Trout Spey cast with regular lines

[MNguyendc]

Hey all!

I like spey casting, and have gotten into it a lot this year for steel head. I want to carry that over to trout fishing with a single hand spey, but I don't want an OPST set up. I like the feel of a normal fly line and not mono, and I know you can get fly line running line, but I also want to minimize loop to loop connection.

I also feel like less mass in the line makes fighting fish more fun, and I feel maybe an OPST mass is pushing too much water.

Anyhow, anyone have recommendation on a line that can spey very well to cast soft hackles?

Say if i fish with a Gloomis NRX LP 4 weight or a Gloomis Pro4x 5 weight:

I'm thinking over lining the rod by 1 with a double taper line.

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!

Cheers,

Michael

 

[Guy Gregory]

My Triangle Taper lines single hand spey pretty well right out of the box on my 4 weight..they've always been pretty severely weight forward, and great roll casters. I'm sure somebody else knows way more about this as I'm a spey caster of little experience, but despite all the "jedi" hyperbole, it really isn't that hard....

 

[dustinchromers]

Hey all!

I like spey casting, and have gotten into it a lot this year for steel head. I want to carry that over to trout fishing with a single hand spey, but I don't want an OPST set up. I like the feel of a normal fly line and not mono, and I know you can get fly line running line, but I also want to minimize loop to loop connection.

I also feel like less mass in the line makes fighting fish more fun, and I feel maybe an OPST mass is pushing too much water.

Anyhow, anyone have recommendation on a line that can spey very well to cast soft hackles?

Say if i fish with a Gloomis NRX LP 4 weight or a Gloomis Pro4x 5 weight:

I'm thinking over lining the rod by 1 with a double taper line.

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!

Cheers,

Michael

Check out the ambush line, 40+, the switch, and streamer switch. They all Spey cast very well. It's now a matter of personal preference and matching the rig and rod to the line. I own and fish all the above lines and find them to each perform very well. Some obviously perform better than others for their niche.

 

[bk paige]

Any fly line will work, I spent a year learning on my 10' 7wt with a multi tip line before I got my 1st spey rod.

 

[Birdbrain]

I'm very pleased with my Wulff Ambush full floater. It's an integrated line (built-in running line, so no loop-to-loop connections). I have it in a 5 wt. and it casts beautifully on my 9' 5wt. rods, both Spey-type and overhead casts.
It's got a Triangle Taper head, which has the thickest part at the back, and has a continual tapering down to the tip. This is ideal for roll casts (Spey casts), because heavier line is always turning over lighter line.
If you want to get down, this line handles short trout-sized poly leaders very well.
For single hand rods, there's no need to overline: buy an Ambush in the same line rating as your rod.

 

[almostacatch]

Any shooting head line will work to Spey cast. The casting technique you employee will be the true decider of what line works best for you. If you like touch'n go casts (snakes, singles etc.) than stick to a more refined taper like the Wulff Ambush tapers, AF 40+, Rio single hand Spey.

If sustained "Skagit" type casts are what you are looking for a shorter fat tipped taper is going to give you the desired results. The best line that comes to mind is the AirFlo Switch if you are using a 5wt single hand rod the 3wt AF Switch will cast well. This line is styled after the "Rage" which is one of the most versitile tapers ever. It comes with a poly leader you might cut down to 5-7' or try some of the OPST tips. This will give you a more condensed anchor point for the shorter rod which will save some hair pulling. The other "switch" lines on market are more designed to indicator fish with a switch rod and are pretty clunky casters. I've bought most of them and put them back on the market since there are even better lines for indicator fishing.

Before you buy look at the manufactures' taper profile and avoid a long back taper if you want to shoot line.

All the best

 

[cmann886]

Try the orvis bankshot overlined by 3X (6 wt. for a 3wt.) fore a two handed rod, 5 wt. for a 5 wt. SH rod. The head is longer (23’) than the Ambush line. I like it enough better that I sold my ambush lines, which are good lines. Derek Young is the one who initially recommended this line on a post on this forum. For me it was outstanding advice and I could not be happier. PM him or search the forum for other input on this line.

 

[Steve Saville]

Any line that you single hand cast will also work fo single hand spey casting. If the line loads your rod correctly as a single hand cast, it will do the same for a single hand spey cast. It's merely a matter of knowing the casts and adapting the stroke . That being said, I agree that an Ambush is an excellent line for that type casting.

 

[Rob Allen]

Hey all!

I like spey casting, and have gotten into it a lot this year for steel head. I want to carry that over to trout fishing with a single hand spey, but I don't want an OPST set up. I like the feel of a normal fly line and not mono, and I know you can get fly line running line, but I also want to minimize loop to loop connection.

I also feel like less mass in the line makes fighting fish more fun, and I feel maybe an OPST mass is pushing too much water.

Anyhow, anyone have recommendation on a line that can spey very well to cast soft hackles?

Say if i fish with a Gloomis NRX LP 4 weight or a Gloomis Pro4x 5 weight:

I'm thinking over lining the rod by 1 with a double taper line.

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!

Cheers,

Michael

DTs are great for spey casting!

 

[longstick]

Hey all!

I like spey casting, and have gotten into it a lot this year for steel head. I want to carry that over to trout fishing with a single hand spey, but I don't want an OPST set up. I like the feel of a normal fly line and not mono, and I know you can get fly line running line, but I also want to minimize loop to loop connection.

I also feel like less mass in the line makes fighting fish more fun, and I feel maybe an OPST mass is pushing too much water.

Anyhow, anyone have recommendation on a line that can spey very well to cast soft hackles?

Say if i fish with a Gloomis NRX LP 4 weight or a Gloomis Pro4x 5 weight:

I'm thinking over lining the rod by 1 with a double taper line.

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!

Cheers,

Michael

A opst 150 for the NRX 490 LP and a 175 opst on the Pro4x 590

 

[underachiever]

My regular weight forward trout lines work well with single speys and snake rolls as long as long as I'm not using flies that are too heavy.