Spey Line, What is it?

[AndyK]

I recently received a Spey line from a friend. He got the line on a used reel he had purchased. He gave me the line because he doesn’t Spey cast and he knew I did. However he doesn’t know the weight of the line nor does the seller.

It looks like a RIO wind cutter. The body is 21½ feet from the load point to the loop. There is a second tip (tip 2 compensator), which is a fifteen feet floater, and then a sink tip. Because of the length and tip2, I feel it is the wind cutter line.

I don’t know the weight of the line. Does anyone know how to determine the weight? I haven’t tried it on a rod yet, but my heaviest Spey is an 8/9.

[TallFlyGuy]

Sounds like a windcutter. 21.5 + 15 + 15 = 51.5 ft. Are there any dark rings around the endloops? They code their lines this way. Other than that, get yourself a digital grain scale. They come in handy. Only about 30 bucks.

Justin

[MikeT]

I'd coil the working part of the line, leaving the shooting line loose, then put it on a digital scale. You'll get a pretty close approximation of the weight, and then can compare that to the Rio specs.

WC head weights:
5/6 = 365 gr.
6/7/8 = 455 gr.
7/8/9 = 525 gr.
8/9/10 = 585 gr.
9/10/11 = 650 gr.

[SSPey]

I've taken notes on a bunch of lines over the years. If you lack a scale but have calipers to measure the line diameter (at the thickest point, near the running line), then I may be able to tell you the line weight designation

[AndyK]

I've taken notes on a bunch of lines over the years. If you lack a scale but have calipers to measure the line diameter (at the thickest point, near the running line), then I may be able to tell you the line weight designation

Nothing like running a flyline through some calipers...

The thickest spot I could find was .085 inches. My calipers are in inches only, but that converts to 2.159 mm.

[SSPey]

sorry, I should have asked you to determine the "average" thickness of the belly using 5 or 6 measurements over the rear 10'

if your value is the "average" of the thickest part, then it is most likely a WC 10/11/12 - rear belly would be ~ 395 grains.

however, if the average is closer to 0.081, then it is a WC 9/10/11 - rear belly would be ~ 350 grains

[AndyK]

if your value is the "average" of the thickest part, then it is most likely a WC 10/11/12 - rear belly would be ~ 395 grains.

The measurement was for several feet of the line. So it is an "average".

I am curious about the weight. I looked up the weight or a 10/11/12 weight wind cutter line and it should be 750 gr. Is that for the rear belly, second tip and the tip?

[SSPey]

750 would be the whole floating line.


the specs that I have from RIO are ca. 2003 and list different weights for the full floater (740) vs. the tips version with floating middle section (766) vs. intermediate middle section (786) - breaks down like this:

belly: 395
middle: 205 (floating) or 225 (intermediate)
tip: 166

They made slight taper tweaks over time, plus there are variations due to manufacturing tolerances

[AndyK]

750 would be the whole floating line.

Great information. That line is too heavy for any of the rods I currently own.

I guess I will "store" it until I get an appropriate rod.

[SSPey]

the belly alone + tips (10' sinktips or 15' floating tip) is optimal as a skagit line for single hand 7/8 rods

[steel_beaver]

the belly alone + tips (10' sinktips or 15' floating tip) is optimal as a skagit line for single hand 7/8 rods

:D Yup. Works pretty nice:D