[LeeCatchum]

My buddy, Hookum, got a great deal on some spey lines. I will have a Grand Spey to use on my Sage 9140. Does anybody have an good tips or references on techniques and troublespots when starting out with these long bellied lines. So far I've just used a WindCutter on my 9140 and a MidSpey on my 6120. Is the approach basically the same?

Lee

 

[flytyer]

Lee,

I would not use any GS other than the 7/8 (and even this line will overload the rod) on the Sage 9140 (I assume you have the 9140-4). It is such a soft and slow rod that will be greatly overloaded with even the 8/9 GS, and the 9/10 GS would probably blow up the rod. I own a 9140-4 and I won't let a GS or XLT get near it. The rod was designed to cast short lines (Skagit style, Scandanavian heads, Windcutter) and not the long-belly ones. Be very careful using a GS on this rod to avoid blowing it up.

That said, the basic approach with the long lines is the same as with the short- and mid-belly ones. You need to move more line, add more power to all your casting moves, use a longer stroke to keep the extra line aerialized, and start your forward, final delivery a little before the D Loop has finished forming. Dana has some video showing this forward delivery starting before the D Loop has finished forming on the forum.

 

[ChromeFever]

Sage 9140-4

I have to agree with flytyer here on this one. I wouldnt put any long bellied line on a Sage 9140. I have been using this rod for some time now playing with many different lines and a Mid Spey would be about the longest head taper style line that I would try on it. It simply does not have the back bone to throw the longer bellied lines. it does work well with a WC and a MS. The MS that I have been using is an 8/9.

 

[LeeCatchum]

9140-4 and 6120-3

Than you guys for the great feedback. I think I get the message; I won't put an GS on my 9140-4. I love the rod and certainly don't wnat to bust it.

Anybody have an opinion about longer-bellied lines on a 6120? I have a 6/7 midspey but I think I would like to try a 5/6 ms. On the advice of our local flyshop proprietor, I put a 5/6 windcutter on my 6120 and it does amazingly well even with relatively heavy ties like leeches.

 

[Rick J]

I won't comment about what rod to use the long belly on but if you are looking for good info on casting them I would say hands down that Derek Brown's video is the best available. He spends time talking about hand/arm positions and he is using long belly lines. The hand/arm motions and stopping positions can be quite different than for short belly lines. This said I would also suggest getting Dana's recent articles on underhand casting through his speypages as he has developed a casting stroke for long bellies that is far different than the tradtional method of casting long belly lines

 

[Dana]

I generally avoid long belly lines on shorter spey rods. anything under 14ft I generally fish with shooting heads or extended belly shooting heads like the Windcutter; 14ft and up is when I tend to switch over to the longer belly lines. On most of my 14ft rods I use MidSpey-style lines. Rods 15ft+ I use the long belly or extended belly lines. My reasoning behind this is simply that with a shorter rod you have a smaller margin for error when throwing your D loop because the rod tip is closer to the water. I'm generally a lazy guy and don't want to focus too much on my casting when I'm fishing, so I will use the rod and line combination that makes life easiest for me. Short rods = short (belly) lines. With the longer rods you can use whatever you like, but long bellies really come into their own with the longer rods.

I've found that most of what has been said and written about any two-handed casting style can be applied to any other two-handed casting style, so I like to goof around using top hand dominant techniques with shooting heads and underhand-style techniques with long belly lines like I'm doing here. As long as you are loading the rod correctly it really doesn't matter what style you choose. And while it is fun to learn all of the different methods, don't allow yourself to be convinced that there is any one right or correct way to do any of this--if it is working well for you then it is the right method.

I agree with Rick that the best of the newer videos that details classic longline speycasting technique is Derek's.