Understanding skagit setup - On a TFO 5/6 deer creek spey

[Sexycarpenter]

Being 2 weeks into spey, more specifically skagit, help me understand my setup please.

Gear:
TFO 5/6 deer creek spey 12'6"

SA skagit mastery deluxe multi tip setup 6wt
shooting head 450 gr
leaders are each 15 ft long (float, slow, intermediate and fast sink) each 120 grains per the package.

I understand the 3 -3.5x your rod length but does this include the tippet as well or just shooting head and leader?

TFO's line recommendations are: Skagit: 400/450 with tips to 150 grains

Thanks,
Grey

[Sexycarpenter]

Forgot to add that the shooting head is 27 ft.

[crunch]

Head and tip (27'+15'). Often leaders are short, sometimes only two feet so there is better contact to often very heavy and big fly.

Nowadays some use only 2.5x rod length Skagit head and tip when fishing very tight conditions and even shorter head work fine.

[Sexycarpenter]

Thank you.
Now when you say a short leader of 2 feet added to the tip is that a standard leader and then tippet or is that tippet? I fished it the other day and had a sink (1) 15' tip to the shooting head and had 0x tippet straight to the sink tip. Should I have a short piece of mono on there as a leader or is straight tippet ok?

Thanks again

[crunch]

When leader is short straight leader/tippet is fine but use breaking strength less than what fly line and running line has. And when you fish rocky area use fluorocarbon tippet as it does not scratch easy and loose its strength.

When fly is heavy for its wind resistance it straightens the leader when line has enough speed left when line ends. But when you use very long leader and light fly then soft, tapered leader mass is needed to deliver the fly.

I use 2.5mm or 3mm steel tippet ring (leader ring) in the thin end of tapered leader where I tie the tippet. This way leader does not shorten and lasts a long time. I use 6 turn uni knot and smoothen/protect the leader/ring knot with knot clue. Using tippet ring makes fluorocarbon and mono connection stronger than tying then directly.

[Sexycarpenter]

Great info thanks

Grey

[Paul Arden]

Hi Grey (and welcome to the Board by the way )!

What type of fishing is the set-up for? The way I see it, is that Skagit is a pretty ugly and specialist set-up for casting big flies, (mostly) deep and with very little space. You're sacrificing stealth, an ability to mend, and the ability to make a pleasant cast for this specific combination of circumstances!

I suspect many a Skagit line is sold when a mid-belly Spey line would be better.

Cheers, Paul

[sms]

The way I see it, is that Skagit is a pretty ugly and specialist set-up for casting big flies, (mostly) deep and with very little space. You're sacrificing stealth, an ability to mend, and the ability to make a pleasant cast for this specific combination of circumstances!

I suspect many a Skagit line is sold when a mid-belly Spey line would be better.

One does not sacrifice the ability to make pleasant casts for the specific combination of circumstances - that is when you want to go deep and are casting intruder... All but skagit is then sacrificing the pleasure, or actually, getting you angry.

But yes, I do also consider Skagit as a special tool.

I mostly DH fish with two sets. One is a a mid belly floater + 15' rod. I think I'll get a short head also for next season. The other is a 12'6" rod with shooting head(s) and skagit line for those 15' S7 sink tips and intruders.

[Sexycarpenter]

Thanks. My quarry 90% of the time are river run striper, bass, carp gar. 10% trout. So yes mostly big heavy flies and heavier tippet. Topwater or subsurface depending on time of day and year.

[easterncaster]

have you tried Guideline 3D lines ?

i do not have a dog in this fight, but recently saw them demo'd by Neil Houlding at Spey Nation, and they looked mighty fine.


http://www.guideline.no/?module....Webshop

craig

[Sexycarpenter]

I haven't. I've only been at it a couple weeks. Started cheap. Got the SA mastery skagit deluxe with tips for $60. Figured I'd start with that and learn what I like and don't like then spend bigger cash when I have that info. I checked the website, they look good.