[R.B. Craddock]

I know, another rendition of “What’s your favorite…?” is a little threadbare, but please humor me. Let’s just say your wallet is deeper than a Barry White love song, and you’re looking to lay-on spey stuff (rods/reels/lines…) covering the range of situations one might encounter from Tierra del Fuego browns to Kola atlantics, (and all the crimson-striped critters in between). Of what would your arsenal be comprised?

 

[Per Stadigh]

The all round Kola - Norway - Scotland - kit would be:

Rods: Sage 15'1" 2off to be checked in along with a shorter or longer 2hander, depending on season: For early Kola T&T 16' and for the later season SAGE 14'1"#7. Late I would back this up with the unbeatable ol' Loomis IMX 11'6" singlehander and some trout gear.
I ship this in a sturdy telescoping "KIS-Case", good stuff for the $$$. Mine has done maybe 50 long hauls showing no other wear than scratch marks. It is better to secure it with a simple screw than with a padlock - a cunning chap at an airport breaks the lock in a second but has to fiddle a good deal before unwinding the screw.......

On top of this I bring my trusted T&T 15/5 as hand luggage.

All reels (Typically 3 Evotechs), flies and most lines also are in the hand lugge. It is best to use a good ~25-35 liter daypack that then is used on the river. At check-in it can be slung leasurely over the shoulder, not revealing the 30# of kit one not wants the checkin-counter to know of......:tsk_tsk:

If really pressed I would do with 2 Evotechs and one 15'1" + the T&T 15/5. I use them more than 80% of the time anyway, always keeping one of the two strapped onto daypack as backup.

As I rely on shooting heads I can pack lots of line. Of the multi lines the Delta tips is a good compromise if one wants to go really minimalistic.

If way for more than a few days my flytying kit would go along. Nothing beats a fresh fly "a la minute"....!

Most of the above is what I will bring to Rio Gallego in Patagonia when I go down to map a beat there the first week of February. If anyone would like to join me in the search for huge searun browns I can help set a good deal up. A few spots are still to be had. It would be great to have a "southern Hemisphere clave"!!

"Tight lines"

Per

[email protected]

 

[fredaevans]

Started to fill in the 'choices' and had to

back track as they weren't as extensive as I'd thought. If I understand the question: it's a few rods to take with you to cover any eventuality. (Just the rods I already own)

"Green" Sage 136;
(In here, if I had it .. I'd swap out the above sage for the 7-8-9 Burkie for the green 136 in a New York Second).
"Green Sage "9wt 15 footer;
Scott ARC 10WT;
Bruce and Walker 18' "Norway;"

"Last but not least" would be the sage 7100 XP as a single hander.

Reels, money no object, there is beautiful equipment out there (Mike Hays and Jim Jones had me drooling over their toys) but have an "emotional problem" paying almost as much for a reel as I did for the rod. Incormentally, $100+, or ++, more in price beyond $250, doesn't add that much to the party that I can tell.

Would love to have a few of the high end/high teck reels but (in the what you've got dept) the lighter rods would be equiped with the 'new' largest Plug Supreme (1589?) reels, the middle weights with Tiogas or Tetons, the larger ones with Redingtons. No sniggering over the Plug choice; inexpensive reel but you can pound nails with it. Have one spooled with the 9-10 RIO Acltr and 135-150 yards of 20# backing I use on the Sage 9154. Oh yes, it's filled to the rim. :>)

Lines of choice would be the XLT''s for dry line work or the RIO Aclrtr's for very heavy flys and tip work. Tip work would include the short ínsert sinking leaders by Airflo (and I'd assume the RIO's).
fae

 

[Rick Whorwood]

My Dream List:
Eastern Steelies as well as some West river's.
GLX 10' 7wt. single hand with floater and poly leaders.
GLX 13' 8/9 Spey (wish they made this rod in a 7/8), with a multi-tip line.
Hi water, late season (heavy heads), bigger waters,
GLX 9wt. 10' single hand, floater with head system (multi tip), shooting heads with head systems, etc.
GLX 9/10 14' Spey with a multi tip line (Eastern Rod).
GLX 10/11 15' Spey with multi tip line, assorted heads (Western Rod).
Floaters for dry work, heads for getting down and dirty.
Also a loan from Uncle Fred!!!

 

[speybum]

BOY DO I LOVE THESE POST

First and Foremost this is a good post.
If I travel by air I try to have two complete and sperete sets of everything.
Now more than ever before “it” happens.
My big water rod is one of two 1510/4 Arc Scott and 1510/5 T&T.
I very rarely travel with anything which is not four or 5 piece.
For Medium water it would be 1509/4 Scott and 1409/5 T&T
For light work it would be Flylogic 1307/4 and Scott 1196/4.
For singles it would be Goldenwitch Cane rod 6’6” for 3 and 6’ for 4 this would get me around the few places I have to us a single.
For reels each rod would have on reel for a dry line and one reel for wet.
I would prefer them to be all by the same manufacture but mine are not.
Lines what ever happens to be the current rages tending more to long head and doubles tapers.
:smokin: :devil:

 

[Rick Whorwood]

Speybum

You mentioned you had a 1307/4 Flylogic. Is this one of the rods Dec Hogan designed ? What kind of action is this rod, and how would you compare it to a GLX Loomis action? I would like a lighter rod, but I need it to handle heads type 3-6 and be able to cast 70-90ft. I was out with a fellow on thursday, he had a Sage 7wt, I think 12ft+ Spey, I found the rod to soft for what I need.
Could you suggest any other 7wt that might have an action close to the GLX.
Thanks
Rick

 

[speybum]

RICK

The GLX rods are great. The have very distinked qualities of there own. Pity they did not make more models.
I have been working with three 7 weights,
Flylogic 1307/4 Dec’s little rod
Scott 1287/3
T&T 1307/3

I have spent most of the summer working between the Flylogic and the Scott.

I work the Flylogic for most of the summer and found it well adapted for the dryline work.
I did not feel under gunned working large summer run fish with it.
The rod has soul and preformed very well.
Used a SA Try tip with the normal tips and performance was fine.
I think this rod is more of 6/7 than a 7/8.
Line of preference was the Rio 6/7 Midspey.
The Scott 1287/3 is a tippy little bi_ch.

Use the same lines and did not have any problem with either tips of dryline.
Used a SA Try tip on it with the normal tips and performance was fine.
This rod is more 7/7 than a 7/8.
Line of preference was the Rio 6/7 Midspey.
The Sleeper in the bunch is the T&T 1307/3.
Have only cast this rod a few times and been dually impressed.
Used a SA Try tip on it with the normal tips and performance was fine
Line of preference was the Rio 6/7 Midspey.
Waiting for mine to show up so I can play.
I would rate this as 7/8.
I would like to work the rods with XLT'S and GRANDSPEY'S to give them a reel work out.

Speybum

 

[Rick Whorwood]

Speybum
Thanks for the info, I have a Trilogy 7/8, this rod is a good dry line rod, but again (for me) a little to soft for heads. I fine the GLX 8/9 13' is just the ticket for casting heads (here in the east). My problem is, where I like to Spey, most of the fish run between 3-12lbs with more 3-6 than 8-12's (at least the ones I'm fortunate enough to catch), so using a rod with a 400+ grain line is a lot like fighting a Steelie with my 12wt. Tarpon rod.
I agree with your comment, to bad the GLX wasn't made in a 13' 7/8 or a 6/7 Who know's maybe in the future.
To my knowlege there is no T&T representation here in Ontario, so finding one to test drive might be a bit difficult. Please keep me posted on your thought's as you work with this rod (T&T).

Thanks Rick

 

[beau purvis]

what i need

i need another dec hogan 1308. my travel kit for any time of yr any river,forsteelhead,atlantics,sea run browns;[ of any size], would be 2 1308's,2 buegle 4",2 airflo delta spey, 1 long delta floating.dont need anything else;no longer use anything else {7 other spey rods,5 other spey reels].
beau

 

[wildgene]

Hi Gentlemen,
Rick,
I bought the T&T 1307 after Simon recommended it. I don't have enough experience to give you an objective review, but I have formed some opinions now that I've had a chance to use it a little. This rod is great, fantastic, almost too much fun to be legal. :hehe: Pretty fast, lots of power, took me a little (yeah, right) to figure it out & let the rod do the casting. If I try real hard I can cast about 40', if I just stand there & pay attention to what's going on I can drop a Triple Decker into a washtub @ 80' w/ no effort, using a Windcutter floating 7/8/9.
Speybum,
Really interested in hearing your evaluation of this rod. Totally unbiased, of course. Geez, I've got enough bias to last for years.
Good drifts,
Gene

 

[roballen]

I have thought about this long and hard. There are a lot of things I could want. Some of them could make some aspects of fishing easier. None of them however would make me a better angler. None of them would make my experiences on the river more enjoyable or rewarding. I don't have much gear at all (can't afford it) but the only thing that would make my fishing better is more opportunity. Now I have lots of free time so when I saw opportunity what I mean is more quality angling. That can only be achieved one way..

MORE healthy runs of wild steelhead

 

[Rick Whorwood]

Wildgene
Thanks for the info. Is this rod new (T&T1307) to the market?
Thanks Rick

 

[wildgene]

Hi Rick,
I think they came out about this time last year.

 

[sinktip]

I have the 1307-3 and also love it. Just got done using it for 5 days on the Snake and I'm already feeling bad about putting it away for the bigger sticks and tip action for winter fish. For floating line work it is a gem.

I've got it matched with a 6/7 Delta Long and it rocks. Casts out to 100-105' were easily obtained using a snap-t and 15' leader.

Took my 9 weight out yesterday morning to cast for a while and after the light little 1307, it felt like a telephone pole at first.

st

 

[flytyer]

I've been using the 13 ft GLX for 5 years and love it. However, I wish G.Loomis would offer more line weights in different lengths than they do.

That said, I want a T&T 1307 in a bad way for late summer early fall fishing. I love the way it feels and casts. My wife wants a summer rod before I can get this one for me, maybe I can get away with buying her a T&T 1307 for Christmas and use it (for testing purposes of course) when she doesn't feel like going fishing. Now how do I convince her I need a T&T 1509 as well.

Sinktip, I experience the same thing when I take out my T&T 1611 after usig the GLX 13 ft all summer and fall. It is a telephone pole, or a meat stick as one friend calls it, compared to the little 13 ft GLX. I have the opposite experience in the summer when going from the T&T 1611 to the 13 ft GLX. The GLX feels like a toy. Either way, I have to adjust to the different line sizes and rod lengths.

 

[Dana]

tackle minimalist

great thread!

what I want is to figure out how to be a tackle minimalist. I'd want one reel, one interchangeable line system, one rod, and one back up rod in case I break my main one. Since I'm a West Coast steelhead guy here's how I'd approach it:

Reel: Loop EvotecLW 8twelve spooled with gsp and @100ft of .029 running line

Lines: I'd cut the heads off some lines I really like and keep them in a large head wallet so that I could use whatever I wanted rather than carry a bunch of complete lines on extra spools. I'd probably go with 9 weights and carry the heads from the RIO Windcutter 8/9/10, the Airflo Long Delta 9/10, the GrandSpey 8/9, and some of Loop's Adapted shooting heads. In this way I could connect any line system I wanted to my reel/shooting line set up and go fishing.

Rods: Loop's 9140 blue and the CND 14ft Custom

okay, and a nice cane spey, too...

 

[t_richerzhagen]

Which Running Line?

Dana,

Which running line?

Where would you cut the heads? Would you leave the rear taper on?

BTW a 8/9 GrandSpey would be some head and a little difficult to fit in most "shooting head" wallets.

 

[andre]

I would be happy with the time to fish.

andre

 

[Dana]

TR3,

I mostly use Loop and RIO running line. I would lose the back tapers on all of the heads except the GrandSpey, which I would need to experiment with, but I would probably lose most or all of the back taper on that line as well. I could carry the GrandSpey head either on a spool inside a ziplock bag or in a spare reel spool case. I already have heads made up for the other lines and they fit well inside the Loop head wallet that I use.


Andre,

I hear you! And I'd give up a lot to ensure healthy runs of wild steelhead in all our rivers...

 

[pastortd]

I have an IM6 12'0" 7/8 rod and a Windcutter 7/8/9 (cut for tips). They're perfect for my needs! No lack there!

I could really use a reel that would hold this line better. If I keep the tip separate (i. e. not spooled), it just barely fits on my beloved Galvan 3.5WD. A 10-wt. reel would be great, but the trade I had worked out didn't see its completion.

What do I really <i>need</i>, though? Talent. Still trying to get the hang of this thing... =)