I've fished steelhead for a few years now. I usually just use conventional gear because i have it and fly gear tends to be expensive. But I am very excited about catching a steelhead on a fly rod. I've tried to fish them on the Stilly in summer(last summer) with no avail.I am excited to fish the winter run fish this year but, I'm not sure if i should stick it out with my Fluger 7wt. 9' or try to get my hands on a spey rod. I've read a great deal about them and it seems like it MAY help me in my endless steelhead/salmon persuit. Thank you for your time. Oh, one more thing if anyone has a cheap Spey Rod, if there is such a thing, and is wishing to find it a home contact me.

Rob Z.

I fish both ways (fly and gear), and often use a Spey rod. While they're nice, they're not necessary. Even a relatively cheap one is going to set you back at least a couple hundred dollars, not counting reel and line. Unless you're a nut for it, like me and some others I know, I'd stick with what you have.

But if you do go for it, they're a lot of fun, and once you've done it, you'll never go back.

What they are best for is the long runs where you are covering a lot of water with the cast, swing, step routine. It's a good bit easier to quickly get a long sinking line out with mr Spey than a traditional fly rod. They will cast a long way, though a competent hand with a normal fly rod can usually get as far.

I use a Sage 13 1/2 foot 7 weight, throwing a 7/8/9 line.

does it take alot more effort every cast to cast a spey, does it take longer in between casts. just wondering the diffrences never actually seen somebody use one, but I mainly fly fish the sound thou. asked washingtonflyfishing.com the question and they got offended. Ben

Once you've learned the different casting techniques,(double spey, snap T etc...) it's easier than a single hander. Line control is the best feature IMO.

Rob Z. ChecK out St.Croix. They make a 13'rod for about 400.00. I figured it out once I would be put out about 600.00 bucks if I wanted to get started out that way. I've been tempted to do that but my wife said she would leave if I bought one more fly rod. But being as old as I am, Jim S. I don't think that I will miss her.

Rob Z. ChecK out St.Croix. They make a 13'rod for about 400.00. I figured it out once I would be put out about 600.00 bucks if I wanted to get started out that way. I've been tempted to do that but my wife said she would leave if I bought one more fly rod. But being as old as I am, I don't think that I will miss her.

Opps. I guess I held the button down to long. Jim S.

I wouldn't judge the Stilly by last summer's run...we didn't get many hatchery fish back and the water was so low that fish were difficult to scare up. I fish it with a 9'9" 8wt in the summer and feel a 7 wt would be fine (but then I've yet to see a summer fish over 10 or 12 lbs). Wouldn't bother with the spey rod there at that time--there's little reason for such a heavy rod on such a small stream...although a 5 wt might be fun. The Skagit and the Sauk are another story, of course...

I wouldn't judge the Stilly by last summer's run...we didn't get many hatchery fish back and the water was so low that fish were difficult to scare up. I fish it with a 9'9" 8wt in the summer and feel a 7 wt would be fine (but then I've yet to see a summer fish over 10 or 12 lbs). Wouldn't bother with the spey rod there at that time--there's little reason for such a heavy rod on such a small stream...although a 5 wt might be fun. The Skagit and the Sauk are another story, of course...

To Rockfish's question, it takes less effort and less time to make a cast with a spey rod, under most conditions. The difference is that you don't usually retrieve the line or at least much of the line, before making a cast. The spey cast motion handles a very long line nicely. So, after your cast has drifted down below you, and you want to make another cast, you switch it upstream, then around and out. Takes about as much time to do as to say. Not as much stripping line in, no false casting. So the promise is that you will spend more time with your fly in the water, fishing.

What i find is more important than the casting ease, however, is that you don't need anywhere near as much room behind you in order to reach 70 or 80 feet out there. With a traditional rod, you need at least 50 feet behind you to reach that far out in front. With a Spey rod, I need about 15 feet. And that is cool.

Cod,

Even the least-cost approach to a Spey outfit (buy and blank and build it yourself and splice your own lines) is going to run well beyond small change. The primary advantage of a two-handed outfit is the ability to fish locations that have no backcast room. Whether the method is more efficient due to less time stripping and line handling depends mainly on whether one fishes with a double taper line or a Spey shooting head. In any event, it's less efficient than spin casting because a fly and sink tip take longer to "sink to the stones" than a short piece of pencil lead dragging monofilament nylon fishing line.

If you've yet to catch a steelhead on a fly, I think you'd be time and money ahead to get properly set up with a single handed outfit that may be able to use all or part of what you already have. A Spey rod won't make a steelhead any easier to catch. Hell the fish doesn't know what kind of fly rod you have. I caught hundreds on a fiberglass rod that cost me $15 in blank and components some years back.

So get your gear evaluated and supplement as needed. Beyond that you need good chest waders and the knowledge of where Mr. Steelhead lives and how to properly present your fly. Most folks don't believe it, but it really is that simple.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Hello ...

I've been too cheap to get a real expensive long fly rod, so I went half way with a 10.5 foot noodle rod by North X Northwest. It cost me $59.99 at GI Joes. I matched it with a SA 9 weight floating WF line, and I can cast it either one handed or 2 handed. For a reel I'm using the SA System 2 79 reel, available at Sportco for $38.99. I guess what's really important to me is that I've caught over 100 fish with this outfit, and it didn't break the bank account. Some day I might have to grow up and get a REAL rod, but not now.

Wayne

I've casted the real long spey rods at the shows and then on the river with Gizmo's high quality spey rod. This is an individual preference thing of course, but I agree with Silver Hilton that they aren't really necessary for the majority of steelhead flyfishing. And they are very expensive and a bit cumbersome. I have no problem roll casting my 7 wt.(DT)/8 wt.(WF) line with my GL3 blanked 9.5' LL Bean flyrod fairly long distances when trees prevent backcasting. And they are much more comfy to use. And I think faster and more effient for normal casting on most steelhead rivers. I guess if you are a fly purist that won't use conventional gear, the spey rods would have some usefullness in large river scenarios. Just my 0.02 opinion.

RT

RT,

I should amplify my opinion just a scad. When you do have trees at your back, a spey rod will help quite a bit. While I don't doubt you can get a nice roll cast out with your normal rod, with a spey cast, you can improve on this in a way that will puff your jockey shorts. Doesn't always matter, but when it does, it's pretty cool.

I used mine on a brushy stream in Alaska this summer to fish through a run. My friends could only get about 30 feet from shore by roll casting, due the amounts of split shot we were having to use. I was fishing all the way across the 100 foot stream. Made a huge difference in water covered and fish hooked.

How much that matters here when you are fishing the skykomish or the clackamas in fly fishing conditions is up for debate. But even then, the rhythm of the spey cast is pretty spellbinding.

But you are definitely right in that they are expensive.

You already have a single handed outfit that would be perfectly suited to the North Stilly in the summer and in fact any summertime river.
The only times I can think that a spey rod would be a disadvantage: 1. on very small streams, 2. when you are on a run with trees directly overhead, 3. fishing out of a boat. Any other time a spey rod is an advantage..

Everyone has differeing opinions on whats a good rod vs whats a bad rod. The only rods I really encourage you to stay away from are the Loomis GL3 spey rods. I own the 14ft for a 9-10 and to be honest I think it is junk.

There is a glut of excellent used spey rods on the market and there are a couiple good "inexpensive" rods out there as well.
The standard cheap ros if the St criox 14ft 9-10wt Other rods are the Lamiglas Mike Maxwell spey rods. Also Anglers workshop produces some blanks that are decent and inexpensive.

What I'd say is if you are serious about becoming a steelhead fly fisher,get a spey rod.
If you don't know how much you are going to want to do it then stick with the single handed outfit you have and try to be around people who you can learn from. In any type of specialized fishing(including all steelhead fishing) knowledge is paramount!!! followed closely by skill.. After thoes two items are dealt with everything is not near as important.

Codfather-
I too own a couple spey rods. There are many advantages, but there are also many disadvantages. Ya on the one hand you are gaining casting advantage by not needing back cast room, but a lot of times you over cast your water too. I will recommend you to one of my friends sites for a complete run-down or spey-rod usage. www.flyfishsteelhead.com. Under the stories and articles section there is an article entitled Spey Rod Flyfishing - Advantages and Disadvantages. He makes some really good points.

Tim

It does take some getting used to a sppey rod. Ii'mm still learning and still fiighting to forget my single handed castinn. I find thtai I try to muscle the rod like I do witha douule haul method Ii overload th rod and the cast fals quite short. But when I relax and just go with th flow, I get distance. Iit's had to learn on your own, Ii'm having a friend show me the ropes.

Want a kindof inexpensive spey outfit? Go with the Ccabela's brand. They are mmade by St Croiix I o believe and are nice rods. Come with linne, SA reel, and rod for under $400. Ii have the 14' 9wt Ccabela's and love iit.

Hhey Wayne. You sure tha it was aa SA system 2 7/8 wt reel for $38.99???? That's a $180 reel. You suure it's nnot an Okuma or a system 1? If thaat's the case I'm running down there to get a couple.

I agree, you can get by with the single handers. But there are quite a few stretches of rivers I fish that I'd love to swing a fly through, but Have virtually NO backkcast room. either past the sot up or grabbed the hardware/convenional gear. Once I get really proficient I'll bring it out alot.

Any body interested in learning to spey cast and/or improve their casting techique, I would encourage to contact the folks at Avid Angler in Lake Forest Park. (North of Seattle) They offer a Spey casting class lasting 4 hours with Sage rep George Cook. Cost: $60.00 Date: Mid-Febuary 02 Some equipment supplied if you don't have an outfit yet. May help you make a decision of what could work for you. Good class. You can rent Videos ie: Mike Maxwell, Derek Brown, or Rio's International Spey casting, but there is no substitute for being critiqued by an experienced caster who can evaluate your particular application and make suggestions to improve your skills. Cheaper alternative? Ply your Speycasting buddy with beer until he complies, but then again he might not be worth a damn the next morning. Oh well...