What do you spey guys/gals think?

[sherretb]

I really want to get a spey rod but dont have a ton of money to spend. I recently found a used combo for sale and was wondering what you all thought. The asking price is $300.



Here's what is in the package

Sage Graphite 3 15' 8 wt. Spey Rod

Lamson Spey Reel w/ 9wt RIO Spey line with sink tip only AND a 9 wt. RIO WIndcutter Spey line w/four interchangeable tips

I want to be able to fish the Deschutes as well as roll out some heavy stuff in the winter over on the coast.

I know there are a ton of resources online and I am in the process of looking at those. I was just wondering what your personal thoughts were regarding 1) the rod 2) Casting a 9 wt. line with a 8 wt rod and 3) the price of the package.

Thanks in advance!

[MikeT]

Sounds like a Sage 8150. If that's the case, it's a classic and much in demand. I used one for several seasons on the Deschutes; it's a great rod for big water. The downside is that at 15-ft. it's going to be a bit awkward for tight quarters and smaller coastal rivers. Twelve or thirteen feet would be a better length over there. If the rod's in decent shape then $300 for the package is a very good deal, and that rod would be easy to sell if you decided it wasn't what you need.

[PacificCoastSteel]

IMHO 15' just wont work at the coast... its just too big

most people on the D don't even fish rods that long...

i'd look for a 13' 7wt or something close as an all-around "one rod" spey rod..

[Ladyangler]

If the rod is in good condition buy it.

[Orange Heron]

If your just starting out with the spey thing that outfit will work out great for you. That is a killer price for the outfit. Heck, the reel and line by itself is worth the $300.00+ easy. Its a long rod for the coastal streams but you can make it work. I'd go for it. I learned on a Sage 9140 back in the day when you had basically two choices, a 14ft or a 15ft rod.

Rich

[sherretb]

Thanks everyone for the info. I really appreciate it!

[etacada]

My opinion is, it's a great deal but the rod is outdated with the advancement in shooting heads. I think you'll find more fufullment/enjoyment if you purchase a lighter setup. TFO makes some budget 2 handers that rock. Try a 7/8 wt 13'3", you'll love it!

good luck,

cb

[thwetnet]

Originally Posted by sherretb

I really want to get a spey rod but dont have a ton of money to spend. I recently found a used combo for sale and was wondering what you all thought. The asking price is $300.



Here's what is in the package

Sage Graphite 3 15' 8 wt. Spey Rod

Lamson Spey Reel w/ 9wt RIO Spey line with sink tip only AND a 9 wt. RIO WIndcutter Spey line w/four interchangeable tips

I want to be able to fish the Deschutes as well as roll out some heavy stuff in the winter over on the coast.

I know there are a ton of resources online and I am in the process of looking at those. I was just wondering what your personal thoughts were regarding 1) the rod 2) Casting a 9 wt. line with a 8 wt rod and 3) the price of the package.

Thanks in advance!

Hey, almost a little suspicious of the price? Is it on Craig's List? Be careful. If it is legit, I would buy it though, no matter if it is over-kill for some rivers? Just a thought!

[T I M]

If you dont buy it I will. Where is it at? I like a long rod for the D. Its easier to cover more water. But I fished it with a 12'6" 6 weight last time I was over there.

[rob allen]

I would agree that that is a good price for an outfit However! that 8150 is a big heavy rod. there are much better rods out there for what you want to do especially for the coastal rivers.. A rod from 12'6"-13'6" feet is a better choice i think. would be a great choice for the Sandy or clack though..

i'd say at that price go ahead and buy it but with the idea of refining your equipment as your skill and preferences develop...

[stoneflyguy]

Here is my if you don't buy it I will. You can turn around and sell this rod and reel and buy a good starter set up brand new and still have money left over for gass. Try looking on speypages.com it would sell there no problem.

[Skunked]

Sounds like a great deal but... like other have said, it doesn't sound like what you will want to use for the rivers you want to fish, actually it sounds way overkill. A 12'6" to 13'6" 7wt would be able to throw plenty of heavy flies. In fact I have a 12'6" 6wt that handles sinktips and big intruders just fine with a compact skagit line.

Longer rods are good for learning though, so maybe you could get this one and then trade for a shorter lighter rod after you get the hang of casting.

[sherretb]

Thanks all for the info.

The setup sold before I could buy it.

I'll be on the look out for something in the 13'6" range.

[Slow and Low]

I like something in the 13' range that will blast a 510 compact maybe even 540. Don't get hung up on the weight the rod is rated for look for the grains they are recommending for the rod. You can shop new and learn a lot ...then look for your choice used. People are constantly upgrading and swapping gear. You should be able to find a nice setup for around $500. Or buy a nice inexpensive Echo.

[kilchisfisher]

Thomas & Thomas 1309-3 Spey Rod W/ Lamson Litespeed 4 and Lines


This is on the For trade sticky at the top of the flyfishers page.

[Slow and Low]

Originally Posted by kilchisfisher

Thomas & Thomas 1309-3 Spey Rod W/ Lamson Litespeed 4 and Lines


This is on the For trade sticky at the top of the flyfishers page.

Thats a lot of stick for the pac nw.

[Zugbug66]

Originally Posted by Slow and Low

Thats a lot of stick for the pac nw.

I agree, my 8wt is my winter stick. I can throw monster intruders farther than I can fish effectively. My echo 7wt also has more than enough power and range to fish our rivers. I was also told by Mike Kinney that he uses a 7wt as a winter stick on the Skagit. I have no desire to fish a 9wt all day.

[Slow and Low]

Originally Posted by Zugbug66

I agree, my 8wt is my winter stick. I can throw monster intruders farther than I can fish effectively. My echo 7wt also has more than enough power and range to fish our rivers. I was also told by Mike Kinney that he uses a 7wt as a winter stick on the Skagit. I have no desire to fish a 9wt all day.

Mike uses a 7/8 MKS 13'6" which throws a 540-600 compacts and all the t14 in china. I have this rod and it is far too much for summer fishing.

My current favorite is a 13068 meiser highlander (13' 6-7-8). I fished it all fall on the deschutes with anything from a 510 compact skagit to a 570, 530 grain scandi to a 9weight delta long. Super versatile double duty rod. Pretty sure it will fish any river in the pac nw, plus it's really pretty;-)

[cphatts]

Originally Posted by Slow and Low

Mike uses a 7/8 MKS 13'6" which throws a 540-600 compacts and all the t14 in china. I have this rod and it is far too much for summer fishing.

I concur with Sam. I used the 7/8 MKS 13'6" for the better part of two summers and while it throws Scandi lines very well for a "skagit" rod.....it is quite heavy for summer fishing in the Pac NW. I have since gone down to a 6/7 12'6" for summer and reserved my 7/8 for winter work.

[surfnfish]

Originally Posted by sherretb

I really want to get a spey rod but dont have a ton of money to spend. I recently found a used combo for sale and was wondering what you all thought. The asking price is $300.



Here's what is in the package

Sage Graphite 3 15' 8 wt. Spey Rod

Lamson Spey Reel w/ 9wt RIO Spey line with sink tip only AND a 9 wt. RIO WIndcutter Spey line w/four interchangeable tips

I want to be able to fish the Deschutes as well as roll out some heavy stuff in the winter over on the coast.

I know there are a ton of resources online and I am in the process of looking at those. I was just wondering what your personal thoughts were regarding 1) the rod 2) Casting a 9 wt. line with a 8 wt rod and 3) the price of the package.

Thanks in advance!

The single most important investment you can make in spey fishing is take a lesson or several, or at least buy/view a couple of instruction videos on spey/scandi/skagit casting, because it is not instinctive...it is absolutely a technical process with defined movements that must be understood to get maximum casting with minimum wear and tear on your body.

Ok, with that said - I started out with a heavier rod such as you are describing, with a Windcutter setup, and didn't enjoy it. Too much rod, and an old school line which takes too much effort to learn with.

The hard core spey crew are almost all using Skagit and Scandi heads these days, as they are much more effective in almost every fishing condition. And they are also much easier to learn to fish with when compared to a windcutter system.

That said, an affordable and excellent all around rod recommendation for summer/winter is the TFO Deer Creek 13' 7/8, $340, designed and extensively tested by Mike Kinney and Bob Mesier for TFO, and who also provided specific line recommendation for each rod in the series..

Match the rod with a 4" to 4.5" (wider is better) LA reel, preferably at least 1.5" wide, load it with 30# running line, floating shooting line such as Airflo Ridge .040, a 510 gr, compact skagit head, a 470 grain scandi head, a couple of T8 and T14 tips for sink tip work with the Skagit in winter, a 10' floating and intermediate poly leader for surface or sub-surface presentations with the Scandi for summer, and you will be equipped to fish year around on any river you choose.

It's a great outfit, and all in around $600 or less if you find a good deal on the reel.

[kilchisfisher]

Originally Posted by surfnfish

It's a great outfit, and all in around $600 or less if you find a good deal on the reel.

I took careful notes

Thanks for the info!

[FLGator]

Poppy at the Red Shed should be able to put together a package for you at a great price that'd meet your needs. Lots of good advice on this thread.

[matt95]

I agree with surfnfish. The TFO 13' 7/8 is a great rod that looks nice too.. Im just getting into spey fishing myself and this is a really helpful thread for the angler just getting into spey fishing!

[afp]

I took a guided trip with one of the best N. Umpqua fly guides last year(2008) in late Sep. It was my first effort with a Spey Rod, and I got to spend all day learning to use it. It was a 13' Sage 7 wt. We were skunked, which didn't do anything to help my enthusiam for Sepy Rods............but being skunked has to do with the runaway political influence one paticular fly club on that stretch of river; not with Spey casting.

I found that with just a little instruction I was able to cast the Spey Rod as far as I can cast a single hander--roughly 70-80 feet. The guide said the reason for that was because I was using a quality rod, and he strongly recommended against getting a cheap rod.

Well, I just didn't want to dump $500-$700 into a Spey Rod. So I did a bunch of research and wound up with the TFO 13' 7/8 weight. I have fished with this rod one time, and I found I could cast it as well as I could the Sage.

I have very mixed feelings about Spey Rods. I do like the minimal backcasting distance, but I don't like how it feels like I am having to stick both arms as far forward as I can to fish and cast the rod. I suppose in a perfect world, I'd take both rods each time a fish. I'd use the single hander most of the time, then use the Spey when I didn't have any back casting room.

[Nuchal Rouge]

If you really want to go cheap. Go to Albright's website they have a 13 foot 8 weight for $149 or less. It was $99 before xmas. I learned on this rod and use it on everything from summers to kings. Its a bit much for summers but you can cast it in a 20 mile an hour gale. It easily handles big kings as well. Now all that said you get what you pay for. I now own a bunch of rods and use a Mieser 5-7 13 foot highlander for summers, which is a fun and pretty rod. In fact I love overhead casting with it. It is also the easiest rod to single spey. It is light is hand, loads well and is sensitive. Yes there is a difference between a good rod and cheap rod. The Albright is awful light in hand and loaded with a 550 head can throw anything. It's slow to moderate in action and loads well. The reel seats are not that great but they look ok. The nice thing on kings is I don't care if it breaks because its so cheap. I've never broken it by the way. There is no warranty. Echos are good rods as are the TFO mentioned above. All the others as well. You don't need anything more then an 8 wt. Good luck.

[sherretb]

ok so I got a spey set-up for christmas from an unbelievably awesome father in law. Here's how it looks:

#7 13' sage VT2

Ross CLA #7 Reel

.030 in Rio XS shooting line

450gr x 24.5 ft skagit flight head

and a set of int. t3, t6, and t8 sink tips.

WOW I was speechless to say the least.

Now it's time to catch some steel!

[AndyK]

Originally Posted by sherretb

ok so I got a spey set-up for christmas from an unbelievably awesome father in law. Here's how it looks:

#7 13' sage VT2

Ross CLA #7 Reel

.030 in Rio XS shooting line

450gr x 24.5 ft skagit flight head

and a set of int. t3, t6, and t8 sink tips.

Looks like your father-in-law likes you! He is either a spey fisherman or got some good advice.

With the choice of the Skagit head, you can change heads if you don't like the way the 450 gr head casts.

[PacificCoastSteel]

great all-around setup!

you may find 450 to be too light of a head for that rod tho... it will cast it for sure, but when you start throwing around big winter flies and heavy tips something heavier might work better for you.

that vt2 blank is a really fast one, so much so that many regard that rod as closer to an 8wt. - nothing wrong with that, but something to keep in mind when lining it up.

i like 510-600 grains on a skagit setup with that rod... usually a 550 or a 600

s

[Slow and Low]

Originally Posted by PacificCoastSteel

great all-around setup!

you may find 450 to be too light of a head for that rod tho... it will cast it for sure, but when you start throwing around big winter flies and heavy tips something heavier might work better for you.

that vt2 blank is a really fast one, so much so that many regard that rod as closer to an 8wt. - nothing wrong with that, but something to keep in mind when lining it up.

i like 510-600 grains on a skagit setup with that rod... usually a 550 or a 600

s

Agree, trade the 450 in on a 510 or 540. I fished this rod a lot and it will get after it with a 510, 480 scandi will be great for summer fish.

Congrats on the new rod.