Feedback on Micro skagit heads / commando please

[retrocarp 0]

Interested in any feedback on these

Thank you in advance

 

[spiralspey 0]

What are you planning on using one for? I've used them on a single hand 8 wt, a SH 4 wt, a 6 wt switch, and 4 wt switch, but not on a two hander longer than 11 feet.

 

They excel at tossing sink tips and heavy flies with single hand rods. I've used one swinging tips for steelhead, but I mostly fish for summer steelhead and seldom use very heavy tips so I much prefer a scandi or mid belly setup on a two hander for that kind of stuff. What I'm really looking forward to using this line for is blind casting off the edges of flats or along steep beaches in the salt. Great casting distance with little effort, great in the wind, no room needed behind you, and no time wasted false casting keeps your fly in the water longer.

 

Where I think the commando shines is when you use it for lighter stuff like swinging or stripping streamers for trout or bass. Because you can toss such heavy or wind resistant stuff on light gear it's allowed me to gear down to the size of the fish, not gear up to cast heavier tips or flies. My 4 wt has now replaced my 6 wt when stripping streamers for browns. It's a great line system, but it's not for everyone.

[retrocarp 0]

[retrocarp 0]

They also do them with floating heads

[Rocco 0]

There is also a video of the same guy using a 7 1/2' fiberglass 4 wt rod with a 175 gr Commando head and a 5' floating tip to shoot dry flies across a decent size river with ease. The most interesting part was watching the actual presentation of the leader and fly -- a size 10 Stimulator I think he said. The delivery was as gentle and splash less as any I can do with finer gear. He also went through a full array of airborne and water clutching Skagit and overhead casts with the setup.

 

The system is proving to be more versatile than its creators originally foresaw. Of course in the hands of a pro caster with a lot of time to master it.

 

IF I were just starting out in the sport and not saddled with dozens of conventional lines, the lure of heading to the river with just a few reels of my choice and a wallet full of Commando heads and floating sinking tips would be awfully tempting

 

Rocco.

[Dave G. 0]

So is there a rule of thumb for a 9ft 5wt single handed rod with these heads, in terms of weight ? Maybe 225gr or 250gr ? And then I notice the tips are weighted too ( I assume for sink rate)?

[whatfly 0]

Use the chart on the OPST web site as a guide: http://www.opskagit.com/commando-heads.html

 

I've been asking around about these new lines (OPST is not the only game in town) and supposedly you do not take the weight of the tip into consideration, just the weight of the rod (I know, this bothers me too).

 

Have talked to a lot of shops and sales reps about this approach, and still not quite sure these rigs are good for anything other than swinging, but interesting idea nevertheless...as long as you are willing to pay the cost of learning how to cast them.

[McFlyLures 0]

https://youtu.be/PWFsLtQG1O0

[Dave G. 0]

Thanks guys, and great video McFly ! Do you get the sense that the 225 gr is just right for your 5 wt ? Am I understanding correctly that you bought the 225 gr with both the 5 and 6 wt rods in mind ? Would you have bought 225 gr if only for the 5 wt ?

 

I had found the chart last night, whatfly, but thank you too.

[McFlyLures 0]

Thanks guys, and great video McFly ! Do you get the sense that the 225 gr is just right for your 5 wt ? Am I understanding correctly that you bought the 225 gr with both the 5 and 6 wt rods in mind ? Would you have bought 225 gr if only for the 5 wt ?

 

I had found the chart last night, whatfly, but thank you too.

I would rather a 200gr with my 5wt.

[Dave G. 0]

Use the chart on the OPST web site as a guide: http://www.opskagit.com/commando-heads.html

 

I've been asking around about these new lines (OPST is not the only game in town) and supposedly you do not take the weight of the tip into consideration, just the weight of the rod (I know, this bothers me too).

 

Have talked to a lot of shops and sales reps about this approach, and still not quite sure these rigs are good for anything other than swinging, but interesting idea nevertheless...as long as you are willing to pay the cost of learning how to cast them.

The appeal to me whatfly, is when in situations with a lot of back cover. I fish those a lot in Maine in some river pools, especially when there is high water. And even here on some pond shores. Great for streamer and wet fly fishing and probably nymphs. I'd probably stick with conventional lines for dries personally. But this Commando Head idea might nix me building a 4 wt spey/switch rod and finally I can decide on the conventional 4 wt I want to build as well. And just build that for dries and use my existing 5 wt rods with a spare spool or spare reel loaded with this commando setup, probably in 200 gr...

[Dave G. 0]

 

Thanks guys, and great video McFly ! Do you get the sense that the 225 gr is just right for your 5 wt ? Am I understanding correctly that you bought the 225 gr with both the 5 and 6 wt rods in mind ? Would you have bought 225 gr if only for the 5 wt ?

 

I had found the chart last night, whatfly, but thank you too.

I would rather a 200gr with my 5wt.

 

Thanks.

[Dave G. 0]

There is also a video of the same guy using a 7 1/2' fiberglass 4 wt rod with a 175 gr Commando head and a 5' floating tip to shoot dry flies across a decent size river with ease. The most interesting part was watching the actual presentation of the leader and fly -- a size 10 Stimulator I think he said. The delivery was as gentle and splash less as any I can do with finer gear. He also went through a full array of airborne and water clutching Skagit and overhead casts with the setup.

 

The system is proving to be more versatile than its creators originally foresaw. Of course in the hands of a pro caster with a lot of time to master it.

 

IF I were just starting out in the sport and not saddled with dozens of conventional lines, the lure of heading to the river with just a few reels of my choice and a wallet full of Commando heads and floating sinking tips would be awfully tempting

 

Rocco.

I have 7ft- 3/4 graphite, hmmm. basically my stream rod but it's also landed 17-18 salmon and 3 lb large mouth bass well. Nice little rod and something that can be cast all day on smaller waters.

[spiralspey 0]

Dave,

I also had plans on building myself a new 4 weight switch rod, but that plan is on hold and my never happen now. These new short head skagits, and the longer belly single hand spey lines as well, have me leaving my other trout spey at home in favor of my favorite single hand trout rods. I'm not saying don't build that rod, but give these new lines a chance, they may change your mind about a trout spey.

[Dave G. 0]

Dave,

I also had plans on building myself a new 4 weight switch rod, but that plan is on hold and my never happen now. These new short head skagits, and the longer belly single hand spey lines as well, have me leaving my other trout spey at home in favor of my favorite single hand trout rods. I'm not saying don't build that rod, but give these new lines a chance, they may change your mind about a trout spey.

That's good to know !

 

So now instead of building a switch rod in 4 wt and a new 9 or 10ft 4 wt single handed, I can just concentrate on the single handed 4 wt. And I think I'm leaning towards the Pac Bay Quickline series blank in which ever length ( they have both 9 and 10ft in that line). And go with one of the 200gr Skagit lines for one of my 5 wt rods... That's today, tomorrow I may find I rethink it yet again LOL.