I think most rod ratings, when indicated, don’t factor in the weight of the sink tip. So your 480 is 30 grains less than the 510, but still within the suggested guidelines. That rod, designed by Bryan Niska, was, according to him via a podcast, designed to be quite a deep loading rod. This could be felt as slow, but it may be deceptive. A lot of the Spey rods that you feel in the butt section have a pretty fast recovery. I have fished the 600 grain metal detector and felt it was too stiff in the butt section and too progressive a feeling overall. I think the 510 probably feels different. When casting a rod that has a lot of feel in the butt I like to go slow and concentrate feeling the rod load into the butt, then using that load almost as a sling shot to propel the forward cast.

Jake

 

I would run a shorter Skagit head with that 12ft rod, that Skagit Driver is almost 24ft long, also your sink tip is to low in grains.
I read that rod was designed with/around the 510 Airflo skagit switch. If you prefer Airflo brand then I’d go with that. Personally I prefer a Rio Skagit

 

They make the 480g Skagit Scout and with the 50g sink tip would put me within the Specs of the Rod.
You’d recommend the shorter head with the 12’ rod?
I plan on fishing with t10 50g sink tips and streamers exclusively with skagit style casting

 

Hit send early by accident.
I’d run the 510 Airflo switch or a 500 Rio Skagit Max Short (now it’s called “power”)
Use a 10-12.5ft T-11 MOW tip.

 

I’ve never ran the Airflo Scout on any of my rods but from the information off the Airflo website I would think it’s a suitable fit. 480 grains is within the recommendation of 510+-, and that 480 scout head is down to 18.5ft so you will get more grains per foot.
Your T10 tip at 50 grains would put it at 5ft long, is that the case? Maybe a mix up on information?
A 480 grain skagit head at 18.5ft will have an optimal turnover with a tip weighing in around 130 grain. So 10-12.5ft of T11 puts you right there. A good caster would have no problem turning over a T14 tip, and there’s even better casters that would be able to turn over T17
If you’re using that rod and head with smaller flies, say in the fall, then you can switch to a #8 or #9 Rio replacement tip for a more delicate turnover and presentation.
While you’re still in the rods experimental stages I would suggest you purchase a couple of used lines from the classified section. Post a WTB. I see you almost have the minimal 10 post count in order to post. Also I recommend you do a full search on the forum and read what others have used or recommended.

 

The T10 sink tip at 50g is 10’ long made by Airflo

I think I’ll track down some used line and start experimenting.

thanks!

 

T10 means ‘tungsten 10 grains per foot.’ So if it’s 10 feet you have a 100 grain sink tip.
It can be confusing because ‘type 10’ or ‘sink 10’ is completely different.
Poly leaders or Versa leaders use the ‘type’ or ‘sink’ nomenclature and have less grains per foot than tungsten tips.
Airflo Flo tips and custom cut tips are tungsten and rated by grains per foot of T (tungsten) material.

 

You are correct. I do in fact have a 100g sink tip.
with that in mind, do I go to a skagit 450g head to account the 510g +50/-50 rod rating

currently I’m throwing 510g head, 100g sink tip so I am way past the rods rated capabilities

 

A 100gr sink tip should work perfectly for a 510gr head.
Like stated above going to a shorter skagit head for switch rods might help.

 

you keep wanting someone to tell you to fish a combined payload that weighs 510 grains, which is written on Your rod. Ready here it comes!!!


you should try a head and tip combination that is about 30’ total length at 510 grains. It’s obvious that’s what you want to do. Buy yourself a a 400-420 grain head that’s about 20’ long give or take and fish that with 10’ of T10 -which is 100 (not 50) grains. Good luck I don’t know anything about that rod other than it’s got 510g written on it somewhere and it’s 12 feet- and even that I have on hearsay- but I do know human nature. The doubt you have expressed at the guidance given so far in the thread means you haven’t heard what you wanted to yet.