[808steelheader]

I've been going through a current phase of tying miniature skaters for trout, but wanting to stay with my "trout sized" tackle for fishing them such as my old Sage RPL 9' 4wt and Loomis GLX 9'5wt. My "cheap skate" and "pack rat" characteristics came through with some recent experiments I've been doing with spey casting my old trout single handers.

I've been an Ambushaholic the past few years for my steelhead swinging, but I've been too cheap to buy the Ambush lines in 4 and 5wt to match my trout rods. I decided to try making do with stuff I had and figured to upline each of my trout rods by one line weight with standard weight forward lines I had on hand. The 9' 4wt did ok with a 5wt Cabelas's weight forward and the 9'5wt also did ok with a cheap Cortland WF6F. While these setups worked, I still felt like I was working too hard.

I remembered that a couple weeks ago, I had experimented with uplining my old Sage RPL 9' 7wt by two line sizes by putting on a Sage Equator WF9F saltwater taper that I had from the days when I tried chasing bones on Kauai (without success). When I took this setup on the water, the line just flew! I was making single hand spey casts with ease and the rod didn't feel overloaded at all.

Well I decided to take the "uplining by 2" routine to my 9"5wt today and put on an old SA WF7F bass bug taper on and it was pure magic! Effortless spey casts with easier loading of the rod without the rod feeling "weighed down". I'm confident that when I put the WF6F on my 9' 4wt, it will work well too.

I'm sure many of you have made this very same discovery so I apologize for the repetition, but I was just thrilled with finding new enjoyment with my vintage collection of tackle.

Again, what is old is new again for this eccentric fanatic!

Todd

 

[gregor 42]

I'm sure many of you have made this very same discovery so I apologize for the repetition, but I was just thrilled with finding new enjoyment with my vintage collection of tackle.

Again, what is old is new again for this eccentric fanatic!

Todd

I share your enthusiasm Todd. I just finished cutting back an SGS line that I wasn't using for my 2 hander anymore and put it on an old 81/2' 7wt SH rod as my first venture speying a single hand rod. Had it on the river yesterday and what fun. Could have done snake rolls all day. The combo was amazing! Probably more good luck than good management. The line ended up @ 290 gr. which is the equivalent of uplining about 2 SH sizes.

Enjoy your new venture.

Gregor

 

[krumpkoolidge]

Yes, when spey casting my single hander's I go up two sizes automatic.

Long front tapers on short rods don't work so well.
I tried a SA ultra 4 not so good.
I use a everday 6wt WF on my 7'6" 4wt and it works well.
I do use a SA, VPT 6wt (long front taper) on my 10' 4wt clearwater and that works ok to.

Problem is in tight quarters sometimes a shooting head won't let me cast short as nice as I would like but using a wf kinda gives the best of both worlds, if I can remember to overhead cast.

Question would a bass taper be able handle a sink tip like versa-leader or a short piece of T-material? That's what I want to try.

 

[Rustybee]

2-3wt heavier lines works depending on the type of taper of the head.

 

[Peteo]

Definitely! I started uplining my SH trout rods years ago. I usually only go up one or two sizes because I still overhead cast some. This lets me use the same reel loaded with a 5 wt line whether I grab a 3 or 4 weight.

 

[riffling hitch]

I have a 10' 4wt glx that can spey cast a 6wt steelhead taper like you can't believe. It will handle quite a bit of the head out of the tip as well. Keep us advised on how you do. Your reports always make me jealous.

Russell

 

[domantas]

I got my Guideline bullets in mail the other day and took it yo the river today. If you cast Ambush and feen that you need just a tad more finesse it is your line! I was blown away...

7wt Bullet for 6wt 9' and 8wt for 7wt 9'6" so I just overlined by one weight as I wanted a bit more meat to cast some bigger flies. Paired with 5' polyleader I was single speying bombs with decent sized flies but nothis too big. It will absolutely blast bigger flies overhead and one can cary a mile of overhang with these.

If you like Ambush and want a bit more frendlier line to overhead cast and still be a primary spey casting line try biting the Bullet.

My bass tapers never casted well for me... go figure...

 

[808steelheader]

Guys:
Thanks for your comments and discussion on this subject, I've definitely been slow on the uptake on this! I'd surely been all caught up with the Ambush lines so probably missed prior threads on this subject. Gotta admit that casting "longer" lines on my single hand rods has been fun and a nice change.

Also true as you guys found is that even uplining by two, I can still overhead cast when needed. This definitely affords some versatility.

So far, I think I like the 7wt SA bass bug taper on the 9'5wt the best. The bug taper is a bit shorter than a standard WF so maybe that has something to do with it.

Krumpkoolidge: not sure if my 7wt bass taper would throw a versileader, seems light. Maybe a heavier bug taper might do it.

Domantas: That bullet sounds like an interesting line. How long is the head on that??

Russell: Interesting that your 10' 4wt casts a 6wt steelhead taper well. For some reason my 8wt SA Steelhead Taper feels just right on my old 9'6" 8wt Sage RPL, I think because it is a longer line so more weight needs to be out from the rod to load it.

My reports make you jealous?? I don't even catch very many fish, in fact I'm trying not to think too much about the fact that my winter steelhead season was a shutout with not a single slimy chromer to hand. Oh well, it's not all about catching fish I keep reminding myself.

Todd

 

[matuka mike]

DT's, DT's, and more DT's !!!!

 

[middlecalf]

This isn't in the trout section, but seems to be focused on targeting trout, so I'll respond with that in mind. For me, stripping is more prevalent in chasing trout than steelhead (I've only fished once intentionally for salmon and wasn't successful, don't even claim to have an ounce of knowledge or experience for that species). So I like the use of a shooting head system when trouting, that way stripping is part of the process to not only entice fish but to get the system back to a casting condition. I do use DTs, but I have to change my overall approach (if I strip with a DT, then each step down starts with a shorter cast working out to a longer cast which really slows down the time in a run - which is ok for me). I do prefer the DT utility when working through/around/within boulder fields and spot hitting holding lies for trout, kind of similar to dry fly working a boulder field. In either case, if I'm using a line rated for single hand I upline by 2 for DT and 3 for WF (and I usually take some of the backtaper out of single hand WF to make them more like a spey scandi profile). And I only use full lines for trout, just 'cuz. I'm much more attuned to phutzing with trout spey lines than steelhead lines, especially silk.

 

[G_Smolt]

If you add the double haul to your single speys, you generally don't need to go up a line weight.

I occasionally fish a 10' 8wt with an AirFlo super-dri river&stream taper (singlehand delta taper, 46' head) and it rockets the hauled singlespeys as well as the overhead stuff. I have found that continuous forward and forward compound tapers work best for the "turbo" hauled spey - I have tried it with bass and bonefish tapers, as well as other reverse compound tapers, and the weight placement doesn't lend itself to smooth singles.

Spey singlehanding is a hoot.

 

[808steelheader]

If you add the double haul to your single speys, you generally don't need to go up a line weight.

I occasionally fish a 10' 8wt with an AirFlo super-dri river&stream taper (singlehand delta taper, 46' head) and it rockets the hauled singlespeys as well as the overhead stuff. I have found that continuous forward and forward compound tapers work best for the "turbo" hauled spey - I have tried it with bass and bonefish tapers, as well as other reverse compound tapers, and the weight placement doesn't lend itself to smooth singles.

Spey singlehanding is a hoot.

That Airflo river and stream sounds like an interesting line. What you are saying about using a continuous forward taper along with turbo hauled speys with that line and not having to upline makes sense. My Sage RPL 896 works well with an old Mastery Steelhead taper in 8wt and it is not necessary to upline with that setup, again, I think because that line is a longer line with more of a continuous front taper.

For some reason, with that 7wt SA bass bug taper that I have, when put on my 9'5wt has just been spey casting so well. Perhaps because it is a shorter head, the uplining works in this case. I've been loving this setup because it allows me to use a trout sized rod while being able to enjoy the fun of single hand spey casting miniature skaters for trout while entertaining the outside chance of an early summer steelhead. Until the steelhead becomes my main focus, this "crossover" setup is serving me well. Also, overhead casting with this combo has been great as well when I go to dead drift presentations, especially in close where the heavier line loads the rod better on short to mid range casts.

It was just a matter of combining old gear I had on hand so I've been happy to experience something new, without buying anything new.

Todd

 

[Lanyard Stretch]

I use my 8wt. Bass Bug taper and a poly leader on my 6wt. to make a single hand Skagit line. Works well and definitely will throw some heavy junk. I always use what I have in the arsenal before I fork over the dough.

Mike

 

[peter-s-c]

Another view of this subject . . .

https://youtu.be/FRUiubZCN0w