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Airflo Skagit Scout and OPST Commando comparison?

28K views 26 replies 19 participants last post by  KennebecJake 
#1 ·
Hey,

Looking for any real world, side by side comparisons. I've been tossing Commandos on my 7119 and 81010 switches this winter. Very nice tools to have in the box.

Anyone compared the Scout vs. the Commando? At 450, the Scout actually has more grains per foot than the Commando. Hmmm...

Hoping to get a Platinum 8124 soon so I'm contemplating a line for local winter rivers.

Cheers!

Jason
 
#2 ·
Tapered bellys are better when there comes more weight to the top of the D-loop. Also when whole head weight lightens smoother the line loop gets better and also tapered head loop run time lasts longer which lengthens the cast.

Sometimes actual taper is not what the profile picture looks. I have few Skagit bellys which tip is too thin thich in theory cause hinging but in practise perhaps not significant. Obviously thining is there to make building the loop easier?

I like to use short bellys and long and tapered tips which are match to the fly size.

Esa
 
#7 ·
sure wish they had used the scout head as a basis for the switch streamer integrated. at least in the trouty sizes, they would handle the tips a lot better than the current design. most of the time, I want to strip to my tip connection.
as is I hung up my s.streamer in favor of the scout, loops and all. i'll prob be wearing out my loops pretty quickly going in and out of the guides so much. I didn't have one bit of trouble making the switch from 20ft down to the 15' head. after all, I throw a 20' head on a 13.5' rod, why not 15' on 11' rod ? I think the length is spot on !
 
#8 ·
I think a key reason for the really short heads is it allows stripping the fly back close to you - for that reason I actually like the RIO versions as they are all 11'.

It never makes sense to me why line companies make the heavier grain lines longer. I like RIOs for their consistent length
 
#9 ·
the 11' trout max only goes up to 275gr. for your 4wt, at 300gr, their 20' long.

still, even with an 11' head i'm stripping it in most of the time. why, if an integrated line is supposedly designed for tips (switch chucker, switch streamer) wouldn't they keep the same Skagit head taper ? was that the marketing geniuses call ?
 
#10 · (Edited)
I don't have enough knowledge to talk about line design nor taper. But I used to have OPST 200, Rio Trout Max 200 for my 2wt 10'8 switch and I used Trout Max way more than OPST. However, it changed after I tried Scout 210. Scout is IMO smoother to cast and somehow feels less clunky

I must agree with Matuka Mike on his wishes to have Scout as integrated line. I too preferred to have 1 solid integrated line without loop to loop connection and for that I am using a Switch Streamer 360 in place of the 360 scout. Maybe I'll fuse that Scout with a running line and build a solid line.
 
#15 ·
Tested both the Scout and Commando on my 4 weight glass switch. I love my Commando, especially with the matching 96 gr. tips. Echo recommended the 270 Scout for my rod. I found this to be too heavy, especially with any tip, although the polyleaders weren't too bad. I settled on the 225 Commando with a 96 gr. tip. You definitely need to concentrate on a shorter stroke and they respond well when you stick to Eds continuous casting style. This is tough for me because I learned on a Delta. I've since tried them on my whole quiver and if I'm throwing a tip that's the line I choose. Still love the midbelly and Scandi for my summer work and shallow water applications but the Commando is my jam for winter steelhead and streamers. I'd stick to Polys with the Scout.
 
#18 ·
You could get a heavier F.I.S.T. and cut it from the rear until you achieve a good weight and then cast using bit longer tips. It improves whole head weight balance making it more rear biased and line becomes easier to Spey and more efficient to cast. Like a turbo boosted Scandi taper :laugh:

I often cast various tips where I have put various lengths of old 750gr Skagit belly. Just this morning I was fishing in surf and because there the consistent anchoring is impossible I did cast very drastic taper shooting head. The belly was 12ft/315gr and the tip was a Rio AFS 4/5F which rear taper is removed and is now 29ft/285gr. So the whole head was 41ft/600gr. That 315gr weight did lift the tip and small fly from any breaking wave and there was no anchor "blowing" either although the anchor also often landed to foaming water.

I have cut that 750gr Skagit belly to 1.5ft, 3ft, 6ft and 12ft lengths so I can use it in 15 weight combinations (for "rod and line testing") but for fishing I use only one piece at a time. Then there often comes a drastic weight difference from the belly to tip but the water anchor calms down Spey cast line loop behavior.

Esa
 
#19 ·
Bringing this thread back to life

Anyone have any new updates about the scout heads? I'm curious how they are performing on the larger switch sizes (6, 7, 8) and if they are just as good as the skagit switches and skagit compacts. All i know is they carry MORE grains per foot than OPST
 
#23 ·
IVe been curious as to the difference between skagit scout and skagit switch as well. I'm going to equip skagit switch 480 for imx pro 71111. My conclusion is the scout and skagit switch is same, with only 1 foot longer length on skagit switch.

Ambest- let us know what you think. I feel it will be a great fit for them imxpro. Also, what scandi line would you throw on your rod? I'm thinking rage compact 420/450

I've emailed airflo asking the difference between airflo scout and airflo skagit switch and this is what the gentleman said:

"Michael,

There will not be a huge difference in how they perform?we designed these with very little overlap on sizes, that is why we no longer make the skagit switch down to 300 like we use to.

Personally on anything 11?0 and under I like the Scout lines as they just feel a bit better, but you will not notice a huge difference between the two.

Thanks,

Jamie"
 
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