6wt spey rod 12' 6" distance

[DAVID95670]

What is the distance that you can cast with a this type of spey rod? Assume a skagit head 420 gram and a type 6 sinking leader?

Are these too heavy?

I added a trailing weighted glo-bug to a wet fly and man it was hard to get it in the air....

or is it just my poor casting ability/technique?

[shawn kempkes]

By type 6 sinking leader do you mean one of the poly leaders? If so that is your problem
they don't have the mass to turn over much weight. On a skagit head you should either be using one of the pre-made mow tips or a factory sink tip.

[Rick J]

Shawn is right - you need a sinking tip - if you are rigged right you should be able to consistantly cast out to 80 feet or really further once you get your casting down

[Bryan Morgan]

I am throwing a 450 Gr. Skagit with MOE Tips. Start out with a floating line. If anyone can do it, I can. I started out this last Shad season and did very well. Ended up throwing a T-11 for them. Good luck, Bryan. Sorry, I did not mention that it was on a 6wt., 12-1/2 Beulah.

[DAVID95670]

I need to continue my work on technique. I am using a mow and sinking tip ----- tried a t-11 and had a heck of a time with it so moved into a slower sinking tip ....

[Rick J]

watch Skagit Master if you have access to it - no better skagit casting instructional video around

[Tim R]

Sometimes the weighted bugs make for more difficult casting- in theory the t11 should make casting the weighted bugs easier. -- You might need to keep your sink tip and flys moving to prevent everything from sinking to deep to pull it out with your forward cast. You might want to try casting in a continuous motion after you set your anchor so your sink tip and fly are not allowed to sink before your forward stroke.

Also, keep an eye on your the tip of your skagit head and sinktip to see if at least part of your sink tip is part of the lower section of your D loop- Pauli calls it half in half out- keeps you from having to dig too much out before forward cast.

[rotorhead902]

420 gr might be a little light, you may like 450 better. You didn't say which rod you have, but I would call the RIO guys. They have a chart of every rod know to man, and which lines match well. Agreed, the MOW tips are great on the skagit.

[DAVID95670]

TFO Deer Creek 12 6 6wt spey rod

[Blake C]

David,

I used to own that same rod. With a rio afs of 400 grains or the airflo 420 compact scandi it casts really nice for both sustained anchor and touch and go. Those were always the easiest casting lines for me on that rod.

I tried several skagits on the rod. Your 420 grain head should be about right (though it would take a few more grains than that). I would try about 10 ft of t8 for a sink tip and you should be good unless you want to throw larger flies.