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A question for two handed rod users

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GilV

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I am going on two Salmon trips this fall. One is for King Salmon and the other for Atlantic Salmon. I have a Sage RPLX III 9' 8wt with a OPST Commando head. I also have a Loop XACT 13'6" 8wt two handed rod. I have a bunch of Airflo Skagit lines. Is anyone using Airflo Skagit lines with a Loop rod that can give me some insight on weight Skagit line for a rod like this? I keep getting different recommendations from different line charts. Right now I have a 525 grain Airflo Skagit on it. Is this too light or heavy in your opinion?

 

Thanks, hope their are some striper fisherman out there with two handed rods. I also have a 15' 10wt Loop I intend to use for big flies on stripers, but I am not that far along yet.

Gil

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Gil

 

A decent resource is RIO. I would start with their line chart. You could also contact Loop.

 

 A look down the threads will alert you that indeed there are guys using TH rods

for Stripers.

 

You have a rod just need a line some flies and you are away. You can be at it as soon as you want.

 

For your 15 footer suggest you start around 500 to max of 600 grains.

 

mikey

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Thanks Mike. I looked at Rio. They do not have my model in XACT, but found one close to it. The line ranges I have found in the Rio chart and others are all 500 to 600 grains for the 8wt. I think I am just going to bite the bullet and go to Tightlines Spey Academy in August, if they have openings.

 

I looked through many of the threads before posting. In regard to form I am going to do what one thread suggested. I am going to review the Antti Guttorm video 10 times and take notes. Love his videos. I am going to do that today and try again tomorrow with my 525 grain Skagit. I would like to blame the wrong line, but I know my problem is form mostly.

 

Thanks for the advice.

Gil

 

 

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Lining a rod is easy! Heavy line delivers bigger fly and casts longer but it require more effort to cast and lands harder to water. Spey cast efficiency is better when more rear weight biased head is cast which Scandi heads usually are and their line loops also come bit smoother than Skagit head which mass drop more between belly and tip. Airflo Compact Skagit is not bad because its better tapered end is about 8ft.. Using longer mono leader Spey cast efficiency increase and anchor also "blows" less which is significant efficiency improver.

 

Yes Gil, that Antti Guttorm video is very good!

 

Esa

Edited by crunch
"Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once" 1939 Lee Wulff
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3 hours ago, GilV said:

I am going on two Salmon trips this fall. One is for King Salmon and the other for Atlantic Salmon. I have a Sage RPLX III 9' 8wt with a OPST Commando head. I also have a Loop XACT 13'6" 8wt two handed rod. I have a bunch of Airflo Skagit lines. Is anyone using Airflo Skagit lines with a Loop rod that can give me some insight on weight Skagit line for a rod like this? I keep getting different recommendations from different line charts. Right now I have a 525 grain Airflo Skagit on it. Is this too light or heavy in your opinion?

 

Thanks, hope their are some striper fisherman out there with two handed rods. I also have a 15' 10wt Loop I intend to use for big flies on stripers, but I am not that far along yet.

Gil

The general information on that rod (an 8/9 in reality) suggests 525g is a bit on the light side.  550-570g for skagit is about right on the money.  But you should try the 525g line you have as well as that's pretty close.  Of course if you are casting overhead (not a water borne anchor cast) 570g would be too heavy by around 20% to 25% (or perhaps more).  Your use is salmon so you would want to line the rod based on its spey rating.

 

Mike's suggestion for the 15' rod is assuming you are going to use that rod for two hand overhead casting.  Which means that a skagit line rating for that rod is probably over 600g.  My guess is that 15' 10w rod could cast 750g to 800g, if used skagit style.

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That sounds just another of numerous flyfishing myths :( Usually an 8wt single hand rod has a fighting butt and then it is possible to keep higher pressure than for example using a 10wt.. Fit guy perhaps 4lbs if he press the rod butt against belly but it can become painful. Sure a strong guy can break an 8wt rod without "high sticking" but it is not easy. If rod has a "fighting handle" then it is possible to achieve better leverage but they are rare on less than 12wt rods.

 

Esa

"Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once" 1939 Lee Wulff
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I'd be inclined to go with slips recommendation on rods, as he fishes steelhead lots and lots in his area from what Mike has told me in the past. 

 

Gil, nobody asked so I would like to. Are you doing primarily spey casting or overhead casting with this TH rod? I have assumed it will be mostly spey but want to make it clear for those in the thread. 

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I am doing spey casting with Skagit lines. I also put a question into Loop on their line recommendation for their rods. Haven't heard back yet. I also put my name on the list for Tightlines Spey Academy. Andrew the instructor is in Norway right now fishing for Atlantic salmon - that seems like a good sign to me.

 

The guys that I am going with say they use 5x tippit for kings! I intend to use 10# Rio Steelhead Salmon tippet. With a 5x tippet I can't see how an 8 weight couldn't handle that. To me 5x seems awful light for Kings and I would think that the line would give out.

 

I have been watching Atlantic Salmon videos and it seems they mainly use 7wt. It looks like West Coast Steelhead fisherman also use 7wt. I am going with friends for the kings, but I am hoping steelhead and big browns will be around too. We are going there in late September. I am going for Atlantic Salmon the second week of September in Nova Scotia.

 

I have a 10wt Loop 15' rod I will bring also. Slip N Slide what outfit are you using for Kings? Also what flies do you use for Kings. I don't want to kill the fish, just catch them.

 

Thanks

Gil

Edited by GilV
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Gil

 

I should  have said. For the 15 footer my line suggestion is for over head casting. Mostly we over head cast on the beach. Ok inlets and calm flat water spey works.

 

Spey I would not consider in surf. Trying to get a reliable anchor in a lively surf is not great. You can’t mess about.You have to get the cast way quickly.

 

mike

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Mike I met some guys at the fly fishing show in Pa that throw big beast fleyes on the surf. They had a booth there and were selling beast fleyes. They told me the same thing. They fish 10wt 15' but cast overhead. They told me they get 100' casts that way with beast fleyes. I have fished with guys at Banegat Inlet that were spey casting off the jetty. I can't imagine spey casting in surf.

 

Thanks for the advise. In the fall I will try my 15' overhead with between 500 and 600 grain.

Gil

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Gil

 

100 foot casts with a Beast flies is really going some. When you get into the surf you will very quickly see what can be done.  Big flies are easier to cast with heavy lines. 650 and up unless short range only is needed.

 

To kick off with if you fish Deceiver sized patterns it will help you get dialled in.

 

It really is a lot of fun. Hard  work at times fishing a lively surf with a big rod but exhilarating to.

 

Good stuff to read on the other TH rod threads currently running.

 

please let us know how you get on.

 

mike 

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5 hours ago, slip n slide said:

I don't use a 2H but I can say from considerable experience you're undergunned w/ the 9'8wt for kings, good for coho or steelhead but not kings.Not that it can't be done but you'll likely kill the fish from being fought to long.

This is correct.  9wt is lightest you should go and a 10wt is best.  also its worth paying for top notch leader material.  You can find 20lb flouro carbon that has same diameter as 12lb now but its very expensive.  On that fishery with the intense pressure fish are line shy the ability to have a leader that is thin enough to draw strikes and still fight with 20lb strength will

give you best shot at landing fish in 25-35 pound class.

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4 hours ago, crunch said:

That sounds just another of numerous flyfishing myths :( Usually an 8wt single hand rod has a fighting butt and then it is possible to keep higher pressure than for example using a 10wt.. Fit guy perhaps 4lbs if he press the rod butt against belly but it can become painful. Sure a strong guy can break an 8wt rod without "high sticking" but it is not easy. If rod has a "fighting handle" then it is possible to achieve better leverage but they are rare on less than 12wt rods.

 

Esa

Esa this place is a combat zone.  You dont have the room to fight fish that way.  In Alaska on a river with no

one else around on a gravel bar I successfully landed a 24lb king on my five weight that crushed a cone head muddler I was swinging for rainbows.  I had room and could play with but of rod and walking to aggressively fight fish.  

 

Salmon River you may only have 10' between you and the angler above and below you on river.  Heavy tackle is needed due to human factors.

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I am going to avoid the Salmon River hopefully. My friends that go stay at a camp along the Little Salmon. If they have some water there they do well. If they don't I will be at the Fly Fishing Only part of the river. I can't stand fishing like I have seen on the Salmon River. If it is crowded like I have seen, I will fish some other tributaries for what ever is there. I tried to get out for winter steelhead this year, but every time I tried to get out there was slush ice and terrible conditions. Plus I now I have bad circulation so my hands freeze!

 

My main trip will be the Margaree in Nova Scotia. I plan on making that a yearly trip for Atlantic Salmon. Atlantic Salmon has been in my bucket list for 50 years.

 

Thanks

Gil

 

 

 

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