to what is normally used in overhead casting will allow for a consistent

casting stroke and easier transition to casting with a two-handed rod.

Whatever your rod choice, keep in mind the following:

1. A good two-handed rod will adequately perform a variety of spey casts with a variety of floating and sinking lines AND cast overhead.

2. The more specific the fishing technique, the more specific the tool needed. Put another way, there is no ONE rod that will do EVERYTHING perfectly. If you fish many different rivers and use many different fishing techniques you will need more than one rod. The same is true with fishing with a single hand rod.

3. Cast before you buy.

What kind of reel do I need for spey casting?

There are a few factors to consider when choosing a reel for spey casting and fishing.

• Sufficient drag to handle the species targeted.
• Enough capacity for backing and fly line, spey lines are very thick.
• Enough weight to balance the rod. If the reel is too light for the rod, it will end up making casting more strenuous, not less because it will change the position of the fulcrum point between your two hands.
• A large arbor reel is recommended. A large arbor reel will help increase the amount of line recovered on the retrieve and decrease the time it takes to reel it in. Especially important when you are trying to quickly take up slack when a fish is running AT you. It will also store the line in larger loops on the reel and help reduce coil memory.

Note: In order to properly balance the rod, you must put a reel spooled with line on the rod. Be sure to strip off the belly of the line down to the rear taper before balancing the rod (Remember, the belly will not be on the reel while you are casting). When properly balanced, the balance point should be within the first several inches of the top end of the upper handle. IF the balance point is above the grip on the rod, the reel is too light or too heavy.

How do I select the right line for spey casting?

Spey casting with a two-handed rod requires a different fly line than overhead or spey casting with a single-hand rod. It needs to be much heavier than a standard fly line to load the thicker butt section. For example, by AFTMA line rating system a standard 8wt weight forward line weighs around 210 grains at 30 feet, while an AFFTA rated 8wt spey line weights can weight anywhere from 360-710 grains depending on head length.

To choose a spey line, first decide whether or not you want/need to carry a long length of line out of the rod tip or prefer/need to shoot line to achieve distance. Next, determine where in the water column you need to present the fly. This will help determine the head length and floating/sinking properties of the line.

NOTE: For anglers who would like to spey cast using single-hand rods, just about any line will work BUT there are several lines are specifically made for this application such as Scientific Anglers Nymph or Steelhead line and the NEW Single Hand Skagit line.

Modern spey lines can be divided in four categories determined by head length: shooting head, short head, mid head, and long head. They come in a variety of density configurations: full floating, full sinking, sinking tips and multi-tips.

• Shooting Head – 27 to 44 feet. Often called Skagit or Scandinavian, these short heavy lines are easy to use for anglers with basic spey casting ability. Cast heavy sink-tips and flies easily at both short and moderate distances. Good for anglers that like to shoot line.
• Short Head - 48 to 60 feet. Easiest for beginning anglers to learn with. Handle 15-24 feet sink-tips relatively well. Good control over moderate distances without shooting line with the ability to shoot extra line for longer casts.
• Mid Head - 59 to 68 feet. Requires intermediate casting skills to handle longer head length. Handle 15-24 feet sink-tips relatively well. Less stripping and shooting line required when casting longer distances. Longer head length is better for mending and control.
• Long Head - 80 to 120 feet head. Good for expert anglers that need to cast long distances without stripping and shooting line.

Multi-tip Lines

Multi-tip lines are currently available in two configurations: two-tip lines and the three-tip lines.

• Two-tip lines have a removable 15-24 ft front tip that can be replaced with a variety of floating or sinking tips of the same or custom lengths
• Three-tip lines have two removable sections. The first, Tip 1, is a removable tip similar to the two-tip lines. The second tip, Tip 2, allows the angler even more versatility. Remove Tip 2 to create a lighter grain weight head to use the line as an overhead shooting line with Tip 1 reattached or custom length heads of T8 or T14. The Rio three-tip line also contains a second Tip 2, an intermediate line, used to help keep the sinking Tip 1 down in heavy, fast water. In addition, three-tip line can also be converted into a Skagit line by removing Tip 2 and adding a Skagit cheater (see below) and Tip 1, a custom length tip, or straight leader.

Skagit Lines

Skagit lines (pronounced ska-jit with a “j”) are very short, heavy shooting heads. The extremely short head length results in a small “d-loop” on the back cast allowing for long casts in tight casting situations. The heavy head and thick diameter line makes easy work of picking up sinking lines and heavy flies out of the water and delivering them to the target. This is the best line for spey casting LC 13, T14, T8.

A couple key concepts to understand with casting Skagit lines:

•  When selecting a Skagit line, the only grain weight that should be taken into consideration to properly match a rod with a Skagit line is the weight that LOADS the rod, i.e. the weight of the line in the D-Loop. Although the weight of the tip, floating or sinking, may effect how easily the tip turns over it does not play any role in loading the rod.

•  When casting shooting heads it is important to maintain a constant ratio between the rod length and the head length. Each angler will have a somewhat different ratio falling between 3 to 3.5 times the length of the rod. For example, at a ratio of 3.5 a 12 ft rod requires a 42 ft head length. Since a Skagit head is 27 ft, adding a 15 ft tip = 42 ft. At the same ratio, a 14ft rod would require a 49 ft head length.

Sink Tips & Leaders

In addition to tapered 15’ sinking tips included as part of multi-tip line systems, which are currently made for both single-hand and two-handed rods, level sinking lines and tapered sinking leaders in various sink rates are also available.

Level sinking lines such as LC13 (leadcore), T8 and T14 (tungsten) can be purchased in 30’ lengths then cut to custom lengths. A general selection custom tips might include 3’, 6,’ 9’, and 12’ tips. Tapered sinking leaders in 6’ -12’ lengths with 12 - 24lb monofilament core can be purchased in 3.9 - 7.0 sink rate (or type III – type VI depending on the manufacturer).  Custom “mini-tips” and tapered leaders are most often used on floating lines, although can be useful when attached to 15’ sinking tips in swift, deep current.

The general rule when using a full floating line is the leader should be roughly the same length as the rod. When casting short floating shooting heads of 30 feet or less, however, the leader plays an active role in anchoring the line to hold the energy in the ''D'' loop of the back cast and leaders up to 18-20 feet are common. It's important to use a leader with a thick, stiff butt section specifically designed to turn over a large fly. For sinking lines or sink-tips, a short section of stiff, abrasion resistant monofilament leader material 3-5 feet is sufficient.

What kind of leader do I use for practicing spey casting and fishing?

The general rule is that the leader should be roughly the same length as the rod.

When fishing a floating line leader lengths can vary from 8 - 15 feet. When casting shooting heads, however, the leader plays an important role in anchoring the line to hold the energy in the ''D'' loop of the back cast and leaders 18-20 feet common. It's important to use a leader specifically designed with a thick, stiff butt section that will turn over a large fly. An excellent choice would be RIO Salmon Steelhead leader in 9, 12 or 16 feet lengths.

For sinking lines or sink-tips, a short section of stiff, abrasion resistant monofilament leader material 3-5 feet is sufficient. RIO Max or Fluoroflex tippet material would be the perfect choice.

It’s best to use the same leader during practice you would use under actual fishing conditions. In the beginning it’s best to substitute a tuft of yarn for the fly. Later, use the same weight and size flies in practice as you would under actual fishing conditions. Just be sure to cut off the hook first.

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