Talk to Tim at Bridge - he'll build you a light Tributary.

 

Steve & Trent @ FlyWerks made me a Scandi Long for my B&W TroutSpeyCaster…

 

fyi…rod is 11’-4” 3 wt, line is 31.4’ -287g

 

The rio single hand Spey line, especially the 3d version an amazing light trout Spey line.

 

I don't trout spey but maybe check out a Guideline Bullet ?
It's marketed as a weight forward SH line.
I absolutely love the #9 WT (308gr) for GL steelhead on my 11' 6/7 Shakespeare Oracle switch.

I just checked and they offer it all the way down to a #5 185gr version (with the same 30' head and integrated running line).

 

I use a 3/4 weight Bridge Tributary long Scandi head designed by Tim Arsenault on my 4 weight Echo SR switch rod and absolutely adore the line. Own two more Bridge Tributary lines in other line weights.

 

Where did you find this? The website doesn’t list Tributary in this light of line.

 

Scandi short versitip goes down to 240gr and is 33ft. You can also try to find the previous generation of the Rio Scandi short line which came in small sizes and was 27-29 feet iirc.

 

Hi,
At my local tackle shop I found some old SA lines at great discount in green boxes with "salmon", "spey", "multitip". Not much info on internet about those lines so I assume these are decade or more old products. I have dived into classical spey lines and scandi heads articles with my 11'3 3wt in mind. I found the lines I use for trout spey are in fact .
In general spey was describaed as 2.5x-3x rod lenght - 28ft - 34ft here. There is no avaiability of such lines in 180-240grain category. The popularity and every recomendations on forums for trout spey go to lines with 12-23ft. Even some popular "Scandi lines" fall short from 2.5x lenght.
SA, Rio, Guideline, Scandi, Scandi Lite, Trout spey or Ultra light scandi lines share scandi taper. Ok. But with 12-23 it is still skagit lenght. Multi tips (Versitip, ULS) is the same. Rio makes it more confusing claiming Scandi Head is Body+tip. I see plenty of marketing to sell skagit lines so buyer is happy when whatever casting skills she/he poses the line is flying. For what reason these are labeled as scandi?
The only line I found to be close to true scandi head is Rio Single Hand Spey line with 33ft.

in switch rod lengths the line can be 1.5x rod length and that jives with current line designs. heads in general have gotten shorter Getting closer and closer to casting a lead sinker on a spin rod.

 

What I tried and used with my 3 and 4 wts.

More written at

Trout (and Steelhead) Spey Rods

20250829 Update: This blog began more than 5 years ago, but as my kit and skills has constantly evolved, this blog has been updated and has become a working – living record. Starting in 2024,…

raspberryfisher.wordpress.com

.

 

Hi,
At my local tackle shop I found some old SA lines at great discount in green boxes with "salmon", "spey", "multitip". Not much info on internet about those lines so I assume these are decade or more old products. I have dived into classical spey lines and scandi heads articles with my 11'3 3wt in mind. I found the lines I use for trout spey are in fact .
In general spey was describaed as 2.5x-3x rod lenght - 28ft - 34ft here. There is no avaiability of such lines in 180-240grain category. The popularity and every recomendations on forums for trout spey go to lines with 12-23ft. Even some popular "Scandi lines" fall short from 2.5x lenght.
SA, Rio, Guideline, Scandi, Scandi Lite, Trout spey or Ultra light scandi lines share scandi taper. Ok. But with 12-23 it is still skagit lenght. Multi tips (Versitip, ULS) is the same. Rio makes it more confusing claiming Scandi Head is Body+tip. I see plenty of marketing to sell skagit lines so buyer is happy when whatever casting skills she/he poses the line is flying. For what reason these are labeled as scandi?
The only line I found to be close to true scandi head is Rio Single Hand Spey line with 33ft.

The line to use really depends on how you intend to use the outfit. An 11 foot rod casting a line/head that is 28-33 feet long means more shooting for distance, and managing running line, compared to a line with a head length of 45 to 50 feet.

Shorter heads with more grains per foot ( heavier ) sure are easier to lift and cast though.

 

sorry, when I posted my graphs this morning, I had little "free time" to add any more notes. The lines I like are in bold .... for my ACR 1173, the old RIO Cmopact Scandi was the clear winner on the water and presenting flies to trout. For the 4wt, you can see there are several that I like for my 4wt rods.

The Guideline line is a actually a SH line that works very nice. This is an Airflo made for Guideline line, and it is a very nice line, but sadly, Airflo and Guideline's partnership has ceased.

Myself, I like line that have authority at the rod tip, but not as extreme as a OPST lines, so I tend to favour lines from Bridge and NextCast. But if you look at the 3wt, you will see the old RIO Compact Scandi has this authority over the flatter profile of the old Airflo C Sandi or the Rage. But the lines for the 4wt all have some or substantial authourity at the rod tip.

Next year, I might lighten the Bridge, but if I do so, it will be at the tip.

There is a practical limit in fly line manufacturing that relates to the core and how much plastic you can form around the core. This make long thin light lines diffcult.
.
Update after submission - reread the OP. I really like some of SA SH lines, but not so much their spey. After I started measuring lines, I learnt that SA pushes a more level line approach versus NC or Bridge, But there are different strokes for different folks.
.

 

Update after submission - reread the OP. I really like some of SA SH lines, but not so much their spey. After I started measuring lines, I learnt that SA pushes a more level line approach versus NC or Bridge, But there are different strokes for different folks.
.

Do you have any experience with the old Orvis Mission lines? I use them interchangeably grainwise with my SA Scandi Lites but have nothing concrete to back that up.

 

Gaelforce has the ESSH (or something like that! Can't remember all the E's and S's!) anywho, fully integrated and 33' with the lightest being 277gr. Should be absolutely dynamite for trout Spey man, and consequently easy to throw a poly leader or Rio MDC 12' tip and make it a very viable line for your steelhead rods (depending on the grains you go with obviously).
I'm diving deeper into trout Spey and seriously
Considering a sage trout Spey HD. This specific line I'm referring to is the line I would use
No doubt!

Equalizer ESSS Switch & Short Spey line 33ft / 10.05m head Float

GAELFORCE Equalizer supreme quality ESSS Switch & Short Spey line 33ft / 10.05m Integrated head Float range was specifically designed and extensively tested with today’s modern angler in mind, a high performance durable line. A superbly balanced, practical and user friendly Switch &

gaelforceflyfishing.com

 

Hi,
At my local tackle shop I found some old SA lines at great discount in green boxes with "salmon", "spey", "multitip". Not much info on internet about those lines so I assume these are decade or more old products. I have dived into classical spey lines and scandi heads articles with my 11'3 3wt in mind. I found the lines I use for trout spey are in fact .
In general spey was describaed as 2.5x-3x rod lenght - 28ft - 34ft here. There is no avaiability of such lines in 180-240grain category. The popularity and every recomendations on forums for trout spey go to lines with 12-23ft. Even some popular "Scandi lines" fall short from 2.5x lenght.
SA, Rio, Guideline, Scandi, Scandi Lite, Trout spey or Ultra light scandi lines share scandi taper. Ok. But with 12-23 it is still skagit lenght. Multi tips (Versitip, ULS) is the same. Rio makes it more confusing claiming Scandi Head is Body+tip. I see plenty of marketing to sell skagit lines so buyer is happy when whatever casting skills she/he poses the line is flying. For what reason these are labeled as scandi?
The only line I found to be close to true scandi head is Rio Single Hand Spey line with 33ft.

As previously mentioned, consider contacting Trent Moses (Nick Moses’s brother) at the new R.B. Meiser Rod shop in Bend, OR.

He has taken over the shops custom line building ... Steve Godshall has been instructing him for the past 9 months, and has passed on all his line building knowledge onto Trent.

He can build any formula Scandi line you’ll want for the mentioned rod ... 541-968-3914

Meiz