Need spey line advice!!!

[obiwankanobi]

I bought a T & T 15ft 9 weight last spring at the Red Shed Fly Shop in Peck, Idaho and would like to replace my Rio line for a superior casting spey line. I can't say I am a Jedi master at spey casting, hence my name Obiwankanobi, but would like any and all advice on a better casting line. I was told that a guy by the name of Jack Cook, in Carnation, Wa, could suit me up with a uk line, but wanted to see if anyone has had experience with a Carron line or a more expensive long bellied line.

[Kevin Giusti]

I think you should go to the source of your rod purchase. Poppy at the red shed is quite knowledgable and always helpful when it comes to choosing a line for a particular rod. I know he frequents the board and he will probably speak up with many suggestions for you once he sees your post. Kevin

[obiwankanobi]

Poppy is a great guy and he bought my used CND to apply to my new T&T. I will contact him and ask for his advice. Thanks Kevin!!!

[FLGator]

I too recommend you stick with Mike at the Red Shed.

In regards to lines...

From my experience Rio makes some very, very good lines and if you're having trouble with the line, my guess is not because it's a Rio. Is it in the proper grain range for your rod, how you like the rod to load, your casting style and ability?

What do you want the line to do? Dry line only? Tips?

The Carrons are outstanding long belly dry lines. I personally have no experience fishing tips on a Carron, but guys do it and seem satisified.

The CND Gravity Point is certainly a fishing line you should consider. Fishes both dry and sink tips very well.

[DRBfish]

nextcast lines are awesome as are the cnd lines. The carron lines are great but I have a problem with the $$.

Redshed can get both

[SSPey]

I formerly owned and fished this rod a lot. For my stroke, good long bellies for this rod are the Carron 10/11 (75 and 85), Nextcast 8/9, CND 9/10, XLT 7/8 (XLT2 - 9).

[obiwankanobi]

Thanks all for your help. I never considered replacing my line until I was on the Clearwater River last year in my home waters and a spey fly fisher about 50 yards above me was getting started as well. With two overhead casts, he was ready to make his first single spey cast. Well, with over $1K worth of equipment, I was disappointed that my lightning rod took about 6 overhead casts to get a similar amount of line out there. I was talking to a guy at Creekside angling who knows Jack Cook really well and he told me to suit my rod with a more premier line. That got me thinking that maybe my spey casting shortfalls are due to the line not the caster!!!!

Thanks everyone

[FT]

You haven't told us which RIO spey line you are currently using on your 1509 T&T nor how long you have been spey casting, and this makes it very difficult to help you. Here is what I mean: If you are currently using a Windcutter (55' belly) on your rod, there will be a huge difference for you to move up to a long-belly line because their 80'+ bellies require a lot of good technique to cast well. And if you have been using a Skagit line (40' or shorter belly), it will be a monster stretch for you to move to a long-belly. Keep in mind that long-belly lines require you to move, aerialize, and then cast with a good casting loop 30' more than a Windcutter or 45' more than a Skagit line.

Also, we don't know the size of the line you are now using on the T&T 1509, which is also important. T&T (along with Meiser Highlanders and Loomis Grease Liners) are my rods of choice and the only T&T 2-hander I don't like is the 1509. I don't like it because it bends further under casting load than any of the other T&T's. The 1509 also doesn't like long-belly lines because of the way it transitions casting loads down the blank. It goes from the tip loading right to but loading with virtually no power progression through the middle section of the blank. Some folks really like this because it has the rod bend well down the blank; but when casting all the grains found in a long-belly, it causes the blank to ovoid in the middle section when you really put the wood to it for longer (meaning 75' or longer) casts.

To give you a better frame of reference, I fish almost exclusively with long-belly lines (I use 65' bellied mid-belly lines on rods shorter than 14') and most of the time with fast, stiff rods of 15', 16', and 18'. On a T&T 1510-3, I use an 8/9 Grandspey or 8 wt XLT2. On my 1611 T&T, I use a GrandSpey 9/10. On my 16' Meiser Highlander 8/9/10, I use a GrandSpey 9/10 or XLT2 9 wt. And on my 18' Loomis 12 wt, I use a GrandSpey 10/11. In other words, I use an 80'-100' long-belly line one size smaller than the rod is rated for. With the 1509 T&T, I would not use anything larger than a 7/8 GrandSpey, 7 wt XLT2, or 9/10 Carron, and even then, I have not like the way the T&T 1509 feels when casting long-belly lines.

[obiwankanobi]

Thanks for the great information everyone! I don't exactly know what the line is. I could provide that information if I called Mike at the RS fly shop in Peck, ID. So now I have to go and buy another T&T rod to substitute for my spey addiction!

[Red Shed]

I sold a lot of two handers last year and it took my diesel fogged old brain awhile to remember this deal.

I can't remember your name but I do believe when I met you, you were driving a Caddy, lived in Grangeville, did the accounting for a cabinet shop, and your Grandpa, a commercial fly tyer from Colorado, taught you to tie flies. I still have that green spey fly you gave me hanging over the counter. A very nice fly that gets a great deal of attention.

As to that T&T I believe you bought the rod from Mrs. RedShed while I was in Boise. I remember talking on my cell with her about the deal.

As to the line I could narrow it down pretty fast if I new what color it was.

I never considered replacing my line until I was on the Clearwater River last year in my home waters and a spey fly fisher about 50 yards above me was getting started as well. With two overhead casts, he was ready to make his first single spey cast. Well, with over $1K worth of equipment, I was disappointed that my lightning rod took about 6 overhead casts to get a similar amount of line out there.

In my opinion, the above is not a good reason to replace your line. We don't know anything about the ability of the caster your comparing to, nor his tackle. I'd be much more interested in how the casting went after you got a castable length of line on the water. While having high end equipment is very nice it doesn't automaticly make one a "jedi".

Take a refresher casting lesson. Even the "jedis" need a tuneup now and then. There are some great spey instructors posting on this forum. They usually have several different lines that you could try and the price of a lesson is not much more then the price of line.

The term "more premier line" is pretty subjective. Rio's lines are as good as any other spey line manufacturer, but if you want a Carron I would head right over to Carnation and visit Aaron at River Run Anglers.

We can not tell you what line will work well on your rod when you are waving it. We can tell you what has worked well for us with that rod and SSpey has mentioned several choices that are right in the ball park for my money.

Finding the perfect spey line takes some trial and error. Before I dropped any coin for a new line I would do a little test driving. You could hit Mike Kinney's Sunday on the River hosted by All About the Fly, visit Aaron's Saturday on the River in Carnation, go have a visit with Jack Cook and try some of his demo lines, or call the Red Shed for some demo lines.


Next weekend Marlow Bumpus is hosting the Jimmy Green Memorial Games at the Howard Miller Park in Rockport. I'd bet you could get some great line advice while visiting there. In two weeks is the Sandy River Spey Clave where there will be much tackle to play with. You can test drive just about every spey line on the market and find plenty of great casting help. All for free.

[fisshman26]

I formerly owned and fished this rod a lot. For my stroke, good long bellies for this rod are the Carron 10/11 (75 and 85), Nextcast 8/9, CND 9/10, XLT 7/8 (XLT2 - 9).

The old xlt 7/8 is now the xlt#8

[obiwankanobi]

Thanks everyone and I will take all of your advice into my consideration in changing my line or not.

[SSPey]

The old xlt 7/8 is now the xlt#8

In my hands, the old 7/8 falls between the new 8 and 9. With the new lines a bit shorter, now a duffer like me can hang the entire head out of the rod tip when casting. This lightens the load a little compared to having some of the heavy 7/8 belly in the guides.

[DRBfish]

The old xlt 7/8 is now the xlt#8

The new XLTs are new lines. I don't think any of the old lines are the same as any of the new lines. Old 7/8 was about 975 grains and 105' long the new #8 is only like 850 and 95'.

[fisshman26]

The 8/9 old xlt was 990, the 7/8 was 880. The new lines are weighed at 80ft rather than how the old lines were measured at the full head length. What I had to say about the 7/8 now being the 8 is straight from Way`s mouth. Yes the lines are new but the analagy is which line would be the equivalent from old to new.

[inland]

Bruce,

Unless they have changed the 8 again it isn't even close to the old 7/8. Remember now the 8/9 was and is your favorite of the originals ;) ....

William

[fisshman26]

William, how are ya?

Yes I know the new lines are not like the old ones iagree but the #8 is the replacement for the 7/8. Too bad for you the biggest fan of the 7/8, rofl. What are you using now???

[DRBfish]

I have an old 7/8 I'd be willing to sell if anyone wants the classic. drbfish@aol.com

I think your weights, fisshman26, are without the long (and wonderful) back tapers? Which is about 20'? My rod that loves the 7/8 likes the new 9 a tad better than the new 8, but I have not spent a lot of time with the new lines.

[inland]

I'm good, how have you been? Stockpiled 7/8's. Should make it another 5-7 seasons. The new 9 is a much better substitute for the 8/9 compared to the 8 for the 7/8. After the stockpile runs out I will be on Simon's Nextcast for the long stuff. Do you still have Way's specs on his cut and paste lines before they went to SA?

William

[fisshman26]

I am well, thanks. I have moved on from xlts longcast etc and still working on my own stuff, the latest redshed special is going over 200` on the Loomis 17ft`r, very cool stuff. You would have to check with Way for the original customs.

[inland]

You'd already be getting 215 using a rod with a real action and a nice blue finish...

William

[fisshman26]

I did try the plastic rod and could barely get 150:beathead:
:rofl: