New Airflo "Rage Compact" head is versitile....

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

For summer and fall fishing with small to medium size flies this could be your go to line:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChPyx_ujNcE


http://speyshop.kiene.com/newairfloragecompacthead.aspx

[Jasonh]

Used these lines heavily this fall and they rip with small steelhead flies to 3" long string leeches. While they might not be designed for it, they will huck 10' of T-11 on most sizes and work great for lighter sink tip work during the mid day hours when the sun is on the water in the summer/fall. Probably the best all around floating shooting head for summer/fall steelheading. I would call it a Skaginavian line, more of a hybrid than a true floating skagit.

JH

[Jed Peters]

I fished this on a single hander, 10', swinging for steelies. Great line for tossing flies.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I will be trying one out next week.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Yesterday morning at Watt Avenue on the Lower American River I got to cast a nice 7 weight Spey rod with a Airflo Rage Compact 480 grn head.

I think that was one of the best casting setups I have cast given that I am not a great Spey caster (yet). It had really good turn over....

I would highly reommend you try a Rage on your two-handed fly rod for summer and fall steelheading with small to medium flies and Poly/Versi leaders.

**For winter steelhead with heavier tips and heavier flies we still think the Skagit setup with Rio MOW tips is the way to go.

.

[Jed Peters]

Yesterday morning at Watt Avenue on the Lower American River I got to cast a nice 7 weight Spey rod with a Airflo Rage Compact 480 grn head.

I think that was one of the best casting setups I have cast given that I am not a great Spey caster (yet). It had really good turn over....

I would highly reommend you try a Rage on your two-handed fly rod for summer and fall steelheading with small to medium flies and Poly/Versi leaders.

**For winter steelhead with heavier tips and heavier flies we still think the Skagit setup with Rio MOW tips is the way to go.

.

Bill, I've cast the Rage 420 now for three sessions on my switch rod. I'm highly impressed with it's abilities to do what it is suppossed to do--handle intermediate of floating leaders and light flies.

I tried a 7ips full sink spey versileader and was not impressed with line, due primarily to it's being too light at the tip IMHO.

I should say that putting on about 15' of a floating mono tapered leader or a 10' intermediate spey versileader the rod really sings.

Question: How much tippet were you adding to your versileaders/polyleaders?

[golfish]

The Rage is a keeper, fished the 450 on a Beulah 7132 and TFO DC 13067, sweet line! 360 is a rocket on the Beulah 6126 but I think a 390 would be perfect for me. Just noticed they are making one down to 300gn, gonna place an order...

[Rockroach]

+1 on the Airflo Rage. I've had a few practice sessions using both the 450g and 420g on my 13'4" 7/8 gloomis dredger. So far I'm liking the 420g. The lighter 420 brought the dredger to life.
Now off to Hwy 299 & 96:D

[DAVID95670]

I got a 450 g compact rage on my 6126 sage one and. It rocks .....

Got the line. At Kienes after testing it ..... I have so far even gotten it to handle a type 3 mow tip with a weighted salmon fly! No fish this morning but it was able to cover 3/4 of the American River between bridges at sunrise .... the weighted fly was a little much for it but it is nice to know it can handle it in a pinch if I need it ......small soft hackles with versi leaders and 15 of tapered leaders where a joy to cast and it delivered a slow swing .....


Head to Kienes and get a rage head or at least try one ....fyi mine weighed in at 462 when put on a scale .. it also interesting to note that a credit card weighs 26 grains .....

I also tried a 475 Short Skagit by Rio it weighed in at 510 grains ... handled well on the rod... i had it matched with 13 ft of T-11 and a 3 inch egg sucking leach .... rod handled it well

[Flash101]

Anyone try the Rage on a Sage VXP 7133? I'm thinking the 480, having used a 510 Skagit Compact with this rod most of the time, but Airflo seems to recommend a 510 Rage (and a 540 Skagit Compact). Thanks for any input.

[aaron]

I use a 480 on the 6129 VXP so I suspect the 510 would be nice. I do prefer a little heavier load.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We now have a full set of Airflo Rage heads for test casting......

[Adam Grace]

Thanks to the loaner heads at the shop I was able to try out the Rage Compact 450gr head on my Scot 1287 ARC early this morning. I have to say that I liked using this head. The head has a longer front taper than a skagit line so it turns over more smoothly. However the Rage is still "strong" enough to turn over some larger heads like my 10' of T-11 or 15' of T-8. This is a very versatile double-handed head. It felt like a beefier, more versatile, Scandinavian head. As I was trying out the head I managed to pick up a resident juvenile/pre-salt steelie on a black leach around the clay heads above Watt. I have been happy with my Rio AFS spey line, but once I buy myself a Rage head I might not use it again just because the Rage is much more versatile.

If you have not yet tried this head yet you should come by Kiene's and we will lend you a few heads to try out for yourself. You never know when you might find your next favorite, or easiest, spey head/line.

[Jed Peters]

I use a 480 on the 6129 VXP so I suspect the 510 would be nice. I do prefer a little heavier load.

This rod seemed a bit heavy with the 480, but works well. I have a 450 on mine and it rocks.

[Jed Peters]

I'd like to expand on this line's versatility as a summer/fall steelhead line.

1. This last weekend, there were four rods strung up that we were fishing--three of them had this line.

2. This line was used for dry and wet fly fishing on top with just a mono leader, sub-surface with an intermediate poly leader, and deep with a full sinking tip and an intruder. Fish were caught each and every way with this line.

3. The line was used in a single hand capacity, it was used to swing dry flys close in, as well as a 100' cast down and across to a bucket that fish hold. It excelled in all capacities.

4. This line was fished scandi casting/touch and go as well as sustained anchor. There was no boundaries; it did it all well.

Now, couple things the line WILL NOT do:

1. It floats worth a poop. With a tip, it's like fishing an intermediate head, seriously.

2. Throw heavy sink tips and turn over big flies (this is what a skagit line is for though)

I am a convert, especially not being a good caster and only knowing how to fish in a sustained anchor style. This is my go-to for summer and fall fish for sure.

This pic taken on a river just south of the columbia this last weekend.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/jedpeters/IMG_0135.jpg

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We size the Rage in between the Scandi and the Skagit weights for most rods.

Probably just a little lighter than the Skagit weight.

I think you are right on the money with 480.

You can adjust thing a little by using either 10 or 15 foot Poly/Versi leaders too.

Maybe 15 footers on your 13'3".........

.