[speyflyman]

Would like to tap into some of the experience on these Spey Pages. I am searching for "the best line" to suit my style of Speying for Steelhead in the 2 big Michigan Rivers I will use my Spey Rig. I am one of the "nuts" loving the extreme winter temps and swinging flies for winter Steelhead. Must get down deep and most often an average depth of 10'-11' in the guts of the runs in structured bottom areas. Water temps average from 33 f deg. to 36 f deg. much of the winter. The flows during the late winter and early spring can be very heavy(often needing 100 lbs of anchor to hold drift boat on upriver side and 50/70 on downside). I can't relate to the rivers in the PNW as I've never been out there. Also, I know there are many conditions and casting styles which mean different "bests" to different casters. I just want to give as much info in order to get the most input as to what you would recommend. I will say, guessing, the majority of casts will be 70'/80' long...many less. I presently have a RIO Windcutter Spey 9/10/11 w/tips. I have already purchased a 300gr RIO BB as well as a 550gr SA Deep Water Express. Yes, I am really scratchin' my fanny to get proficient with lifting these tips up to the surface to get a good D Loop & cast. Now, all said, please give me your input as to what line(s) might be a better set up and why for me. Thanking you in advance for your help. Best, Stiver

 

[Gillie]

A lot of the water I fish on Lake Ontario meets your general description. I initially had a windcutter but I have had better luck since I moved up to a Midspey. I have taken the front tip and middle tip off (That accounts for 30' ) and have replaced them with Big Boy tips. I found the midspey has helped me lift the tips better while stripping in less line. (stripping line in great lakes winters results in a lot of ice in the guides).

I have had some problems casting the outfit, but mostly because I'm fishing a 12'6" rod. I have thrown the exact same setup on my friends 15' DBF and the additional length makes a world of differnce in pulling the sunken tip out of the water with less stripping. I'm in the market myself for a 15' rod right now but I'm having a hard time narrowing down the choices.

I've also found that the circle cast and reverse circle cast (I'm using the technique Hazel demonstrates in his video) are an excellent way to get that tip out of the water. I'm an average caster but with this setup and technique I can usually fish with about a 70 ft cast.

Hope this helps and I'm interested in how others would approach this scenario.

Gillie

Forgot to add I just picked up a Delta Long with tips that will get ried this winter. Eager to see how it compares to the midspey.

 

[Grampa Spey]

Bob Meiser makes a surf rod that might be just perfect for you:

"The S2H134910 is a 4 pc. 13' ~ 9/10 wt. ~ Fast action progressive. This is an ideal medium to light surf rod, dedicated to the two handed overhead caster. At 13 ft. it has adequate length to throw mends over the break, and has enough tip and butt reserve to un-plug and re-deliver large patterns. It will easily deliver shooting head systems in excess of 450 grains, yet is light enough in the hand to comfortably work all dry line presentations. As a progressive taper, it loads fully into the butt section, and is very friendly to the casters arm and shoulders. The13910 is an absolute joy to cast while spending a full day working over fish in diverse surf conditions. "

I have one of these rods and will seldom use it in the N California surf except for salmon at the mouth of the river waiting to come up. It is just too much of a rod for the surf perch that we have here.

However, it will be my salmon and winter steelhead rod.

This past winter my son I fished on the local Russian River in January. The wind was ripping down stream, the air temp was in the mid 30's and the river was running high and wide.

Our Rio spey lines even with the Rio Tip compensator and the type 8 sinking lines were not effective. We would cast out with our Spey rods and lines and barely be ticking the river bottom towards the end of the cast. I put my Rio 26' 350 grain Striper line on Bob's proto type surf rod. Without wading, I was overhand casting 80+ ' out, my son was casting and shooting 100' out without wading. With in seconds the fly was bouncing on the bottom after hitting the water. The Rio 26' Striper line is Ken Hanley's favorite ocean Salmon line.

I had Bob make an extra tip to launch the heavy tip lines and a spare spey tip for spey lines for my new rod. I haven't really found the spey line yet for it. It casts the Carron Jet Stream 10/11 like a dream. In fact Bob cleared out a tent of woosies on an 80' back cast with the Carron Jet Stream at the Golden Gate pound. A few weeks later, Simon was casting the full head and body with a Grand Spey 9/10 at the American River and shooting some running line. This old man can cast to the color change with my GS 7/8 with this rod.

I just purchased the Rio Striper 26' line with the interchangeable heads. Thursday at the coast on a terrible windy day, I was casting overhand and sidearm casts with the 300 Grain Aqualux 26' tip and a heavy fly 80 plus feet, with the ocean tip. That will probably be my go to line combo for salmon and winter season steelhead.

It is a very powerful rod and 6-8 pound stripers are beached in a minute or two. Big Surf Perch are in in a minute or less. So it is too much of a rod for these fish, which should make it a good rod for salmon and winter steelhead.

 

[Grampa Spey]

Gillie posted:

"I have had some problems casting the outfit, but mostly because I'm fishing a 12'6" rod. "

What rod are you using here?

Thanks

 

[speyflyman]

My rod

My one and only Spey rod at this point is a T&T 1410-3. I do like it very much and especially the fast action it seems to have. Stiver

 

[Gillie]

Gillie posted:

"I have had some problems casting the outfit, but mostly because I'm fishing a 12'6" rod. "

What rod are you using here?

Thanks

I'm fishing an orvis 12'6" trident 8 weight. Don't get me wrong it can pull off the cast it just goes a lot easier on a bigger rod. Earlier in the season when the water is a bit warmer and I don't need to dredge I like this rod a lot

Gillie