Rule of thumb: Classic Spey line belly lengths will generally be 4 to 4.5 X the rod’s length. The running line is the angler's touch point throughout the casting stroke, so sticking with a familiar feeling running line can reduce some of the awkwardness in the early stages of the spey casting learning process. This, however, is a lesson that you only learn once and then develop better line handing techniques moving forwards. Much debate on running lines. It is easy to handle and this running line won't spiral up and hold memory after sitting on your fly reel for extended periods of time. Most Skagit-style spey setups these days involve a separate running line – the thinner diameter line behind the head that isn’t involved in casting, but allows mending and line control and a ‘handle’ for you to pinch when you’re swinging your fly. Mono running lines are so slick and thin that they easily can slip out of your finger during the casting stroke, creating a completely failed cast. What their design offers to the Spey caster is instant flexibility on the river. For example, the Airflo Super-Dri Running Line comes in both 20lb and 30lb variations. Braided running lines are certainly the dark horse of the spey world. Cons: Less ease of distance and line speed compared to other running line options. 1. Examples of Braided Running Lines Currently on the Market: This is an easy one. I think were at about a 50/50 split among our customers and staff. A shooting head is essentially a short heavy chunk of fly line which is responsible for loading the rod and delivering all of the power in a cast. Airflo Ridge 30-pound is the easiest to see against most backgrounds. Pros: Good distance shooting ability, good grip and handling characteristics, very little line memory. Ideal for heads between 450-575gr, 0.037" - blue, with 18ft handling section. Your email address will not be published. Running lines are narrow diameter level lines (a level line is not tapered) which are designed to shoot quickly through the guides of a rod. On to the sleeper pick and my personal favorite choice - braided running lines. Heather Hodson, founder of United Women on the Fly, will talk a little bit about backing and running lines. This coating is typically floating and is optimized for slickness to reduce friction as the line shoots through the guides. They all fundamentally do the same thing - that is they "shoot" through the guides as your Skagit/Scandi head flies through the air on a long cast - but there are subtle differences as well as distinct pros and cons between the various options. There are many different types of Spey lines; Short belly lines, mid belly lines and long belly lines, and the aforementioned document " Understanding Spey Lines "covers the differences in more detail. Simply use these loops to create a loop-to-loop connection to your backing on one end, and your shooting head on the other. Mono is very Slick! Believe it or not, the best running line for shooting heads on the market right now is made by a bait company, Trilene Big Game. Spey line and the wicked, fish-catching casting techniques that come with them are here to stay. The 20lb version is best suited for spey rods 6wt and lower, while the 30lb is best for spey rods 6wt and higher. Rafts Rafts expand. There is always a lot of talk about running lines for trout spey rigs around the shop. The Airflo Impact and Rio Slickshooter are "Oval" or "Flat" mono lines, meaning that the shape of the line itself is a very thin oval, almost appearing and feeling flat in hand. The water retained in the line can freeze, making the line stiff and lopping extra water onto the guides contributing to much dreaded "guide ice". OPST also makes a Pure Skagit Lazar Running Line that can be partnered with these Skagit heads for increased shooting ability and decreased friction when two-handed casting. If you are new to spey, I would recommend not overthinking it and just going with a coated running line. Pros: Ease of handling, most beginner friendly, very little line memory, high floating. 20lb core. I would caution against tying a knot such as a surgeon's loop in this material, as they are very prone to working loose. So this means that you need to really crank down on your knots to get them to seat properly. They are constructed with a monofilament or braided core which is then coated in a polymer material (just like a single-handed fly line). $729.95 to $829.95 Its cheap and shoots great. Additional benefits of coated running lines are that they have very little line memory and have overall the best "handling" characteristics. Monofilament running lines are the best option for achieving maximum casting distance and line speed. Our 132 grain tips work best for rods from about a 6-weight spey to an 8-weight switch, or about a 325 to 400 Grain Commando Head. Seriously, it's the jam. Cons: Noisy, potential finger injuries, difficult to rig up initially, questionable choice in below freezing conditions. That being said, they have some unique quarks that can be deal breakers for some folks. Examples of Coated Running Lines Currently on the Market: Some of the more popular coated running lines currently on the market include the Airflo Super-Dri Running Line, Rio Powerflex Max Shooting Line, Rio Connectcore Shooting Line, and the Scientific Anglers Floating Monocore Shooting Line. Mono running lines do not come with a loop on either end, so you will have to tie your own. If you continue to use this site we assume that you are okay with it. The OPST and Varivas lines are round hollow-core monofilament. Of course, mono running lines have some distinct disadvantages as well. Airflo Delta Spey IISmooth, graceful castsAfter ten years of being the go-to long belly Spey line, it was time for an upgrade. The shooting head, a tip or leader, and a running line. The Gripshooter is a hybrid line which aims to combine the benefits of both a coated running line and a monofilament running line, while reducing the disadvantages of both. This is great news for anglers who like to spend time with both Skagit and Scandi heads, as it means they can keep their favorite running line on their reel at all times and simply swap out the shooting head as they desire. 20lb core. There is no difference, some manufacturers call them running lines, others call them shooting lines. A coated running line, this one the Airflo Super-Dri. While they do excel in different scenarios, I mostly just like the casting feel of changing it up every once in awhile. Offered in 4 sizes, one is sure to fit your needs. With its powerful lower rod section, the New DEMON Spey effortlessly casts RIO’s 3D Scandi lines which are becoming very popular for sub-surface tight line swinging. The running line (also called shooting line) is a very thin and long line that attaches to the back side of the shooting head. This is a very easy and dependable way to set up a Slickshooter (or Mono) running line with a Compact Spey head (Skagit, AFS, Scandi, etc.) The Monic GSP shooting line is unique in that it uses a Gel-spun core, allowing the overall diameter of the line to be fairly thin while maintaining extremely high breaking strength. First, they make noise when they go through the guides, a lot of noise. As you’ve probably noticed, since we do a lot of spey fishing for king salmon and steelhead at Alaska West and BC West, we play around with spey tackle a lot.. 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