Leader length- sa extreme head with tips!

[Simms]

Hey Guys,

I just got the SA EXTREME SKAGIT HEAD with the 4 tips.. 3 sinking, 1 floating... Of course on my fastest sinker I am going with a 1' piece of 30# then 3' of 10'...However, for the rest of my sinking tips, should I do this to them as well? Or would I decrease that 30# butt to 15 or something? Increase length of 1 or the other? Just trying to get set up for my steelhead trip...
What have you done with your slow and intermidiate sinkers?
Thank you guys!!!

[Don Powell]

First of all, what SA Extreme Skagit did you acquire? What rod do you plan to fish it on?
Second, where are you planning to use it?
Third, when are you planning to go? June on eastern Canada Atlantic salmon streams is much different than late September... just as winter steelheading is quite different from summer steelheading...
Give us a few clues and we wll give you some very meaningful advice...

[Simms]

600gr head

Spring steelhead...

13'9 SAGE Spey...

Using it to swing bugers/leeches/ waking flies :)

Tips are:

Floating
1-3ips
3-5ips
6-8ips

[Don Powell]

Dude, they don't make a 13' 9" rod!
They make a Z-Axis 13' 6" rod and a Z-Axis 12' 9" rod... is it one of those? If it is the 12' 9" you are in the money with a 600 grain Skagit head. The Type 3, 6, and 8 15' tips are ok but in spring flows you may need to try 10 or 12.5' of T-14 to get your fly down where spring steelhead live... unless you hit low water conditions where you're still having to get down in the deeper runs. I haven't been lucky enough to hook 'em with dries in the spring, only in Sept/Oct when the floating tip is the "tip d' jour"...
Where are you planning to fish? B.C., Great Lakes?
Total head + tip length will cast best on a 12' 9" rod at about 37.5 - 40' for heavy tips- do your math before going... a little practice any place water moves will help you dial in what works the best...
Good Luck!!!

Don

[Simms]

THANKS!

Its a VT2!!!!!!! 13'9''...

How long should leader length be? 4' max?

[Don Powell]

I totally forgot about Sage's VT2.... sorry!
On Spey Pages I noticed you received plenty of excellent advice- the guys there are plenty knowledgeable!
For head and tip on the VT2, you should aim for about 41 feet so your 25' 600 grain SA Skagit Extreme would be butter smooth with the 15' factory tips. 15' of T-14 should be able to be cast but won't fly out as smoothly...
Leader length is 10 - 12' for floating tip and 2 -6' for sink tips- 4' should be very good. For intermediate and slow sinking tips, I generally run 6 - 10' depending on the size fly I am fishing- small fly shallow water = 6', medium fly (< size 2) and deeper water = 6 - 10' depending on the depth. Also leader diameter determines how quickly the fly sinks- 8# gets a fly down fast but I usually don't fish less than 12# when the potential of hooking a > 10# fish exists.
Hope this helps!

Don