Spey Rod ????

[Mokai]

I am in the market for my first Spey rod..Steelhead is the primary use..I was thinking of an 8 wt..How long should I get..

I have an Orivis Battenkill 7/8, will this match up to a Spey rod ok ?? And do I have to get Spey line or will a traditional WF Floating line be ok??

Any advice is welcome...Thanks , Andrew...

[MikeT]

Andrew,
My advice is to do some serious homework before investing.

What rivers/seasons will you fish the rod? A rod for summer steelhead only, for example, will likely be different than one to fish heavy tips for winters. There are rods that would be good for both, but personally I'd go with a lighter rod (6/7 or 7/8) if I was fishing surface flies only.

If you're not in a hurry, the Sandy River spey clave in May is a good chance to try out a lot of different rods and talk to factory reps and serious fishermen.

Mark Bachmann at the Fly Fishing Shop in Welches is a good resource. He can show you rods in a variety of price ranges and advise you on what will work for your application.

Another great resource is the Spey Pages website. Google "spey pages" and you'll find tons of information, rod reviews, and a good group of guys that will answer all your questions.

good luck with the decision.....Mike

[cphatts]

An 8 weight 13' 6" is a good all around choice. If you are going only fish for summer runs, a 6 or 7 in 12' would probably be better and if you are only going to be fishing for winters on bigger rivers (swinging heavy tips) then a 9 weight 14-15 ' may be a better chioce, but an 8 weight should serve you well for both summers and winters.

You will need a new reel and new line, no doubt about it. For my first spey set-up, I picked up a St Croix Imperial spey rod,Scientific Anglers System II reel with Rio Windcutter interchangable tips. I think my entire set-up costs me about $500, including the line. My logic was that I would get a decent set-up without spending too much money initially, and then drop the big cash once I became more adept at spey casting. The tricky part with the reel is finding a reel that will properly balance the weight of the long spey rod.

I would search the archieves both here and also other websites such as westfly, spey pages, etc. as you will be able to get much more information from the archeives they from a single post.

Enjoy the spey!

[SSPey]

13'-13'6" 7/8 wt

your current reel is too small - 7/8 spey lines require reel capacity equivalent to 10/11 single hand lines. You will need a "spey" line, too - a regular single hand fly line is different.

[Mokai]

Thanks for the input all..This Spey thing is a whole new world of flyfishing to explore..I cant wait...I went to my local fly shop today and got some hands on and some more good advice..I did not realize how big a 13'6" rod was until I wielded one around..That thing is 2' longer than my boat..

[gimmeumpqua]

Ahhhh...welcome to the darker side....

A 13 to 13 1/2 7/8 weight rod with a multi tip Rio or Airflo Delta will suit you fine for summer steelhead. A 14 foot 8/9 would be a great all around summer and winter rod. I have never been one to advise beginners to buy something cheap at first, as IMHO, you'll regret it very quickly. Your reel will need to be replaced, you'll need a 10 wt capacity reel for a 7/8 weight spey line. Redington makes some decent ones that aren't too pricey. I attended a spey clave and decided on a Winston 13'3" 7/8 for my summer rod, and just bought a 14' Winston for my winter rod with a Skagit setup. I casted a bunch of them. My recollection was the Winstons were smooth and forgiving, The T&Ts were heavier and threw well,and gorgeous to look at, but didn't prefer the grip and seemed bulky to me. The Sages and Scotts seemed too stiff for my liking. The Meisers and Burkies were incredible, I've got a 5/6 meiser on order. The CND was a fine rod, just didn't like it's looks. The TFO was lifeless to me. So, the point is, there are a lot of really fine rods out there, and the lightness of the Winston really tipped me. Just make sure, that whatever rod you purchase, that you research in detail the correct line to match it.

Kurt