Hi
Don,t mean to hijack your thread but...

I find the line recommendations for new vs experienced a bit mis- leading and in some cases counter-productive. For myself ( using spey for two years- so take that as you will) I wonder if the suggestion that it is often forwarded that short belly for newbies and long for the experienced or heavier for newbies /lighter for the experienced is,nt the source of more problems than solutions

. For myself when moving to spey- it was based on seeing spey as a solution to certain inadequacies I was experiencing with SH setups. So the logical view to take was to look at the various spey options and see if they solved those probs. For me a long belly fast intermediate solved many issues I had been looking to solve . My rod loaded at it's best within a certain weight range- so accepting that I had a learning curve to negotiate- why would I invest in a line that would be easier to cast initially and annoying later on as I progressed up the curve -why not just leap in and accept that the learning curve was a given and that at first it might take some time to get "up to speed". Same with short is easier long is harder- I don,t buy it

I can cast my XLT or Airflo full ( with copious practise) with the same amount of effort as it takes to cast my home made Skagit. I have a friend here who ( maybe wiser or not than I) followed the recommendation of go with a short/mid belly at first- long belly is for the experienced- and is frustrated that his short/mid belly does,nt get it done in the circumstances. If you need a certain setup to get done what you are trying to accomplish no amount of wishing will change that

the cost may be a long learning curve the benifit may be less frustration and less money spent
Will