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Skagit flight... - ...for underhand casting (scandi)

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kdh
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Skagit flight... - ...for underhand casting (scandi)

Post by kdh »

Hi all,
anybody tried a Rio Skagit Flight for underhand casting with touch and go casts?
I am searching for a short head that chucks bigger flies too, and am thinking about getting a Flight, just matched to underhand casting grain-wise.

Thanks,
Klaus
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Ben_D
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Post by Ben_D »

kdh wrote:Hi all,
anybody tried a Rio Skagit Flight for underhand casting with touch and go casts?
I am searching for a short head that chucks bigger flies too, and am thinking about getting a Flight, just matched to underhand casting grain-wise.

Thanks,
Klaus
You'd be better of the the UK line that Rio do. The AFS tracker, this is an AFS floating head in orange with the front 15' chopped off, it is supplied with a range of tips like you get with a windcutter multi tip. I use the flight a lot but as a Skagit set up, I think it would be a bit short & heavy for easy controlled touch & goes touch and go's unless the flies you are throwing are tobys.

Cheers

Ben
kdh
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Post by kdh »

Hi Ben,
thanks.
It is meant for really big flies and the river I fish often presents situations where I have very limited room for a d-loop...
Maybe I should give skagit a go, but I am a bit unmotivated to adapt to a different style :p .

Cheers,
Klaus
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Ben_D
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Post by Ben_D »

Klaus,

If D loop space is limited with big flies then touch & go casts would not be my choice with any line, circle cast for upstream wind and a double Spey in a downstream wind. With a Skagit you simply wait after making the circle or upstream drag before picking up the line and forming your D, tip & fly ideally want to dig a bit to stop the anchor blowing from the momentum of the D loop set up. With Skagit gear you can set the anchor then look around for a spot to guide or lift your D loop into as you are doing everything more slowly than with conventional gear and touch & go casts.

Works for me!!

Cheers

Ben
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Post by mattklara »

Agreed with ben. Touch and go casts are far less effective in "impossible" fishing conditions.

Today's Skagit heads, particularly the shorter ones like Airflows Compct Skagit are amazing from impossible situations. You literally need no D loop behind you. You can set it up out in front of you and literally hack out a 70+ foot roll cast without getting any line behind you (with a big heavy fly and tips).

Common situation for us in winter (like i was in about 2 hours ago).

Wading waist deep. 5' from shore, which is essentially a vertical bank with overhanging alders.

This is what the lines were designed for.
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kdh
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Post by kdh »

Thanks Ben and Matt.
I can get away with a rather shallow d-loop with my scandi-setup, but setting up the D in front sounds like what I am looking for.

Is there a rule of thumb how to choose the weight of the skagit head?
If I like a headweight of about 550 grains for scandi, what should I order for skagity casting?

Klaus
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Ben_D
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Post by Ben_D »

Hi Klaus,

Order about the same, the average Skagit head will be considerably shorter than the average Scandi head.

Personally I use 550 - 600 on a #8/9, 600 - 650 on a #9/10 and 650 - 700 on a #10/11 athough if you asked Matt, he may say go heavier!!

My experience with Skagit is mainly with Rio lines, the Skagit flight feels lighter for same line weight than the original Skagit, it is a bit more refined, the original Skagit is the one for serious tips and house brick flies.

Cheers

Ben
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mattklara
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Post by mattklara »

No Ben, I agree with your line ratings. Many folks here do chose to go a bit heavier, but you can find those line ratings on the Rajeff Sports and Rio websites.

I line my 7wt rods with 450-510 grain skagit heads. For the same rods I generally cast a 450-480 grain scandi that is over 10 feet longer.

Remember the scandi head wont have a tip looped to it. A skagit head will commonly have 10-15 feet of t-11 or t-14, adding another 110-200 grains.

matt
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Ben_D
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Post by Ben_D »

mattklara wrote:Remember the scandi head wont have a tip looped to it. A skagit head will commonly have 10-15 feet of t-11 or t-14, adding another 110-200 grains.

matt
I agree about the addition of the tip but, this is weight that has to be lifted by the back end of the line when the forward cast is made. This would not contribute to road load when making Spey casts. I match the head to the rod for the load I want and add whatever tip a line of that mass will carry.

Cheers

Ben
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Post by mattklara »

Sorry Ben, you are correct. The weight of the tip does not itself contribute to rod load (unless you cast it a very certain way i suppose).

I guess what i meant to say is that the EFFECT of the long and heavy tip on loading is similar to more grain weight as it acts as a far more substantial/grippy anchor than a light poly or mono leader.

At least that is how I conceptualize it.
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Ben_D
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Post by Ben_D »

mattklara wrote:Sorry Ben, you are correct. The weight of the tip does not itself contribute to rod load (unless you cast it a very certain way i suppose).

I guess what i meant to say is that the EFFECT of the long and heavy tip on loading is similar to more grain weight as it acts as a far more substantial/grippy anchor than a light poly or mono leader.

At least that is how I conceptualize it.
Hi Matt, that very certain way is known as Rich Knoles style or the 650 Park overhead :D

What you're saying about the grip of the anchor allowing more juice to be put into the D is interesting, was talking with Magnus about it last night! Playing about with long floaters at the moment, the number of ways you can make a Spey cast work fascinates me, I just need to work out which way will get me the extra 10 yards I am looking for!!

Cheers

Ben
kdh
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Post by kdh »

Thanks Ben and Matt!
Will order one in 550 grains to start with- if its too light I will fish it on my #7 for cork creaking action :D

Cheers,
Klaus
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