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Steiner

Starting down the road to two-handed fishing

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Not sure if anyone else looking to get started with two-handed fishing feels as confused as I did when I started looking into it, but I think I have a basic enough understanding to get started now.

 

Here's what I've gathered.

 

Types of two-handed fishing

 

Skagit-Shorter and heavier floating fly line-called a shooting head. Set-up is backing--> running AKA shooting line --> Shooting head --> Tip(variable floating or sinking) --> Leader

 

Skagit set-ups are for heavier flies and apparently is easier to cast than traditional Spey. Requires stripping line between each cast.

 

 

Spey- Long belly floating fly line which has running line incorporated into it. Does not require a tip. Set-up is backing --> Spey line --> leader

 

Casting is more difficult but does not require stripping between casts

 

 

Scandinavian- kind of in between Skagit and Spey.

 

 

Weight of two handed rods does not equate to weight of single handed rods. What I think I understand is that two-handed rods are categorized by grain weight of the line they cast and we've attached a line weight statement out of convention. Basically, an 8wt Spey rod casts a much heavier line than an 8wt single handed rod.

 

 

Any glaring mistakes?

 

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I'm likely headed down the Skagit path because it soundest easiest to learn. I bought a set of rio 15 foot, 9wt T tips on sale and was wondering if casting those on a different rod, 7 or 8 wt, is going to be a problem?

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Yes they may be a problem. Skagit is a very front heavy tapered head. It will not land with any finesse on the water but this is generally ok as they are used with sinking tips to present a fly deep. The Skagit should be 2.5x the length of the rod. So a 13ft rod would have a 24ft head and a 12 or 15foot tip making it about right. When casting the tip remains in the water and the cast is considered water born or sustained anchor. This loads the rod differently to an airborn cast and a tip that is too heavy may over load the rod, too light and you rip your anchor and fail to cast.

 

Skagit are great to punch into the wind but many shooting heads are now almost as good without as much effort. Airflo rage is good as is their scandi head.

If you have a limited room behind your shoulder to form a D loop, a shooting head will cast where a Spey line cant.

Some people feel retrieved line in a SH cast is wasted fishing time, others think the fish will still grab a moving fly. You also have to control large loops of running line. Can be difficult in a flow.

Spey line still needs some retrieving but easier to manage and I prefer it if I have the D loop room.

 

If you intend to fish water that is mostly under 10feet deep, a scandi head with a variety of polyleaders is more than ample. If the waters deeper then a line that uses proper tips, like rios versitip, guideline ddc tips, Michael Evans level leaders are better options.

 

If you use a sinking shooting head then the triple density heads by guideline are great as they are easier to lift out and cast than a line of all one density.

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Steiner,

Piker20 is correct you may have a problem with the 7 wt and the heavier tips. Depending on the 8wt rod it may or may not be too heavy. Do yourself a favor and go to you tube and watch anything by Ed Ward or Scott Howell on the subjesct if you can get your hands on Skagit master 1 or 2 check them out. I learned to spay cast about 11 years ago and was Ok at best, once i tried skagit and scandi shooting heads that is when my eyes where opened. The casting can be addictive , and 2 handers are a great tool for big rivers, but some people use them a bit too much but to each their own. good luck with the 2 hand casting.

 

steve

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I am about to embark down this journey as well. My shoulders are fubared from work and play( mostly from motorcycles). I have a 8 wt TFO TiCr -x rod that they have a conversion kit to make it into a 11'3" two hander. I am going to put a Rio Switch Chucker line on a extra Lamson reel I have.

 

Going to use it for chucking big bugs to Pike, steelheading in BC ( Bulkley system) and maybe even salmon fishing in BC.

 

Don't know how the conversion kit with perform, I do like the rod very much. I tend to favour a moderate action rod but I have been chucking big bugs into the wind with this faster action rod for about a year.

 

I believe Lefty Kreh and Bob Meisner were involved in the design of this so it can't be that bad if they put their name on it.

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I am about to embark down this journey as well. My shoulders are fubared from work and play( mostly from motorcycles). I have a 8 wt TFO TiCr -x rod that they have a conversion kit to make it into a 11'3" two hander. I am going to put a Rio Switch Chucker line on a extra Lamson reel I have.

 

Going to use it for chucking big bugs to Pike, steelheading in BC ( Bulkley system) and maybe even salmon fishing in BC.

 

Don't know how the conversion kit with perform, I do like the rod very much. I tend to favour a moderate action rod but I have been chucking big bugs into the wind with this faster action rod for about a year.

 

I believe Lefty Kreh and Bob Meisner were involved in the design of this so it can't be that bad if they put their name on it.

I use the Switch Chucker line, and I love it. The head is massive! My #5 SC line takes up my entire 8/9 weight reel with right around 100yd's of backing!

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Wow 5 wt fills a 8/9 wt reel! I was hoping to use a 4.0 Lamson Konic reel that is rated for a 9/10 wt. might have to use a big old BFR reel I have on a 9 wt?

 

Appreciate the feed back as well!

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In 1 year, I've bought 1 switch rod and 2 spey rods, and I haven't touched my 1-handers since. All 3 are 7-wt. I haven't had any issue flinging big, heavy Intruders with 10' t14 tips...

 

Don't pigeonhole skagit vs. scandi vs. spey setups - it sounds too complicated... they are all pretty easy to mod... I'd start with a 450 grain short skagit head (20'), on a medium switch rod as a general intro and go from there. I love my switch Echo SR and probably gravitate towards that setup 75% of the time for steelhead. I'm taking it to FL with me in a few weeks to chase bull reds, in fact. They might whip me, but it'll be worth it. Tight lines.

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