[BEK]

I'm looking at getting a Midspey Tips or Grandspey Tips for my Redfly 14' 9/10. I looked at the line recommendations on the Rio site and they have listed a 9/10 for both the MS and GS lines. The MS 9/10 is 725 grains and the GS 9/10 is 900 grains. I may not be understanding this right, so why the 175 grain difference between the two lines? Does it have to do with the size of the belly? A rod can only handle so many grains of line so wouldn't you want to stay consistently around the same grain weight regardless of belly size? It also listed a WC 9/10/11 which is 650 grains. How can the same rod cast a 650 gr. WC and a 900 gr. GS? Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!

Brian

 

[flytyer]

Brian,

The short answer is the gr weight differences between the three line is the belly length.

To answer you other question on shouldn't the weights be the same regardless of belly length: the answer is no. Just like single hand lines of different taper/belly lengths weigh the same at 30'; but different tapers weigh different amounts once you go beyond 30'. For instance, a DT6, a WF6, a salmon/steelhead 6 line can all be cast on the same 6 wt rod without problems despite them all weighing different amounts once beyond 30'. The same with spey lines.

All the RIO spey lines confirm to the spey line standard which was adopted by line manufacturers last September and these standards take into consideration the different weight depending on belly length of the same weight designation. Simon's line/rod recommendations are very good and are an excellent starting point.