I am gearing up to purchase some new equipment for flyfishing. I am looking for a two-handed outfit (pole, line, reels and all). I have a good idea of which reel I want, but I am at a mile loss in two areas. (1) Two handed "Spey" rods and (2) Shooting head lines (I think that is waht I am looking for). I fish some moderate (Grande Ronde -- on par with the Skykomish near the reiter ponds) to very large waters (Columbia River and Snake river). I divined that a 13-15' 8/9 rod (gloomis makes a not to pricey one)would serve me well as would a matching 200g, 400g and floating (I've seen steelies caught around here on dry flys) line. Does this sound close or am I out of my mind? Please toss me your suggestions. Mostly fishing for steelhead, some (smaller)salmon. Thanks in advance.

Ask the boys at Ted's in Lynnwood (425)743-9505.There is a formula for putting together a line for a spey rod using an #11 weight floating line for the body of the lins and using either a loop attatchment or splicing a head on it. The loop system would allow for using different heads (floating or sinking) on the same running line. This would a much cheaper solution. There is at least one spey line on the market but it is about $100. Good luck.

The Dec-Jan 1999 issue of S-T-S had a Harry Lemire concoction for a 9 wt 14' spey rod of 20' DT12F belly spliced on either end to .38 running line and a 15' sink tip of whatever you want to sling.

To create the loop connection, dip the fly line in acetone for about 5 minutes and strip off the plastic. Fold the dacron core back over to form a loop, wrap it tight w/ fly tying thread, whip finish, cement with plio-bond and cover the whole knotted area with a heat shrink tube.

I didn't like slinging 20' of DT12 w/ my 9 wt so I used about 30' of DT11 (I tried 25' but that wasn't enough). It can cast far enough conventionally and I can spey cast it easy enough also.