[nobullygator]

Im sure you guys get this alot but im new here and new to spey/switch fishing. I purchased a 7wt switch rod in the middle of salmon season when my 8wt single hander broke. Im just now getting around to putting a reel and getting line for it. So to the actual question-

Im getting rio's skagit max short 425gr for the 7wt. Im having trouble as to what tips i should purchase. I was looking at the iMOW light 2.5ft int/7.5 T-8. The two rivers i would be fishing around here are big and small. The small river is average 20ft across and 5ft deep and way deeper in the bigger holes. The larger river is hard to average but I would say at least 60ft + for width and 5-20ft deep. The banks are mostly shallow gravel and towards the middle it drops off. Could I get away with buying one tip for each river?

 

[Rick J]

a lot depends on the current along with the depth but just know you will not be targeting fish at 20 feet deep with a fly - I think I would buy a 30 ft. spool of the T material of your choice (likely T11 or T14 depending on flies you are flinging!)

I would cut three tips - one at 8 feet, one at 10 feet and one at 12 feet and put loops on them

 

[nobullygator]

a lot depends on the current along with the depth but just know you will not be targeting fish at 20 feet deep with a fly - I think I would buy a 30 ft. spool of the T material of your choice (likely T11 or T14 depending on flies you are flinging!)

I would cut three tips - one at 8 feet, one at 10 feet and one at 12 feet and put loops on them

Thanks for that suggestion man, I think im gonna get some T11 and T14. Btw have you ever used the iMow tips?

 

[Rick J]

yes and I like them but at least for most winter applications on my local rivers I am using something longer than the 7.5 MOW or IMOW so typically go to the homemade cut versions of the T materials

 

[domantas]

T11 iMOW tips for larger flies, T8 iMOW for smaller. Imows anchor better. 425 is a little light for 10' t14. Also consider Rio dc tips in about 100 grains for more delicate and linear presentation.

 

[Jason]

Ricks advice about just buying the 30' spool of T material is really good for the long term. Will be cheaper to do it that way, and you will go through it faster than you think. You could just buy a MOW or IMOW tip (or more) depending on what kind of water you're fishing, it'll just cost a bit more to do it that way. If you're not careful you can end up with more sinking tips, poly leaders, versi-leaders, etc than you can keep track of. The cool thing about the MOW tips is the ability to very very easily, and quickly change the depth you're fishing by swapping to another tip of a different amount of sinking T whatever.

I also agree that T-14 is probably a bit too heavy for your skagit head, particularly as a newer caster T-11 would be smoother casting. If you hadn't read between the lines already here you do need to be mindful of the fly size when choosing your leader/tip size; T-8 will not cast as big a fly as T-11 etc. For this reason, it's also probably a good idea when starting out to avoid the huge heavy beasts for a bit.

HTH,
JB