New to Spey - Rod Question

566 Views 15 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Castinghooks, 2 d ago

SouthernColoradoFisherman

Discussion Starter · 8 d ago

Hello,

A few questions before I buy a setup.

I have every other type of trout rod, and loved swinging flies for steelhead with a friend in the PNW a few years ago. I am looking to get a Sage G5 or Reddington Claymore 2h in a 3 or 4 wt.

I live in SW Colorado, and want to fish the Animas and Rio Grande with it occasionally. I fish pretty decent sized, ~#4 streamers, such as sculpzillas/sculpinators, or medium/bigger dungeon style flies (which I assume I can swing with no problem?), due to all the sculpins here. I have been using a single hand 7 weight with a built in 10' sinking line.

The rivers here are not huge, but I just want the rod for swinging streamers, maybe occasional soft hackle. Would you recommend a 3 or 4 weight in said rods for that application?

Also, I saw Rio makes an integrated trout line - is that kind of a one size fits all type built in shooting head, that I could cast light tips, and poly leaders with? I guess all I need is the integrated line, and a poly leader and/or a light T-8 skagit iMOW tip (no skagit or scandi head needed?)?

A few more questions - as far as poly/versi leaders, would you get the 7' or 10'? And as far as the Rio iMOW, would you go 5 ft intermediate/5ft sink, or longer with one of the two? I wasn't sure if I needed a 2.5 intermediate/7.5 sink when the water is higher, and maybe a 7.5 int/2.5 sink when it is shallow - and if the 3 or 4 could handle it with no problem.

Thank you so much. Tried calling Rio a few times to ask questions but no luck talking to them and assume y'all are the experts.

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

SouthernColoradoFisherman

Discussion Starter · #2 · 8 d ago (Edited)

One more thought - if my main goal is to throw streamers, would I be better off getting the Rio Mini Skagit instead of the Rio Integrated line? And if you do get the Skagit, can you still throw versi leaders/tapered leaders, or is it mainly for tips?

I guess option 3 is to get a running line, and the two Rio Trout shooting heads...

Too many options ha. Being my first spey, would like to minimize the complexity and gear at first.

gumshua

· #3 · 8 d ago

If you're fishing weighted sculpin patterns, get a 4 weight. I fish a similar 4 weight all winter with 7.5 feet of T8 and small-medium eye/cone flies all winter.

Reactions: 1

SouthernColoradoFisherman

Discussion Starter · #4 · 8 d ago

gumshua said:
If you're fishing weighted sculpin patterns, get a 4 weight. I fish a similar 4 weight all winter with 7.5 feet of T8 and small-medium eye/cone flies all winter.

Thanks. How long of a head do you shoot? Between the two Rio lines, they have an integrated trout spey 23' head (305g), and a mini skagit 18' head (325g).

gumshua

· #5 · 8 d ago

SouthernColoradoFisherman said:
Thanks. How long of a head do you shoot? Between the two Rio lines, they have an integrated trout spey 23' head (305g), and a mini skagit 18' head (325g).

I fish a 330 Scout and a 300 Scandi Compact on my 4 wt.

Reactions: 1

Kispiox2keys616

· #6 · 8 d ago

It sounds like you're leaning toward the G5 and for swinging streamers and heavier flies with heads, I'd recommend this rod. I have been fishing the G5 4wt for a few years and the skagit and skagit like heads you are referencing are what I use frequently.

I spent most of the early months this year with a 325 grain Rio mini max and various lengths of T-11 up to 9' as well as iMOW tips. The minimal handled them all well.

This week I was fishing more large soft hackles, sparrows, and some 3" weighted eye streamers on an airflo rage 330 with int poly leader, and the setup worked great for me.

I've tried lighter skagit heads in the 300 grain window with tips and the rod and I needed more to properly load easily and zing line. For your applications as I understand them, the skagit system with mini max, scout, rage in the 325-330 range should get you dialed quickly.

sculpin swinger

· #7 · 8 d ago

4 wt for streamers with weight. You might want to look at the Rio skagit trout spey integrated. The trout spey line is better for soft hackles and unweighted flies.

McSquidly

· #8 · 7 d ago

I have G5 in the 3wt. And would suggest it over the 4wt, as the 3wt is such a powerful rod and is really nice with with a 270ish grn head. It could easily be loaded with a 300grn head as well. With virtually any 10’ trout tip you could launch a 3-4” streamer across the Animas. I would not want to play trout on anything beefier than this rod , unless of course the trout were most often above 25”.

Another option to consider is Echo TR2 in 3wt. It does it all soo nicely and is 1/2 the price is bought used.

Bob Pauli

· #9 · 7 d ago (Edited)

SOUTHERNCOLORADOFISHERMAN:
The two rods you mention are advertised as: G5--fast action; Claymore, reminiscent of an anti-personnel mine, is advertised as having "extra power." Both are poor choices for your fishing application, especially if you use barbless hooks or small hooks (16,18, 20). It is imperative to fish with rods "that actually bend," to borrow a phrase from author Larry Kenney. Fast rods are poor fishing fighting tools because they do not bend readily and deeply with the thrashing and head shaking of a vigorous fish, rather they easily allow shock waves to travel down the line creating slack, and it only takes 1/8" of slack to lose a fish.

Fast action rods are god for casting Scandi and traditional lines, not as good for casting Skagit heads. My landing to hooking ratio for all species increased dramatically when I put my fast rods in the closet and fished exclusively with moderate action rods. Sage used to offer a "MOD" rod with action suitable for my fishing. Fast action rods are not a detriment for anglers who use double or triple barbed hooks, if one ignores trauma to the creatures we seek to honor and preserve.

My "trout Spey" rod is an Anderson 12-foot, 4-inch, 4-weight medium action double-handed rod. I use a 300 grain RIO Steelhead Scandi Spey line with leaders from 12-feet to 25-feet long when fishing California's Fall River, a large spring creek.

Have fun,
Bob

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DuncDunc

· #10 · 7 d ago

Oh boy. Another trout spey thread........ 🙌

Reactions: 2

fisshman26

· #11 · 7 d ago

DuncDunc said:
Oh boy. Another trout spey thread........ 🙌

100 ft all day long 🤷‍♂️🤣

Reactions: 1

plvankampen

· #12 · 7 d ago

As far as action, I tend to agree with @Bob Pauli that you may want to look for a slower rod at first. You'll find when you fight fish on a two-hander, especially smaller fish, that it is easy to lose contact. I think a mid-flex rod helps with that. Also, I think a slower rod with a more traditional 'spey taper' is more relaxing which was the whole point for me. I mean, if you wanted to catch more trout you'd be on a Euro Nymphing thread somewhere. ha ha ... No, but seriously, this whole spey thing is just fun when you're targeting trout.
Concerning an integrated line vs a modular setup, I highly recommend the modular approach for a two handed rod. Two reasons : 1) you can use one, full cage reel for multiple setups 2) if an integrated line gets a knot in it you are screwed. Not only is mono much easier to get knots out of but, even in the worst circumstances, you can just cut it back.
Anyway, I'm also a total noob as I've only been at this for about a year. I started with a 10'6" 4wt with an integrated line. It wasn't long before I was cutting that line up and buying a full cage Hardy reel online. Now, a year later, I'm a total junkie.
Best of luck figuring it out. Also, if you do figure it out let us know. I don't think anybody has quite yet.

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DuncDunc

· #13 · 7 d ago

Get the 4wt. Swing flies. Be happy

Reactions: 3

Castinghooks

· #14 · 2 d ago

Hello all,
A couple of points from my Trout Spey journey. I have a few 3 and 4 wt trout spey setups from various manufacturers. And my favorite is the Echo 3110, I grab it before the others most of the time. It’s rigged with the OPST head and sink tips for skagit and a Rio Scandi short. I throw a lot of steamers, weighted and unweighted and up to 5 inches here in Arkansas. And with the Scandi, I can fish soft hackles with power to spare. It has all of the power I need For the streamers. And is the most reasonably priced rod out of the bunch and it casts like butter.

Hope this is helpful

plvankampen

· #15 · 2 d ago

Castinghooks said:
Hello all,
A couple of points from my Trout Spey journey. I have a few 3 and 4 wt trout spey setups from various manufacturers. And my favorite is the Echo 3110, I grab it before the others most of the time. It’s rigged with the OPST head and sink tips for skagit and a Rio Scandi short. I throw a lot of steamers, weighted and unweighted and up to 5 inches here in Arkansas. And with the Scandi, I can fish soft hackles with power to spare. It has all of the power I need For the streamers. And is the most reasonably priced rod out of the bunch and it casts like butter.

Hope this is helpful

Is this the TR or the Trout Spey by echo?

Castinghooks

· #16 · 2 d ago

plvankampen said:
Is this the TR or the Trout Spey by echo?

This is the TR

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