Let’s start a trout spey thread

[Redside Fly]

Absolutely love trout spey! The Lower Deschutes swinging for Redsides is just too much fun. I use a Redington Dually 4wt 10'6, paired with a Sage Trout spey real. 300 gr integrated commando skagit line is a blast.


I just started tying my own version of egg sucking leech.
April 22nd mark your calendars, because that's when it's go time on the Deschutes.

 

[garyl]

Hi Guys, I moved from WA to AZ last fall. I lived in Mount Vernon for about 6 years prior to the move. I really didn't get to fish the Skagit much due to work and finally got fed up with the fact that most of the rivers around the NW were closed most of the time, either due to poor returns (or politics). Cold, wet weather had a lot to do with the move as well. Anyway, I'm down in the Northwest Valley and will probably take up bass fishing but also want to do some road trips for trout spey fishing to Utah and Montana. I need to replace some rods that I sold pre-move but I've been thinking that I may not need two-handers for all weights. The Sage Trout Spey HD's seem to be really nice for a 4 weight, as the Echo trout spey 4 wt. - could do some light steelhead with those as well. But when you get down to the soft hackle rods, it seems that it may be just as effective to use a single hand rod. I've watched most of the OPST youtube and it looks like their microspeys are pretty cool - but not single spey rods. But then I watch Ed with the 7'6" fiberglass catching bass and pike and think - gee, I already have that rod and those commando heads. Looking for some feedback on preferences for single vs two handed rods in the 2 - 3 weight. PS, I used to own the Loomis 3,5, 7 IMX short speys and NRX 8 wt before I moved and loved those rods. But I'm thinking that 12' is overkill for soft hackles. I also have some 10' euro nymph and lake rods that are almost up to the same length as "trout speys". Appreciate your comments.
thanks

 

[Divad]

Hi Guys, I moved from WA to AZ last fall. I lived in Mount Vernon for about 6 years prior to the move. I really didn't get to fish the Skagit much due to work and finally got fed up with the fact that most of the rivers around the NW were closed most of the time, either due to poor returns (or politics). Cold, wet weather had a lot to do with the move as well. Anyway, I'm down in the Northwest Valley and will probably take up bass fishing but also want to do some road trips for trout spey fishing to Utah and Montana. I need to replace some rods that I sold pre-move but I've been thinking that I may not need two-handers for all weights. The Sage Trout Spey HD's seem to be really nice for a 4 weight, as the Echo trout spey 4 wt. - could do some light steelhead with those as well. But when you get down to the soft hackle rods, it seems that it may be just as effective to use a single hand rod. I've watched most of the OPST youtube and it looks like their microspeys are pretty cool - but not single spey rods. But then I watch Ed with the 7'6" fiberglass catching bass and pike and think - gee, I already have that rod and those commando heads. Looking for some feedback on preferences for single vs two handed rods in the 2 - 3 weight. PS, I used to own the Loomis 3,5, 7 IMX short speys and NRX 8 wt before I moved and loved those rods. But I'm thinking that 12' is overkill for soft hackles. I also have some 10' euro nymph and lake rods that are almost up to the same length as "trout speys". Appreciate your comments.
thanks

Well, river width? Some won’t even appeal to a two hander so I’d start there with your aspirations. You can single spey a short fat head to the moon if you care less about presentation. Plus a single setup could be worked easier in your neck of the woods for warm-water.

A two handed trout spey with scandi heads are hard to beat for distance and presentation. Just depends on your river choice and style of fishing.

 

[Skol_Engh]

First fish on the new troutspey. It’s a blast. Swinging nymphs.

 

[SculpinSwinger]

For the pleasure of casting, a trout spey and a scandi is tops. Make my scandi an Elixir please.

 

[Hogsnatcher]

I could use some talk about different lines for an Echo 11" #3 line. What are guys using for floaters and Skagit style?

Might be a tad late to reply. I have this rod. Scout 270grn with a light iMOW tip- it sails. I can shoot about 35 feet of mono with ease. Haven’t figured out a floating tip for it yet

 

[Skol_Engh]

Brought along the trout Spey today. Started off swinging a double nymph setup but it received no love from the locals so I went back to the hopper dropper set up which was doing the trick. Then the rain, thunder, and lightning rolled in. So I threw on a yellow articulated streamer that my buddy tied up for me. 3 casts in and this brown absolutely SLAMMED it. So much fun.

 

[Skol_Engh]

Does anyone ever throw an emerger/nymph trailing a streamer when you troutspey? If so, do you find it effective?

 

[SpeyrodGB]

Does anyone ever throw an emerger/nymph trailing a streamer when you troutspey? If so, do you find it effective?

I do it all of the time. I usually use a soft hackle or a Meyer’s leech behind the streamer.

 

[DoesItFloat]

For the pleasure of casting, a trout spey and a scandi is tops. Make my scandi an Elixir please.

Are you just going with a 9' mono leader on that?

 

[SculpinSwinger]

Are you just going with a 9' mono leader on that?

I prefer the Elixir with a 10’ intermediate salmon/steelhead poly leader and about 4’ of tippet. I can’t roll out the plain mono on the short casts, and I always start short.

 

[DoesItFloat]

I prefer the Elixir with a 10’ intermediate salmon/steelhead poly leader and about 4’ of tippet. I can’t roll out the plain mono on the short casts, and I always start short.

I like using the Hover poly, that way I can switch to a dry without having to change leaders.

 

[SurfnFish]

.

Thanks! I can sublux my shoulders by thinking about them too hard.

pins in my casting shoulder (snapped rotator repair), so regardless of rod, my elbow always in, hand at ear or below, focus on the rod doing the work...when they first came out, put Commando heads on my steelie and bank King switch rods....rocket launchers with little effort

 

[mcswny]

so regardless of rod, my elbow always in, hand at ear or below,

I really need to remember this.

 

[singlehandjay]

I picked up an Echo TR trout spey and love it. Paired with a Lamson Guru S

 

[ianpadron]

Finally lined up my 31111 IMX Pro and got after it on the Swan River over here in MT.

That river was built for swingin'. Reminds me of a mini-Sauk River in WA, with braided channels and logjams all over the place, and deep pools broken up by looooong runs.

The Swan gets almost no pressure because: 1) the area is infested with Grizzlies
2) most good wading access requires some pretty serious bushwackin' through the dark forests that aforementioned grizzlies live
3) there might not be a river in the US with more sweepers than the Swan, portaging required on all stretches.

Keeps the riff-raff out.

Setup was a 210 Scandi, 10 foot tapered steelhead/salmon leader, 4 feet 6# floro, and an olive bugger. So much fun it should be illegal.

This was my first time throwing a scandi line and tbh it was way more Skagit-like than I imagined, still loaded the shit out of the rod without much effort, but loops were tighter, and I could cast off the tip and throw darts with a quick flick. 10/10 on the fun scale.

Caught a ton of fish, mostly the 10-14" bows and cutties that are so common there, and lost what was likely my PB trout by a wide margin.

Hooked him just off the bank in the photo with the rod/reel in my hand...juicy spot eh? Hit like a freight train and had the rod corked immediately, felt like a hot steelhead tbh. Fought him for about 15 seconds and he popped loose. Tanker rainbow? Big bull trout? Who knows, definitely got the heart racing though and added to an already awesome day.

Tight lines!

 

[_WW_]

Finally lined up my 31111 IMX Pro and got after it on the Swan River over here in MT.

That river was built for swingin'. Reminds me of a mini-Sauk River in WA, with braided channels and logjams all over the place, and deep pools broken up by looooong runs.

The Swan gets almost no pressure because: 1) the area is infested with Grizzlies
2) most good wading access requires some pretty serious bushwackin' through the dark forests that aforementioned grizzlies live
3) there might not be a river in the US with more sweepers than the Swan, portaging required on all stretches.

Keeps the riff-raff out.

Setup was a 210 Scandi, 10 foot tapered steelhead/salmon leader, 4 feet 6# floro, and an olive bugger. So much fun it should be illegal.

This was my first time throwing a scandi line and tbh it was way more Skagit-like than I imagined, still loaded the shit out of the rod without much effort, but loops were tighter, and I could cast off the tip and throw darts with a quick flick. 10/10 on the fun scale.

Caught a ton of fish, mostly the 10-14" bows and cutties that are so common there, and lost what was likely my PB trout by a wide margin.

Hooked him just off the bank in the photo with the rod/reel in my hand...juicy spot eh? Hit like a freight train and had the rod corked immediately, felt like a hot steelhead tbh. Fought him for about 15 seconds and he popped loose. Tanker rainbow? Big bull trout? Who knows, definitely got the heart racing though and added to an already awesome day.

Tight lines!


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Did you float this river?

 

[ianpadron]

Did you float this river?

Nope not yet. I've been hiking in and fishing sections a few miles at a time doing recon for the first float. It's a mean little river and I don't want to get caught off guard

 

[Skol_Engh]

Wow looks like a great packrafting river. All attention goes to the Bob and the SFF but the swan river sounds like a sneaky good time. Thanks for the report!

 

[Ryan Smart]

I picked up an Echo TR trout spey and love it. Paired with a Lamson Guru S
View attachment 20318View attachment 20319

Singlehandjay -
I'm curious, which TR do you have? I just picked up a 12 ft 4 wt TR a couple weekends ago. I think it's an older model (unused but on clearance at a shop in Oregon). Ironically, I also put a Guru on it, mostly because I had one with me on the trip and wanted to try out the rod. I bought a line based on an Echo chart we found online while in the shop - I think it's 320 grain Rage, but might not have that exactly right.

I'm not a very experienced spey caster but the line and rod seem pretty well matched and will be a lot of fun on the bigger rivers in this region, and for trips to Montana and Wyoming. The key is that it will get me to practice my 2-handed casting more to be ready for when the coho and (hopefully) steelhead get here later this year!

ryan