Spey lines vs regular fly lines?

[DJBerg]

So as I am getting into this whole rod building thing, I just ordered a 12' spey rod build kit. $50 for everything other than threads and epoxies, it's claimed as a 7wt med action. On the ccs scale, it's a 7.65 60 deg action angle.

As of learning last night about spey lines, if I want to put a spey line on it it will need a 275-350 grain head line, equal to about a 4wt line in spey.

So my question is spey wise will that 4wt line work for bigger fish? Steele, salmon, large browns? Or will it break? Sot of confused by all this. Or I might just run a 6wt shooting line, regular fly line, something like rio grand, under lining the rod to make it a little faster.

So yeah who knows exactily what will come about from this, but gudging by its dbi after scaling my buddies center pin pole, it's just about the same. Wish the guides were the same, it would be cool to have a three way functional pole. Cause I can't lie after seeing how a centerpin drifts, that was pretty awesome, but man are those reels expensive.

 

[Love2fish]

I have been doing alot of searching as I am looking into a spey outfit also (just heavier line for stripers) and it seams it really depends on what kind of line you'll be throwing skagit,scandi,long belly, or short belly. Tight Lines Fly Shop in Pine Brook Nj has been excellent with help via phone and internet. For a "7wt" 275-350 sounds light compared to my research. A 7wt from a high quality company (my first choice for a spey) recomends the following for thier "7wt":
Scandi Line 425-475 grains
Skagit 475-550 gr
mid belly 515-575, Airflow Delta7/8, Rio Windcutter 7/8
Long Belly 515-595

But maybe someone who actully has a spey could help. This is just my research.

 

[DJBerg]

My theory, as usual what i can find here n the internet, for a 4wt spey line, goes like this;

the seller is claiming, the dbi on the rod is: 7.65/60

how to find that measurement is here:

http://www.common-cents.info/

so using that info, plus back converting the ern number to grains- ern of 7.5 = Intrinsic Power, grains 2270 a "true AFTMA Lines measurement"

so referencing this site on how to get what grain head spey line.

http://www.mastery.no/Sportsfiske/Rod_Series%20english.htm

Intrinsic Power, grains 2270, multiplied by .13 = head weight of 295.1 grains.

so my theory that i have learned states. but AFFTA approved spey line weight standards here:
http://www.mastery.no/Sportsfiske/dokumenter/AFFTA%20approved%20spey%20line%20weight%20standards.pdf

says a 7wt spey line, but after looing at rio's weight grains on thier lines it's like a 4wt?!?!??!?

again as i am typing this up is confusing the heck out of me!

standard Rio outbound says a 4/5wt is 300 grains? and a 7wt is 400 or 460. on a barely medium rod seems like a bad plan, to me?

http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/spey/traditional-spey/afs-outbound/


once again it's all just in learning i suppose but i would like to have a pole that i can throw heavy streamers into a wider body of water and not need the as much room for a back cast(tail waters of the Kinzua damn at the Allegheny river).

or with the rod being so light maybe a 6wt rio grand like i said before and could be a heck of a drift pole for larger lines, or rearrange the sizing on the guides a bit and make a 4-8 test center pin/ 4wt spey/ 6wt long fly!(my bran always wants to get the best out of anything i do! plus one pole might open a whole new area of fishing i cant afford to buy or build a rod for.).

also side note, i am getting the centerpin measurements off a buddy of mines okuma, i cant remember the rod's model name, but it was seriously close spec wise to this pole, but then again i might get this rod on thursday and measure it myself and get a whole different story. would love for it to be faster action, but what ever it's a $50 rod build, everything blank, handle, seet, guides and tip top. so who knows where this pole will end in it's final form...

 

[DJBerg]

After a bit more research. The general rule of thumb is, take 3 pounds off the weight rating of the pole and that is your spey line weight. Example a 8wt pole would use 5wt spey line, of course be it a skagit, Scandinavian or classic spey line.

Argh, crazy classification scenarios, but they say you can run skagit on single handed fly rods as well and use them as a spey caster as well. So in the next couple of weeks here as I build and finish my first spey pole, I am plannin on picking up the skagit versi pack for the spey. But I know all my poles will have there shot at both skagit and regular fly lines. Should be interesting playing around with them.

 

[dano]

What blank did you get?
You might not want to plop down a bunch of cash for a Rio right now. You might end up with something your not happy with.
You might want to ask around Spey Pages to see if anyone has an opinion of your rod and line selection. Check their classifieds.
Or you could go the custom route for lines as I do by calling Gary Anderson's shop or Meisers shop.
i think that with that Rio package, you'll probably find that you use 1 tip 90% of the time, anyway.
With a custom setup from meiser or anderson, you might get a skagit head with a scandi tip and a bunch of tips in a wallet + running line for less cash.

 

[DJBerg]

Thanks for that info, custom lines maybe the way to go, I was thinking the versi tip would be a good "get a feel" set up to learn on and then go from there.

And you're prob gonna think I'm nuts but I bought a $50 fleabay complete build kit, and the listing stated, the blank had the dbi listed above, BUT... When I got my hands on it this morn, I spined it, and glued the tip on, well the dbi of this blank is 9.5/ 64...

So my day was made! And as of right now the handles n reel ceet are mounted, guides are marked out, and on with masking tape. Eati g dinner now then off to start wrapping. Olive green/ brown blank, black wraps with orange acents. Maybe I'll get it wrapped tonight, but I doubt it.

 

[turkey]

DJ, I can't recommend anything as far as a center pin setup but if it was me, I would go one of 2 ways. If the rod is a true 7wt single handed line designation I'd either start out with a Wulff TT Ambush line in a 7 weight or I'd look for a scandi head at 300 grains over 30' or so. These are just suggestions and may not work great for you but this is where I'd personally start.

Again, those suggestions are based on the assumption that the rod is a true single handed 7wt. YMMV.

 

[DJBerg]

thanks turkey, actually i scaled the rod when i got it two days ago.

there was a slight variance in the rod... he he he...

come to find out it's actually a 9.5wt, med/fast action! :-o

so i'm very happy with that little detail, was kinda worried about the rod being so light, but that worry is gone.

took it out and casted it again this morning, after two coats of epoxy, and another one to go before i take it out to fish/really test. with my mainstream f8wf line in there i can throw it about 75' really wish i had some heavier line for it.

and as for actual spey line i'm not 100% n who i am gonna buy it from, though i know it will be 425 grain, that's all i know.

 

[Fishidiot]

There's an excellent article on spey lines in the current (Nov-Dec) issue of American Angler magazine.