Once you get the stroke dialed in, you should be good with a 13' rod. I use the 450g Aerohead on a 12'6" rod and it flies if I'm not casting like shit.

 

Put a Nextcast head on it.

 

I haven't cast that line on that rod, but I've used them separately and you should be fine. A 13' rod is just fine for a 47' line. Will let you know when you make a mistake but won't punish you too badly. On the right rods Aeroheads make fantastic dry lines. Nextcasts are great, so are Aeroheads.

 

I'm pretty sure this head is made by SA. I read somewhere that Buelah designs the tapers and SA does the fab. At any rate the head is loaded up on the rod with about 14' of tapered mono leader and a Green Butt Skunk. I'm heading out tomorrow morning to some river-left location so I can try right handed single-spey casts with it. Gonna bring my Rage head in case the wind blows or I'm so freaking inept at the long line that I can't do anything with it.

Thanks all for the responses.

BK, which Nextcast head would be a replacement for the aero, and why is it superior to the Beulah line?

 

Yes, Aeroheads are made by SA, very high quality manufacturer. The Aerohead was designed by Travis Johnson who teamed with Beulah for production and distribution. As far as Nextcast goes, the F2F55 6/7 would be the equivalent to your Aerohead 7/8, and it's not superior to an Aerohead, just a little different taper. I've cast both of those lines on a number of rods and there are some differences, but they are more alike than any other 45'-50' lines on the market. You would have to try each line with your rod to see which works best with your stroke and where/how you fish, but if you like one you will probably like the other.

 

BTW: I realize that it's Beulah, not Beulan. Can't find the widget for editing the title...

 

If you where looking for a head not an integrated line the nextcast lines are all heads I believe.

 

Aeroheads are also just heads, no runner

 

which weight Aerohead did you buy to match your X 7130?

 

I bought the 7/8 at 510gr; it seemed like a real good match. I could possibly see the 450 working on that rod, but I wouldn't do the next step up at 575.

Took it out last night. Had 14' of tapered leader and a Green Butt Skunk on about a size 5/6 hook. First time casting a mid-belly and wouldn't you know it an upstream wind was howling. I managed to get the head and about 15-20' of running line out (between gusts), but it was tough -- the leader and fly went sailing upstream whenever the wind gusted; and a few times my sweep got thrown hard above me. I never really got a chance to dial things in and find a rhythm. I was anxious to try the line, but not anxious to eat or wear iron so I didn't get enough time to really get a feel for it.
All in all, lots of fun, and I was amazed at how long the swing lasts fishing greased line -- very high fishing to casting ratio.

 

Yeah, casting in a good, strong gusts can get entertaining. Stick with it, sounds like you are getting the hang of it very quickly and enjoying the benefits of longer lines. Mid and long belly lines with snakes and singles does indeed make for a "very high fishing to casting ratio"!

 

To practice with a new line, rod, or related components, one really should wait for little or no wind, and consider other factors. I'm tempted to test a new switch rod today on the Nooksack, but it's probably flowing high and muddy, so I'll wait.

 

Went out yesterday with much better conditions. This seems to be a really nice head. 100' plus casts with no wind for a duffer like me. Some of you vets can probably touch the next zip code with it. It's really nice to cover the 40 to 75 ft range with no stripping.