[Tod Fossetta]

I'm getting my first spey rod this week, a Sage 7130-4. It's a 13ft 7wt with a skagit line. I was wondering if anyone uses a system like this for SRC and Rezzies. I know it may be a little heavy, but will it work? It will be a great way to practice I think, and practice seems to be everything with spey casting. Looking for input, thanks

 

[James Waggoner]

Yeah it will work, but the catching won't be very satisfing. I've cought a few SRC while steelhead fishing the Wilson with my 13' 7wt spey, not very rewarding. Get a small switch instead.

 

[Steve Saville]

It is a bit of "overkill" and you'll probably find that most cutts are close in to shore. It will work, however, you're probably better off with a 5 or 6 wt. for cutts and rezzies.

 

[dryflylarry]

I think a 5 wt. is perfect. Occasionally on a windy day a 6 wt is nice to have. Also a medium action 5wt. I think a fast action is too stiff and you will lose more fish during the fight. Sea runs love to shake their heads quite hard many times, and stick their noses in the rocks and oysters too. I think the shaking of their heads on a fast action stiff rod tends to lose more fish. They can make that tip "bounce" like hell at times! (Drives me crazy!) Oh, and add a little "twisting" to their fight too...

 

[Guest]

too big...not fun to fish all day...not as fun to fight a fish with...

A spey rod is after all a fly rod and you can do some amazing things with them...The 7136 will probably rock casting two hand overhead once in awhile..but spey rods versus switch to actually fish all day two hand overhead isn't that much fun....I have used a 11'6" 5/6 switch for the beach and it's a great stick...but that's pushing the envelope a bit...I've got a 11' 4wt coming and that will be the go to rod for rezzies, and SRC's...

 

[brownheron]

iagree

Think of it in terms of the line weight. My opinion in that a head over 300gr or so is too much for sea-runs and juvenile resident coho. Just the resistance of the heavy line kills any fight.

I fish an 11' Meiser 4/5 Highlander and feel it's a little to much for the normal sea-run with a bottom end grain window of 300. A 3/4 would be better for the fight but not as good for the windy days. I'm very tempted by the thought of Bob's 12'6" 4wt S-rod with a 250gr scandi...

If your goal is to enjoy fishing for sea-runs & rezzies, it's too heavy. If your goal is to get in a lot of casting practice while having a chance to catch a fish, it should be fine.

YMMV...

 

[Steve Saville]

I fish a Zaxis 5 wt., 11 foot switch. It works great and I don't get tired when I cast, either spey casting or overhead casting.

 

[James Waggoner]

I fish a Zaxis 5 wt., 11 foot switch. It works great and I don't get tired when I cast, either spey casting or overhead casting.

I'm so jealous, I have the 7110 and love it...the 5110 is the only rod left on my want/need list. Just curious, what do you throw on it? I have a 5/6 11' Meiser switch and it seems a lot heavier than its rated, in fact I interchange line with my 7110 Z axis.

James.

 

[Steve Saville]

I have a Scandi floating and several tips. I think the floater is a 320 grain, 24 foot head. I've also used an Outbound on it in size 6 and 7 and a 40+ in 7 wt. I'm surprised how far I can throw a fly with it considering I'm a crap caster. I'm learning more now since I got the Simon Gawesworth DVD and books. Surprisingly, he contends that if yiou are a moderate caster like me that 60 feet is the expected distance. I can do that single handed with the rod and quite a bit farther two handed.

 

[James Waggoner]

Yeah, thats what I use too. I have a 320grn scandi head from Bob Mieser and a 320ish grn Rio AFS (It's a 5/6 AFS cut back 7' to around 25') both cast exceptionally well on both rods. I'm just wondering how much difference really exists between the two rods, sounds like not much.

 

[Steve Saville]

I have a friend who has a 5wt. Meiser rod. It's pretty sweet but just a tad more limber than mine. My Z is relatively new, however. I bought it in early summer so I haven't fished it all that much. I'm not sure that has too much to do with it but I have rods that seem to limber up a bit over the years or it could just be that I finally found the correct line combination for them.

 

[soundflycaster]

I use a Deer Creek 4wt Switch with a 250gr Scandi. Lots of fun. Too small for really big fish, but great for rezzies and SRC.