Skagit lines for one-handers?

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Barracuda

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Dec 29, 2016, 11:33:13 AM12/29/16
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I gather there are now at least a couple of options for those who want to fish a Skagit line on a one-handed fly rod. Adding a variety of tips should allow you to cover much (most?) of the water column. Has anyone tried using these yet? Do you think they make sense in fishing to Potomac for stripers, smallmouth, or other species?

Rob Snowhite

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Dec 29, 2016, 12:30:04 PM12/29/16
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Opstskagit has them. There is a page that tells you what line for what rod. Call them and tell them your make and model. Iwill be fishing Skagit heads on 5wt rods for shad next spring. 

- the banks of the Chagrin

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On Dec 29, 2016, at 11:33 AM, Barracuda <omar...@gmail.com> wrote:

I gather there are now at least a couple of options for those who want to fish a Skagit line on a one-handed fly rod. Adding a variety of tips should allow you to cover much (most?) of the water column. Has anyone tried using these yet? Do you think they make sense in fishing to Potomac for stripers, smallmouth, or other species?

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Rob Snowhite

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Dec 29, 2016, 3:50:00 PM12/29/16
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From the wall at Chagrin River Outfitters 

image1.jpeg

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Mark Obrinsky

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Dec 30, 2016, 4:01:03 PM12/30/16
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Rob,

Thanks for the info. Never having fished anything but standard single-handed fly lines, I have a couple of follow-up questions, if you don't mind.

1. I assume I would need running line + Skagit head + tip. If I'm using a sinking tip, would I then just add maybe a few feet of fluoro as a leader or do I need something more than this?
2. To get deep enough to reach shad how heavy (or fast-sinking) does your tip have to be?

Oh and one more: if you're smallmouth fishing on the Potomac, would it be worth trying these Skagit heads with a floating tip?

Best,
Mark O. (Barracuda on TPFR)

On Thu, Dec 29, 2016 at 12:29 PM, Rob Snowhite <r...@robsnowhite.com> wrote:
Opstskagit has them. There is a page that tells you what line for what rod. Call them and tell them your make and model. Iwill be fishing Skagit heads on 5wt rods for shad next spring. 

- the banks of the Chagrin

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 29, 2016, at 11:33 AM, Barracuda <omar...@gmail.com> wrote:

I gather there are now at least a couple of options for those who want to fish a Skagit line on a one-handed fly rod. Adding a variety of tips should allow you to cover much (most?) of the water column. Has anyone tried using these yet? Do you think they make sense in fishing to Potomac for stripers, smallmouth, or other species?

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Yambag Nelson

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Dec 30, 2016, 4:08:27 PM12/30/16
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My personal opinions:

1.  Yep, just a few feet off the end of your tip.
2.  Depending on where you are fishing, I would start with T-14.  Some of the deeper areas near fletchers would be better served with more.
3.  I am not sure why you would want to use a Skagit line with a floating tip if you are going to use a single hander.  To me, the advantage of Skagit heads is their ability to throw heavy tips.  Might as well just use a floating line. 

Honestly, aside from the ease of changing tips, I am not sure why would want to use a Skagit head on a single hander. 

On Friday, December 30, 2016 at 4:01:03 PM UTC-5, Barracuda wrote:
Rob,

Thanks for the info. Never having fished anything but standard single-handed fly lines, I have a couple of follow-up questions, if you don't mind.

1. I assume I would need running line + Skagit head + tip. If I'm using a sinking tip, would I then just add maybe a few feet of fluoro as a leader or do I need something more than this?
2. To get deep enough to reach shad how heavy (or fast-sinking) does your tip have to be?

Oh and one more: if you're smallmouth fishing on the Potomac, would it be worth trying these Skagit heads with a floating tip?

Best,
Mark O. (Barracuda on TPFR)
On Thu, Dec 29, 2016 at 12:29 PM, Rob Snowhite <r...@robsnowhite.com> wrote:
Opstskagit has them. There is a page that tells you what line for what rod. Call them and tell them your make and model. Iwill be fishing Skagit heads on 5wt rods for shad next spring. 

- the banks of the Chagrin

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 29, 2016, at 11:33 AM, Barracuda <omar...@gmail.com> wrote:

I gather there are now at least a couple of options for those who want to fish a Skagit line on a one-handed fly rod. Adding a variety of tips should allow you to cover much (most?) of the water column. Has anyone tried using these yet? Do you think they make sense in fishing to Potomac for stripers, smallmouth, or other species?

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Rob Snowhite

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Dec 30, 2016, 4:37:08 PM12/30/16
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Here is a video of a 5wt launching a commando head.  I'm using the OPST Lazar Line as a running line. 


Hickories will bite right under the surface so a sink line isn't always needed. We got plenty of them on the surface behind the boat next to the outboard last spring while forming a D loop to launch the line. 

If your leader is rod length and you cast upstream you will get your fly into the strike zone as it drifts downstream. 

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arthur...@gmail.com

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Dec 30, 2016, 4:53:38 PM12/30/16
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The tip depends on the skagit head and the rod you plan to use.  



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TurbineBlade

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Dec 30, 2016, 8:46:39 PM12/30/16
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I don't understand the purpose for using a skagit heat on a SH rod.  If you want a heavier, sinking head with a floating running line for rivers, the teeny lines are really very, very good for that purpose.  I like a BS-100 for lighter rods like a 4-5 weight, and a t-200 for a 7-8 weight.  

Are you talking about something like a 10-11 weight 9' rod?  

If you were just wanting to mess about with some SH spey casts, I'd just go with a cheap double taper line; it will work about as well as anything.  If you want to fish the potomac from shore (not my first choice), a DH rod would do the job a heck of a lot better.  You'd need a trucker hat advertising some fair trade coffee beans, but that's it.  

Gene

On Friday, December 30, 2016 at 4:53:38 PM UTC-5, arthur noglak wrote:
The tip depends on the skagit head and the rod you plan to use.  



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On Dec 30, 2016, at 4:01 PM, Mark Obrinsky <omar...@gmail.com> wrote:

Rob,

Thanks for the info. Never having fished anything but standard single-handed fly lines, I have a couple of follow-up questions, if you don't mind.

1. I assume I would need running line + Skagit head + tip. If I'm using a sinking tip, would I then just add maybe a few feet of fluoro as a leader or do I need something more than this?
2. To get deep enough to reach shad how heavy (or fast-sinking) does your tip have to be?

Oh and one more: if you're smallmouth fishing on the Potomac, would it be worth trying these Skagit heads with a floating tip?

Best,
Mark O. (Barracuda on TPFR)
On Thu, Dec 29, 2016 at 12:29 PM, Rob Snowhite <r...@robsnowhite.com> wrote:
Opstskagit has them. There is a page that tells you what line for what rod. Call them and tell them your make and model. Iwill be fishing Skagit heads on 5wt rods for shad next spring. 

- the banks of the Chagrin

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 29, 2016, at 11:33 AM, Barracuda <omar...@gmail.com> wrote:

I gather there are now at least a couple of options for those who want to fish a Skagit line on a one-handed fly rod. Adding a variety of tips should allow you to cover much (most?) of the water column. Has anyone tried using these yet? Do you think they make sense in fishing to Potomac for stripers, smallmouth, or other species?

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Adam Soller

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Dec 31, 2016, 8:41:52 AM12/31/16
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+1 for commando heads from OPST. I paired one with my 9'6 7wt to swing some large flies for steelhead a few days back. The OPST guys said to pair it with Rio MOW lights and it got the fly into the zone, unfortunately the chocolate milk water was another issue. The setup rockets the line out there when there is limited casting room plus your line is in the water longer as post swing a quick cast upstream and then one across gets you back in the mix compared to false casting with a standard SH line.

On my trip for Atlantic Salmon in September, I had a different Commando paired with my 11'5 7wt switch. Paired that with OPST's run/riffle/bucket tips and it rocked. That setup will likely be near the top of the list for shad this spring.

All in all, very versatile lines.

Beyond the chart that Rob posted, a couple of shops have created their own charts for pairing different rod makers' offerings to Commando lines but as the grain weights are in 25g increments, a lot of it will be caster preference.

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