I can muster a pretty decent cast with my two hander, it's a 12'4" Loop Blackline using a RIO 8/9 windcutter line, as long as I'm tossing light flies such as a Coal Car or a Silver Hilton.

When I tie on one of my heavy steelhead bugs the extension of my cast fails. I feel like I'm not generating enough power, or line speed or whatever you want to call it coming out of my D loop. I toyed with adding the density compensator to the line to increase the weight forward bias of the line but I still can't get the distance I would like. (I can consistenly outcast the spey, using the same pattern, by as much as thirty ~forty feet with an 896VPS or 896XP)

1) It's just me and as I become more proficient it'll get better

2) Need a different rod (i.e. length, speed, weight, mfg etc.)

3) Rod's ok, need a different line

4) Silly, you can't present those big bugs with a spey cast (all in fun)

5) ???

6) ???

Thoughts or opinions

~w

Try the same weight sink-tip but 4 or 5 foot shorter

If you look at Rio's tips the last 4 to 5 foot is smaller in diameter

That's what I came up with

Don't know if you are casting with a dry line or a sink tip. But I find that the heavier or more wind resistant the fly, the slower your casting motion should be. As in all fly casting, you should make sure that your leader is suited for your fly. Stiffen that leader up! This is especially true when casting a long leader with a dry line. Try a 12' section of 10 or 12# Maxima. For sink tips, I seldom go over a 5' leader, which is just a length of Maxima. For SH, a lenght of 10#'s is fine. For silvers and chum I go up to 12#'s.

A tip that you should always remember: Don't hold that rod too tight!

Don

Hi Guys,

I can see I wasn't clear enough with my post.

While I haven't put as much time in on mastering the two hander as I should I've been doing the steelhead game with flyrods (fly fishing period)for a long time.

I have both a straight floating line (airflo) and the windcutter for the spey outfit. Currently I'm using the sink tips. Besides the tips that come with the line I have a whole series of other RIO tips in various weights. I seem to experience the same problem whether I'm using the WindCutter tips or the other tips, which seems to indicate the problem may not be in the taper of the tips Brian mentioned but I'm going to take a closer look at that the next time I'm on the water.

My leaders for steelhead use on sink tips are generally 3'~5' long, whether on the two hander or with a one hander. While I usually use Umpqua leaders for my personal use my one handers, I've been using UG 8~15lb for leaders on the two hander.

From these and some other responses here and there across the web it's starting to look like it may be a combination of my skill level and the action/speed of the Loop Blackline rod.

I'm going to be trying out a few other spey sticks in the near future and I'll see what happens with longer/faster sticks.

Thanks for the input.

~w

The longer your leader with sink-tip the worst it is, my leaders are 3 foot max.

1 1/2 ft. of 15 lbs. and 1 1/2 ft. of 12 lbs

Check out you Rio tip for dia. when I was useing them I would jump up a size or two and cut off the last 4 or 5 foot of taper

H2H,

wasn't trying to negate your earlier comment about the tips, just expressing my problem is consistent across the use of several different types of tips, some of which have no taper.

Next time I'm on the water (is the rain ever going to let up?) I'll be doing some experimenting and shortening some tips is on the game plan.

Thanks for the info.

~w

Don't give up with the two hander find someone that knows what they are doing, throwing heavy tips is not easy and keep the leader short as H2H states.

You should have seen my messy casts 5 years ago with the 2hander and I had been single handed fly fishing for 40 years.

Its not rocket science stick with it it opens up much more productive fishing to you and is easier on your body.



FL