Oliver1329
Life of the Party
yea, but if you're a broke highschool student.....
Let’s start a trout spey thread
- Thread starter Bob Rankin
- Start date
I was thinking that too. But now after reading thru this thread I'm thinking I need a change in perspective.
New thought after reading this thread:
Sure, having a trout spey rod would be fun. But did anyone catch what @G_Smolt did? He's calling his 8134 a trout spey. That's what I want. I want to catch trout so fucking big that I can (legitimately) call my 8134 a trout spey. Baller status.
Honestly I was thinking the same,Obviously they got some big trout up there!
No doubt. I'm pretty sure I could fuck up landing a 30"+ trout quite easily though (or not even hook into one). There's an element of skill there I'm thinking would be a bit of a problem for me!
It sure would be fun giving it a shot though, I’m sure I could bust rod tip or two trying to make that happen. I’ve been know to do that…!No doubt. I'm pretty sure I could fuck up landing a 30"+ trout quite easily though (or not even hook into one). There's an element of skill there I'm thinking would be a bit of a problem for me!
G_Smolt
Legend
I usually don't say too much about AK trout in "Trout Spey" discussions, for a few reasons, not th least of which is I don't wanna kill ANY good discussions around spey fishing for trout, because it's certainly fun as hell. I have just been lucky enough to be able to orient my entire life around fish and fishing, and being a WA expat living the rest of my life in AK, this is one of the opportunities I have come across.
My advice to all who wish to spey fish for trout in AK is...go to Bristol Bay. Soonish, if not sooner. The current climatic conditions have been a boon for sockeye since 2015, and the trout population has responded accordingly. I remember the desperate years, the times where I could have saved $1k a day and had a similar experience by just going steelheading in WA because the grabs were so few and far between. The recent sockeye explosion has changed the matrix, so if you have ever - even for a moment - thought about fishing for trout in Bristol Bay, you should probably do it. Soon.
To get this back on track...here's 2 spraypole trout from last fall.
31"-ish. Early am, before the guide boat fleet...and just after I had a standoff with a young bear who forgot he was supposed to be mostly nocturnal.
32"-ish. One of the cleanest fish I have gotten in the last decade, and the kind of fish I see in my dreams.
Be happy with what's in yer water, and if yer not happy, be prepared to change water.
Peace, y'all.
I had one hell of a time on the skagit this year with a custom anglers roost 11’ 3/4 wt and a commando smooth. Tons of fun to cast and fish with. It held up well to many pinks too.
I started out years ago with a Sage Z-Axis 5110-4 paired with a Hardy St. Aiden. Really like that set up both with a Scandi for soft hackles or Skagit with streamers. But after a while I decided I wanted something for the smaller fish I tend to encounter around these parts. So I added an Echo 2 weight trout spey paired with a Hardy JLH 8/9. Only fish a Scandi on that rod. A 12” fish puts a really nice bend in that rod.
Are those the CX line? I have a 12’6” 345CX. Loving it. Using Steve’s Ballistic taper in 350 Gr at 39’.
Yes the 12’6” 456CX. I also use a Godshall 34.4 414 grain Scandi and a Godshall 25.2’ 389 grain Scandoid 2ips with this rod.
The 4wt is the S2H 345. I pretty much just use a Godshall 27.2’ 339 grain Scandi with it.
Phil, I have a 175 Commando head you can try. It was a little light for my 10' 3/4 of the same brand.
I cut back an airflo scandi to about 225, but let’s try them both. Thanks
Divad
Whitefish
I have a 10ft 3 wt that I use a 150gr opst on w/ 7’ poly leaders, it was a toss up between the 175 and 150 commando. I use a 175 commando groove though.
Hands down you’ll love the feel! If you don’t mind cleaning it, that same combo can be a lot of fun from the beach for src’s.
MoreQuestionsThanAnswers
Smolt
Stunning fish, reel and fly. I’m just a couple of years into this, and switched this year to a scandi, just to see if I like the feeling better than a Skagit. So far so good, can’t cast big flies as far, but I love it.I love this time of year! I went out for a couple hours this morning to swing up some trout. Took the Meiser 12’6” 5wt and used a 375gr Skagit max short with 10’ of T8 and my version of a Daves panic button. It workedone of them was a slab, it may be one of the biggest I’ve ever caught in the canyon.
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I just ordered a 150gr OPST commando head (plus 30lb Lazar running line and two 7.5-foot sinking heads, 2 and 4 fps) for my 10' 3wt Echo Carbon XL Euronymph rod. I wish that rod came with an option for screwing in an extension below the reel.
I don't have any experience with spey casting, either one or two handed. But I have a decent roll cast and am eager to learn!
I watched these two videos:
And the videos here:
https://pureskagit.com/pages/video-learning
My new office is on the Lake Washington Canal in Fremont. The canal has no room for a back cast, but a couple decent access points near my office where I could stand four or five feet out from the bank (depending on water levels). Now that I am venturing away from my home office, I plan to practice there. Downstream will be to my right, on my casting arm side. I also want to try it out for SRC in the Sound.
I have bum shoulders, so am hopeful that the one hand spey cast will let me spend a day fishing without needing to snack on ibuprofen when I get home.
Any tips for a beginner would be welcome!
I don't have any experience with spey casting, either one or two handed. But I have a decent roll cast and am eager to learn!
I watched these two videos:
And the videos here:
https://pureskagit.com/pages/video-learning
My new office is on the Lake Washington Canal in Fremont. The canal has no room for a back cast, but a couple decent access points near my office where I could stand four or five feet out from the bank (depending on water levels). Now that I am venturing away from my home office, I plan to practice there. Downstream will be to my right, on my casting arm side. I also want to try it out for SRC in the Sound.
I have bum shoulders, so am hopeful that the one hand spey cast will let me spend a day fishing without needing to snack on ibuprofen when I get home.
Any tips for a beginner would be welcome!
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Think of the side of your body as a plane that goes perpendicular to your shoulder alignment. Don't let you elbow leave that plane whether single hand or double hand casting. Letting your elbow outside this plane, rolling your shoulder, is what puts strain on your joint and rotator cuff. Keeping your elbow on this plane will also make you a much more efficient caster. Same goes for rowing a boat, keep your elbows tucked and on plane. I have bad shoulders, and as long as I respect keeping my elbows tight to my body, I can cast and row all day without pain
.
Thanks! I can sublux my shoulders by thinking about them too hard.
R
RyRy82
Guest
Been thinking about an intermediate skagit head for swinging trout this time of year to slow swing down. Has anyone gone this route? Thoughts?
Also, how many of you prefer a integrated line for trout Spey? It’s nice to be able to change heads on reels but it’s pretty clunky stripping in close or in ledgy areas.
Also, how many of you prefer a integrated line for trout Spey? It’s nice to be able to change heads on reels but it’s pretty clunky stripping in close or in ledgy areas.
that's what I use when swinging for steelhead...it really works great (intermediate part of it)
It'll also allow you to use lighter and shorter tips.
For trout, I'd definitely want integrated just so it's easier to strip all the way back without that connection. I just haven't gone that route as of yet (mostly because I rarely just swing for them, I usually opt for a pretty aggressive cast, strip style).
