Spey Casting a Switch on the Beach - Any Favorite Lines?

copperJon · Jun 29, 2022

Been a couple years since I've been fishing the beaches. My go-to has always been the Royal Wulff Ambush lines for spey casting in the salt, but they have their limitations. Anything new and improved come out recently that folks are using?

I'm not finding many fully integrated spey style lines outside of the RIO Elite Switch Chucker and the old standard Ambush. Is there anything I'm missing out on?

Stonedfish · Jun 29, 2022

Maybe the OPST Smooth or the SA Spey Lite?
SF

copperJon · Jun 29, 2022

Thanks Brian. OPST looks a little light (5 and 6 wt switches). SA looks promising!

DoesItFloat · Jun 29, 2022

SA integrated skagit. Rage has worked surprisingly well for me, too.

doublespey · Jun 29, 2022

SA Integrated Skagit with polyleaders has become my go-to, for anything 420gr and under.

copperJon · Jun 29, 2022

TIL: called up the OPST folk. Their line ratings are wonky, and they suggested 275 for the z-axis 6110, and 250 for the 5wt switch...tip weights not included in overall weight as is standard with other lines. Still seems a bit light, but I will pick up both and see which one tickles my fancy.

Porter2 · Jun 29, 2022

I’m a big fan of the rage head series…. Still early in the game but I really like it so far.

skyrise · Jun 30, 2022

Love the Rage line but if I am doing very much stripping in on the retrieve using an integrated line is all I want. Trying to strip a head looped to a running line is a pain. I tried it numerous times here at home and on vacation in a warm climate using both a skagit style head and a OPST commando heads. Yes I can cast a shooting head like a bomb. But when it comes to stripping on the retrieve then it sucks for me.

Bagman · Jul 1, 2022

skyrise said:
Love the Rage line but if I am doing very much stripping in on the retrieve using an integrated line is all I want. Trying to strip a head looped to a running line is a pain. I tried it numerous times here at home and on vacation in a warm climate using both a skagit style head and a OPST commando heads. Yes I can cast a shooting head like a bomb. But when it comes to stripping on the retrieve then it sucks for me.

Not a Spey caster, but Rio‘s Outbound short or costal quick shooter works good for overhead casting with both my Z Axis 7 and 8 wt 11’ switch rods.

Otter · Jul 6, 2022

Snowbee Switch lines are very, very popular for switch casting here in B.C. Integrated, quite supple, nice thin running section. Tip it with a regular tapered mono leader, or plain mono, or a polyleader in your preferred sink rate. The front loops used to have a reputation for letting go, but I hear that's been fixed. For piece of mind, nail knot some 8 pound-ish mono to the base of the loop.

Lett · Jul 6, 2022

Rods are becoming much more powerful than they used to be. I believe that traditional line ratings / mfr's grain recommendations do not fully realize the potential of the rod depending on the casting method and one's casting style.

I believe that the critical distances on the beach "are as far you can throw" and the last 30 feet in front of your rod tip on the retrieve. I like to keep my fly in the water as much as possible. My cast is not really a traditional Scandinavian overhand or Spey. I've heard the term Belgian-style used ( Lambic? Saison maybe?...I dunno). Here is an example that is much cleaner than what I do: Andrew Moy 2-Handed in the Salt ; a slightly different cast : Steve Rajeff Beach Rod Demo.

I had an ancient Rainshadow 6-weight switch that I made kind-of work for a couple of years. I used a RIO OBS 8 weight and and I got frustrated with false casting to optimize the head after the retrieve to transition to a two handed cast. I am a fan of sink tips on a PNW beach. Sink tips meant more stripping to cover that last 30 feet effectively. More false casting...repeat

I now use a 6 weight TFO Deer Creek switch (not quite as ancient, but a much faster rod). I paired it with an 11 ft 300 gr Rio trout skagit and a 10 ft 85 gr sink tip . The rest is running line. It is a cannon in comparison. The short working section (21 ft =head +sink tip) means there are no line connections in the guides and it's a roll-cast pick-up with no false casting. The slowly accelerating pick- up becomes the last part of the retrieve. I have taken several fish as I rolled to set up for the next cast.

Bottom line: This is not an integrated line system, but this set up throws big and the fly gets more time in the water. The one disappointment being the tendency of the sink tip to not completely extend unless I have a weighted fly. Still working this, and welcome any suggestions i.e. recommended sinking leader set ups.

copperJon · Jul 7, 2022

I've got OPST's and SA Spey Lite Skagits on the way, to test out on an Orvis H2 5110(?) and Sage Z-Axis 6110. My old standard was a 10ft airflo polyleader int (maybe 40 grains), so I picked up some Rio Spey Versileaders (75 grains) and will play with those too.

This is for skagit casting from the beach. I never enjoyed overhead casting a switch, and would only do so if the salad was thick. With the Ambush, cast with a poke, strip to the poly, sweep across the body, sweep back across while releasing the head, poke, repeat.

copperJon · Jul 15, 2022

Verdict is still out on the versileaders...as for the lines:

OPST:
Based on what was recommended, I picked up a 250 and 300. I didn't dig on either of them for the 11' rods, but found joy in putting the 250 on my 6WT BIII-SX. The 300 may be OK with the 5WT, but I have yet to give it a go. Maybe a move up to 14' poly/versileaders would help, but I was blowing anchors left and right. Perhaps with time I'd get more used to the short head but why, when...

SA Spey Lite Skagits:
Picked up a 330 and a 360. 360 on the z-axis felt good, cast well, but was not offering much of an improvement over the good ol' Ambush. Then I come to find that SA makes an intermediate head version...so grabbed a 360, put it on the z, and angels sang, clouds parted...and fish ate. I spent the whole morning today effortlessly tossing the entire line. Even had a couple guys complement my casting. Casts could get a bit "dumpy" if I wasn't paying attention, but such is life on the beach.

So for anyone looking to spey on the beach, the SA Spey Lite Skagit in INTERMEDIATE is the bees knees.

skyrise · Jul 17, 2022

For maybe some help with casting the opst heads go to opst website and watch some of the instructional videos from ed ward on casting opst heads.
just my -2 worthless cents.