[BWO]

cutting a midspey

I have rio midspey that I want to hack up and add some fifteen foot tips. Where would the appropriate location be for the cut. I have had conflicting information some say anywhere from fifteen to twenty two feet.

Thanks,
BWO

 

[Dana]

check out the MidSpey specs on RIO's website

this info should get you started as it indicates where the cuts are made on the factory lines:

http://63.228.244.27/pages/product_manual_pages/prodmanpg28.html

Vincent's specs show the cuts made at @ 15-1/2ft and 27-1/2ft. Generally the second cut is the attachment point for the "serious" sink tips, the RIO "Big Boys", while the 15ft point is for shorter tips (like 15 footers) of various sink rates.

I guess two important questions are 'What sort of tips are you planning to run'? and "How experienced a caster are you'? You mention 15ft as tip length, but a 15ft type 3 and a 15ft type 6 are potentially two different animals as far as casting them is concerned. And if you plan to use 15ft lead core (a friend of mine calls it "dead core") then such tips will make casting even more interesting.

The 22ft cut point you've been advised on is well into the 2nd level section of the line and should allow you to turn over pretty much any 15ft tip you'd care to throw with good technique. If I were a fairly new Spey caster I might seriously consider looping my line further into the belly (at the 22ft point). But an experienced caster would probably feel very comfortable following RIO's diagram and putting the loop at 15-1/2ft.

I'll also contact Simon Gawesworth at RIO and see if he can respond to this for you as well (BTW--take his advice over mine and pretty much anyone else's when it comes to RIO's lines!)

 

[Speybro]

MidSpey

The MidSpey we make is cut at 15' from the tip. This is because there is a middle taper in the line that is 4' long. This middle taper ends around 15' from the tip, though to be completely certain take a micrometer and check to see where the end of this middle taper is. That is the best place to cut as you have the energy from the taper helping to flip over the sink tips you are going to use.

I hope this helps, but feel free to email me directly if I can be of further assistance.

All the best
Simon Gawesworth

 

[Rick J]

Midspey

I cut my 7/8 Midspey at the 15' mark and am using windcutter tips and it works great

 

[SSPey]

Dana,

Why would a type 3 and type 6 tip cast as different beasties if the grains per foot are the same? A type 6 would be harder to pull out of the water at the start of the cast, but once beyond that, I don't see how a type 6 would be more difficult. If anything, a type 6 tip would have a smaller diameter and perhaps turnover easier due to less wind resistance when casting. Is there something else that I'm missing?

Steve

 

[Whistler]

BWO, personal choice is to cut the line closer to 20', especially with the lower line weights. While this does take away from the overall length of the head, the thicker line turns the head over better as well as not getting drowned as much by the faster sinking tips.I haven't noticed a huge casting sacrifice with lighter tips and I happen to think heavier tips fish a little better with the shorter overall head length.BN

 

[Dana]

Hi Steve!

Nope, not missing anything. I was alluding to the initial lift and also the moments after the anchor is set to some degree. The denser type 6 tip will sink faster than the 3, and so a caster needs to adjust timing a little--a good example of this is when I get lazy and slow with my double spey--forget about pulling a type 6 out. But with a good snake roll you can pretty much pull up anything and cast it all in one go. Still, a downstream roll cast to get the tip up off the bottom at the end of the swing makes everything a little easier.