Lines for that rod
Hey all,
I just thought I would throw my line tinkerings on here if you are still interested. I couldn't get the rod to load with a double taper 7wt. I had read somewhere on the internet that these rods needed serious overlining so I started with a 9 wt. and that was the ticket.
I built a Mike Maxwell type floater for the forecast 12 and a half, using a double taper 9wt with three feet lopped off and looped to 15 feet of a 7 wt. double taper. That is a great summer rod setup for me on the Clackamas and North Santiam rivers. It casts great in the traditional long line style and loads the rod through the mid section with reasonably small D-loops. This setup fishes the low summer water very nicely "greased line". Yet still allows for you to nicely lay out a Light sink tip if you swap it out for the 7wt. front section.
For a winter setup I cut a 30 foot belly section of 9wt floater and looped the back three feet of taper to a 6wt level line. This belly throws T-14 and Deep water express tips with ease, and the heavy line will carry lead eyed leeches without a problem. You have to use a really short, quick casting stroke with this line but when you hit it right the rod loads and fires like a missle. I like the fatter shooting line because it is easier to handle in the icy fog of an Oxbow park, Feburary dawn.
I also cut off the front 17' of taper from a 9/10 wt. Cortland tri-color spey and use that for chucking tips. The line flys a little smoother from the lack of a looped connection at the back taper.
I love this rod and although I don't have much experiance with any other two handers I can say that these line and rod combinations have allowed be to access parts of the river I couldn't touch with my old 10' 7 wt. I am building the rainshadow/forcast 14' right now and I can't wait to start finding lines to suit that rod.
all the best,
Portland Spey