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I got the 8/9 version of this line this week and today was my practice day so headed to one of my beautiful closed rivers to try it out...
The rod i'm using it on is my new bruce and walker 8/10 13' powerlite that likes short heads around 640-670 gr. and is pretty much a powerhouse rod...
The 8/9 weighted it at 622 gr. so I was a bit worried as i thought it would be around 610 but that wasn't even close to an issue...
Honestly this line Ronda Rousey'd me...I have been messing with skagits again this year after a long hiatus...The 640 max on this rod will fly fly aways...I have been trying a couple of the Rio intermediate heads and like them...they are sticky but seem to do the job...So with the Zone I kind expected more of the same...
I was SO wrong, the Zone first off picked up off the water a lot easier and just jumped off the rod....just jumped...easy on the inclose casts to...fished really nice on the tip and intermediate section only...
Tips I used were first the I-Mow intermediate lite tips
Second set up was with a I-MOW intermediate Med. tips...
Next was 10 of T11 and finally 12.5' of T8
Fly was 3" of palmered rabbit cone head tube...I can't use hooks now as the rivers are closed so a loop at the back worked and I was still able to see what it was like in fishing conditions..
The I-MOW lite and med. intermediate tips both were stupid good...the extra weight on the Med. ones didn't effect the casting at all...
The 10' of T11 could feel the "stick" of the line more but also sank down deep yet was easy to cast with the single spey and barked the reel on snake rolls..
The 12.5' of T8 seemed to "stick" more then the others and with a snake roll was hitting the 100' mark and still barking the reel...
The single spey was also strong but i had to get my lift a bit more powerful to get it around me better...
All the tips on this line reached further then I would ever care to actually fish...managing 60+ feet of running line is not my idea of fun but when holding 3 big loops ( i don't mind 2 but 3 is a bit much) it lifted off the water easier and was no problem hitting distance...
I had on new 50lb OPST running line as was fighting the kinks and trying to stretch out this new line...I have found on heavier heads I prefer the heavier running line but it needs to be stretched a whole lot more then the 40lb does..I may go back to the 40lb? I don't know, even with the problems it cast way far and I like the control 50lb gives me with these heads.
So with all of that I still felt I could have reached out even further if I ever had to...The reel was still barking at 100' with all the tips , snake rolls are my stronger cast right now and that was ridiculous with this line...incredibly powerful feeling and casting line....
I'm hooked!!! I tried out a couple (45,55') winter authorities and ended up going back to the "zone" and deciding I will use it for everything i need a tip for and find a Fall Favorite for everything else....
Something I'm really interested in with this line is not so much getting deep, as that was obvious...but to use the intermediate tips to stay not so deep but in the zone more...a slower swing or one i can control the swing better with.....
I'll need more time to work out some tips but i personally think this line could be good for winter and summer run fishing...at least thats what I plan on trying it for..
I like this head better then any other floating or intermediate skagit head i have tried...by far the best "skagit" type head I have cast.. I also like the color of the head , white at the back then dark....so much easier to see where your running line is not being green like the w.a. and FF heads....
Two thumbs up on this line....nothing I didn't like!!
The rod i'm using it on is my new bruce and walker 8/10 13' powerlite that likes short heads around 640-670 gr. and is pretty much a powerhouse rod...
The 8/9 weighted it at 622 gr. so I was a bit worried as i thought it would be around 610 but that wasn't even close to an issue...
Honestly this line Ronda Rousey'd me...I have been messing with skagits again this year after a long hiatus...The 640 max on this rod will fly fly aways...I have been trying a couple of the Rio intermediate heads and like them...they are sticky but seem to do the job...So with the Zone I kind expected more of the same...
I was SO wrong, the Zone first off picked up off the water a lot easier and just jumped off the rod....just jumped...easy on the inclose casts to...fished really nice on the tip and intermediate section only...
Tips I used were first the I-Mow intermediate lite tips
Second set up was with a I-MOW intermediate Med. tips...
Next was 10 of T11 and finally 12.5' of T8
Fly was 3" of palmered rabbit cone head tube...I can't use hooks now as the rivers are closed so a loop at the back worked and I was still able to see what it was like in fishing conditions..
The I-MOW lite and med. intermediate tips both were stupid good...the extra weight on the Med. ones didn't effect the casting at all...
The 10' of T11 could feel the "stick" of the line more but also sank down deep yet was easy to cast with the single spey and barked the reel on snake rolls..
The 12.5' of T8 seemed to "stick" more then the others and with a snake roll was hitting the 100' mark and still barking the reel...
The single spey was also strong but i had to get my lift a bit more powerful to get it around me better...
All the tips on this line reached further then I would ever care to actually fish...managing 60+ feet of running line is not my idea of fun but when holding 3 big loops ( i don't mind 2 but 3 is a bit much) it lifted off the water easier and was no problem hitting distance...
I had on new 50lb OPST running line as was fighting the kinks and trying to stretch out this new line...I have found on heavier heads I prefer the heavier running line but it needs to be stretched a whole lot more then the 40lb does..I may go back to the 40lb? I don't know, even with the problems it cast way far and I like the control 50lb gives me with these heads.
So with all of that I still felt I could have reached out even further if I ever had to...The reel was still barking at 100' with all the tips , snake rolls are my stronger cast right now and that was ridiculous with this line...incredibly powerful feeling and casting line....
I'm hooked!!! I tried out a couple (45,55') winter authorities and ended up going back to the "zone" and deciding I will use it for everything i need a tip for and find a Fall Favorite for everything else....
Something I'm really interested in with this line is not so much getting deep, as that was obvious...but to use the intermediate tips to stay not so deep but in the zone more...a slower swing or one i can control the swing better with.....
I'll need more time to work out some tips but i personally think this line could be good for winter and summer run fishing...at least thats what I plan on trying it for..
I like this head better then any other floating or intermediate skagit head i have tried...by far the best "skagit" type head I have cast.. I also like the color of the head , white at the back then dark....so much easier to see where your running line is not being green like the w.a. and FF heads....
Two thumbs up on this line....nothing I didn't like!!
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