[Keith Kaneko]

Hello Everyone!

I am curious to hear you opinion(s) on Scott Speys. I am in the market to purchase my first Spey rod and need some guidance. I fish the one-handed Scott ARCs on our CA and OR rivers here on the West Coast and was wondering if Scott Speys would fit my needs.

I know that these are "slower"/more "traditional" in action and would like to hear about there ability to lift and fish tips/heads. I assume they are fantastic waking/grease line rods since the tip on these rods are so light and sensitive,... but I want to know about the ability to go deep with these rods.

Which rod(s) do you recommend in their line up to fit my CA/OR needs. Thank you in advance for your help and guidance.

Regards,
Keith

 

[fisshman26]

You should look at the 15ft for# 9. It will do it all and two of my friends who are amazing casters swear by this rod. I have seen a friend dump out 150 ft with a long belly spey line and this rod.

 

[spey_bubba]

scott speys

hello keith

i am quite familiar with the scott lineup of two handers. there are 6 rods currently made by scott for traditional spey casting: the ARC 1196 (11'9" 6 weight), 1287, 1308, 1409, 1509, and 1510, and several fast action euro style rods in the SAS series, which are more suitable for overhead two hand casting and short shooting head lines.

the 1308 and 1409 have quite similar actions; the slowest and deepest flexing of the ARC line; they have a very stong following among those who favor slower, traditional action spey rods.

the 1287 and 1509 are simliar to each other, like brothers, both more progressive action rods with slightly stiffer butt sections. the 1510 was changed in early 2001, with the tip stiffened quite a bit; honestly, i like the old version better. the 1196 is a progressive action rod that was designed to cross over bewteen single hand casting and spey casting on large western trout rivers.

of the entire lineup, my personal favorites are unequivocally the 1509 and 1287. i have found them to be the most phenomenal all round fishing tools i have used. they are among the finest commercially available rods, and are lighter, in general, than most comparable rods, with a very "lively" in hand feel which is characteristic of scott. although i am on the scott pro staff, i own many diverse spey rods, and have frequently cast and fished them in the process of developing a new spey line for SA.

the 1509, for larger water, is a fantastic all around rod, and my favorite of all spey rods, regardless of weight. it is capable of casting prodigious distances if needed, but also feels light and perfectly balanced in hand, and is great with very techincal stuff. on bigger water, i routinely throw up to 300 grains of sink tip at fishing distances of 125 feet (ideal for some runs on the sauk and skagit).

many california spey nuts like the 1287 as a smaller river rod capable of excellent all around performance.

other rods i have been impressed with and that you may wish to check out that are in the length/line weight as the ARC 1287 and 1509 are: the sage 6126 and new 9140 (post 2001) and the T & T 14'9 weight.

in the 8 weight category, i must admit that the finest rod i have ever cast is the burkheimer 13'9" 8 weight, but you may have to wait a long time (years sometimes) to get one.

if you have questions or need further advice, a good friend of mine and fellow scott pro staffer is in sacramento, and is an excellent teacher and caster. his name is jeff putnam, and he can be reached through kiene's fly shop on marconi ave., sacramento. you can email me directly as well at <[email protected]>

 

[GPearson]

The Scott arc 1509-4 is a fantastic all arounder. I have never found a rod that will throw 300 grain heads and long dry lines as effortlessly as the 15' 9wt Scott. It feels very light in the hands for a 15 foot rod.

 

[Rick J]

I just sold my Scott 14' 9 wt after I cast the 15' 9 wt. What an awsome rod. Handles sink tips much more easily than the 14' version though the 14' is a great all around smooth action rod.

I also have the 12'8" 7 wt and what a sweetheart!!! I absolutely love this rod. I currently use a 7 wt Midspey on it that I have converted to take my Windcutter tips. It does great throwing a 15' tip though I am generally fishing smaller flies. Use it most on the Klamath for Summer/fall fish where a size 6 beadhead is about all you ever need.

I can't wait for the new SA lines based on Way's (Spey Bubba) prototypes to come out. I have no doubt this rod will handle a long line with ease!!

 

[gordonf]

I’ve been using a Scott 1510/4 for a number of years now. I fish it primarily in the winter using heavy heads (up to 300 grains) and tubes (up to 2.5 inch heavy brass). I have another friend who has been fishing a Scott 1409/4 for even longer. Based on our combined experience I would have to say that Scott makes durable spey rods that can take a beating and dish out the heavy stuff when necessary.

 

[sisyphusmpn]

Re: scott speys

Spey-Bubba,

You wrote: "...in the 8 weight category, I must admit that the finest rod i have ever cast is the burkheimer 13'9" 8 weight, but you may have to wait a long time (years sometimes) to get one..."

I am curious about this statement. I recently ordered a 9143-3 from Kerry Burkheimer and he quoted me a 4-6 week delivery time. It has been four weeks and I don't have rod in hand yet, but Kerry indicates he will have it to me within a month, provided he receives the newly-designed reel seats he's having manufactured.

This does not strike me as an excessively long wait for a custom rod (I've
been waiting two years for a Bob Summers stick -- that's long!), nor is it atypical from what I understand. A fishing buddy has three of Kerry's rods and never waited much longer.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, just curious about the basis for this.

 

[spey_bubba]

sisyphusmpn:

i don't mean in any way to denigrate kerry or his rods; you would be hard pressed to find a nicer, easier to work with custom rod builder. furthermore, his rods are what customs are all about; individualization and perfection in workmanship. for example, mario wojnicki's cane rods have a 3 year backlog, as he only makes 34-35 a year!

the wait time can be long, and this is from personal experience as well as that of friends. i waited more than 18 months for a 15'7" 10 weight, gave up and changed my order to a 14'9" 8 weight last september, and am still waiting. i think that kerry, being a small builder with incredibly high standards, is somewhat at the mercy of subcontrator issues (parts, ovens, etc.), and due to issues largely beyond his control, the backup can be quite long. the wait should be worth it however!

waiting for custom high quality products is not unique to fly fishing; i waited three years for a custom olson guitar (worth it), 10 months for a custom collings brazilian (very worth it), and when windsurfing, would often wait 6-8 months for custom race boards...