RIO Skagit Flight question

[bassakwards]

Is there a difference between the Skagit Flight SHD and the Skagit IFlight?

I don’t see in the description of the Flight that it is an intermediate, so I'm guessing the i indicates intermediate and my flight line is floating?

[JasonB]

Yes, the I indicates intermediate. If you've not fished with one yet, you really should give it a go. While I don't think I'd want to fish one much in summer/fall conditions, for winter I have a feeling it will turn out to be my go to line. It's not so much the extra depth that the sinking head achieves that excites me, so much as the way that it minimizes a lot of excess mending and keeps the swing nice and slow with minimal effort. I just played around with one a bit this spring and summer, and I feel that it just worked in some runs where a standard skagit head was really getting pushed and pulled all over the place; making a nice slow smooth swing very tough.

JB

[bassakwards]

Perfect, thank you I'll be getting one shortly then.

Do you need to lighten up the grain weight?

[Jeff C.]

I keep mine the same grain weight as the Flight. have iFlights for my 7 and 8 wt TCX switch rods.

[DAVID95670]

I keep mine the same grain weight as the Flight. have iFlights for my 7 and 8 wt TCX switch rods.

i keep them the same grain weight, i also have an iShort for my switch

[winxp_man]

I have a way of using iFlight heads.

Example. Sage TCX #7 Spey rod.

500gr iFlight head I use with heavier tips. T-14, T-20

550gr iFlight head I use with smaller tips. T-8, T-11


This so far has been very effective for me and lets me keep to much line weight off my rod. Some times its not good to over load a rod. I tend to see that being the case when you us heavier flies to. DAVID95670 is my witness to this. When I caught my first salmon on the American this year while fishing together.

[JasonB]

Hey Aron,
I am a bit confused by your post, although granted that I am easily confused by most things spey related. Would you expand a bit on your thinking in terms of head weight to tip weight to fly weight? Wouldn't the heavier head not turn over the heavier tips more efficiently? It seems that what you're describing would be the opposite?

My use of skagit heads in general, and particularly the intermediate ones is somewhat limited, so I'm always interested to hear more. I will say this: so far I have not been particularly happy with the way the regular skagits actually fish, never mind casting them... the intermediates however, I've found to be really sweet to swing.
Cheers,
JB

[winxp_man]

While your statement would make some sense Jason the iFlight heads also sink making casting a little different then floating heads, and making the tip and head seem like one. With a floating head you have that break between a sudden sink from the T-Tip and the floating head.

For what I used in my example the TCX #17 12-6 spey rod the tips that I should use are the T-11 tips. Remember the higher you go in T-Tips the more weight you are adding. Thus making casting lets say T-17 15' with a iFlight 550gr head real hard. To much weight in my opinion for the rod.

What I am doing when I use what I mentioned above is countering the weight by using a less grains on the head. Also remember that sometimes the fly you use also add weight if its bunny or any other big flies. Oh and the Tips really get heavy when you start using the T-14 15', T-17 15' tips and such.

[JasonB]

That makes sense now. I guess I've not yet experienced that end of the grain window of any of my rods, but I could totally see what you're saying... that does start sounding like a lot of weight for a 7wt. Thanks,
JB

[Jeff C.]

From what I understand the general rule is for heavier tips and flies you need a head with more grains for lifting power and turn over. Maybe one of our spey gurus can chime in?

[winxp_man]

From what I understand the general rule is for heavier tips and flies you need a head with more grains for lifting power and turn over. Maybe one of our spey gurus can chime in?


That would be the case Jeff to a certain degree. But then you have to think that the rods can only handle so much weight before you over load it and risk breaking the rod.

[Jeff C.]

I agree with that point. I found out the hard way when the TCXs first came out. Bruce and I were breaking them left and right. Turns out were were casting T-14 tips on 6 wts. Sage said that we were overstressing the rods with the T-14 tips. Obviously, if you are going to heavier heads, tips and flies as big as chickens you would use the appropriate weight rod.

[Mark Kranhold]

Sounds like you guys are way over lining your rods? No need for T-17- T -20. Sounds like 9-10wt. work. If you research sink rates nothing really sinks much faster than T-14. Most of my local winter steelheading I use T-11 or less + - a bullet weight. T-11 has plenty of umph to toss a dead chicken! Further north to B.C. T-14. Now I understand why all these Sage rods are breaking! ( the wet noodle...I like mine "al dente") Lighter lines are much more enjoyable to cast ... Especially all day long.

[Jeff C.]

Mark, I use 15 ft tapered sink tips 90 % if the time. I only go the the T type tips if I have to get down deep.

[troutless]

Sounds like you guys are way over lining your rods? No need for T-17- T -20. Sounds like 9-10wt. work.

And what is the thinking with taking a light, fast-action rod and dumping such heavy stuff on it?

[Frank Alessio]

From what I understand the general rule is for heavier tips and flies you need a head with more grains for lifting power and turn over. Maybe one of our spey gurus can chime in?

The thing I like about Aron is He perfects his theory in practice before he posts...That way it is fact verses conjecture...He handed me his 14 rod this year and I thought no way could I handle such a rod... He almost did not get it back...He knows what he is talking about...

[DAVID95670]

I have found that slipping the head thru conduit and crimping this doen on the line really makes for a slow deep presentation

[Cal]

I have a way of using iFlight heads.

Example. Sage TCX #7 Spey rod.

500gr iFlight head I use with heavier tips. T-14, T-20

550gr iFlight head I use with smaller tips. T-8, T-11


This so far has been very effective for me and lets me keep to much line weight off my rod. Some times its not good to over load a rod. I tend to see that being the case when you us heavier flies to. DAVID95670 is my witness to this. When I caught my first salmon on the American this year while fishing together.

I agree with those who posted questions about your system of using the heavier Skagit lines with the lighter tips. Seems to me, from every thing I have read or heard about Skagit heads is that it is the section of the line closest to the rod tip which loads the rod. It would seem that if your I-Flight 500 gr head can handle T-14 and T-20 on your rod, it should also cast T-8 and T-11 like a champ, eliminating the need for the 550 gr head with that rod. I have been using the I-Flight almost exclusively since I acquired one last winter.

[winxp_man]

I agree with those who posted questions about your system of using the heavier Skagit lines with the lighter tips. Seems to me, from every thing I have read or heard about Skagit heads is that it is the section of the line closest to the rod tip which loads the rod. It would seem that if your I-Flight 500 gr head can handle T-14 and T-20 on your rod, it should also cast T-8 and T-11 like a champ, eliminating the need for the 550 gr head with that rod. I have been using the I-Flight almost exclusively since I acquired one last winter.

I will cast the lighter tips but your casting has to change and some times it gets to be a pain. The TCX being a faster rod if you use a T-8 or T-11 with a lighter head will require you to slow down a bit and I really like pushing my rods faster. What happens seems to be that the anchor gets blown being there is less weight so you just have to keep that in mind.

For me it all works out because I have quite a few two handed rods and a mixture of skagit heads (either floating or intermediate) for all of them. I also have been using them exclusively. Im at three months first this year going on 4 so I'm out quite a bit testing this fun toys out :D

[Cal]

Originally posted by winxp-man:

" I really like pushing my rods faster" *** Ah, the exuberance of youth !!

A lot of us middle-aged folks love the feel of a long, deep, slow, powerful rod, launching the payload with a palpable WHUMP !

A pleasant alternative to jacking many of todays extra stiff sticks...but, variety, the spice of life, eh?


Spey casting since '87

[winxp_man]

If you think I like faster rods you have to watch Jeff Ching cast ;)