skagit and scandi fly lines

All of our lines are custom made to specifically match the rods grain carrying ability, the … We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This results in a compact line design for working close to vegetated shorelines, but which enable an angler to reach far out into a river. In addition to a variety of lengths, the market offers lines built for specific fishing situations. Site by 21 Designs. This means that the line is comprised of three individual pieces - the shooting head, the running line, and a tip or polyleader. Called the SPEY LITE, they are available in Skagit heads and integrated lines, and a Scandi Integrated line. The "Skagit Heads" and "Scandi Heads" excel in different situations and selecting the right line can make a difference in you fishing success. More responsive rods and lines led to new casting techniques. Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics is a group of steelheaders who focus on Skagit-style swing fishing for everything from king salmon to smallmouth bass. The line design aides the mantra, “it takes mass to move mass”. Sink tips, poly leaders, sizing scandi and skagit lines are all … Then slowly the entire concept of what a fly line or fly rod could be began to change. The two-color line has a textured, black marker at the end of the head for a visible — and audible cue — for where to begin your cast. Scandi Heads. Both lines evolved because the general public was able to access water owned in common by their governments. The Skagit line will turn sink tips over better better then the Scandi lines Multi-density M.O.W. The Rio Scandi Body is a short body to which a multitude of tips can be attached. Skagit and scandi lines are both shooting head line systems. R.B. In the world of Trout Spey, Scandi lines are *very* new. The Skagit method could be termed a Pacific Northwest winter steelhead method. Yet, within the subtle differences between rod/line designs and casting methods, there is an interesting divergence in actual fishing application. When both methods are applied in their purest form, you can readily see how the tackle and casting methods evolved along divergent paths. The difference in casting strokes between the two methods might be characterized by the fact that the Skagit cast can use a hard, extended anchor on the water and a continuous acceleration to the stop. Your email address will not be published. Scientific Anglers' newest Skagit line is a short, powerful head from 11' to 18' in grain weights of 150 to 360. Skagit History Skagit lines were born out of necessity. When most people think of spey, they instantly think of two handed rods. Both employ lightweight, medium-length, two-hand fly rods and shooting head fly lines. The main areas where this revolutionary thinking and technological change happened was on Scandinavian salmon rivers and in steelhead rivers of the Pacific Northwest in North America, hence: Scandi for Scandinavian and Skagit named after the Skagit River. So, Spey lines have different parts. Tips include: Traditional Spey casting methods have evolved slowly over the past several hundred years. Given a traditional head length of say, 50-75 feet, it becomes difficult to get a cast out with this little room, much less turn over a fly of substantial (4+ inches) size and weight! The good news, however, is that this is the third and final part of the spey line equation. At first, the differences between Scandinavian and Skagit styles doesn't seem very apparent. The Scandinavian cast ordinarily uses a longer, narrower D-loop than the Skagit cast. The running line–usually 100 feet long–is a PVC-coated fly line with a very thin diameter, and it is connected to the Dacron backing. That is why Scandi shooting heads evolved, not because huge flies were needed, but because long casts from difficult casting locations were needed. This allows an angler to use the same rods year round with both small flies fished near the surface and large, heavy flies to be fished deep. Lines with longer heads stay in the loop longer, and will cast farther. The longer a line stays in the loop, the farther it will cast. Part of the reason is that Scandinavian flies are usually slightly smaller and lighter in weight than many of the flies used in the Pacific Northwest during the winter season. The competition is fierce, and improvements have come in rapid succession. Fly and Flies offer the best spey fly lines for all thecniques. Most Skagit leaders are not tapered and instead are a single piece of spooled monofilament. For example, an average 11' 7 weight switch rod will like 375-400 grains with a scandi and 425-450 with a skagit. But Skagit heads are more efficient when large heavy flies are needed. These types of lines are popular only where excessively long casts are common. Understanding of casting dynamics often arose from these changes in technology. Whereas both the Skagit and traditional cast have a hard anchor on the water, a Scandi anchor is more of a soft kiss. In this video Jay Nicholas of Caddisflyshop.com discusses the attributes and differences between Skagit and Scandi or spey shooting heads. Scandi or Skagit heads suitable for rods from 13' and beyond will effectively carry tips and poly coated sinking leaders from 10' to 15' in length My account New customer? Scandi lines were developed for fishing Atlantic rivers in Scandinavia, and Skagit lines were developed for fishing for winter steelhead in the Pacific Northwest of North America. "Skagit"/"Scandi" refers to the type of shooting head in this system. Amazingly light and response, the 12’9” 9 harnesses the power to fight the largest anadromous fish. Last night, I returned home after swinging the Missouri with said lines (last fish on the prototypes above), and there on the counter was a package from SA with the final product. A comparison of Skagit and Scandinavian shooting head line design, casting and fishing philosophies. In its purest form, a mere touch of the fly upon the water is a sufficient anchor with a Scandi cast. On a grease board Jay talks about the different applications for Scadi and Skagit lines. Skagit heads are fished using a sustained-anchor cast. Spey lines … A fly line extends itself during a cast by rolling down a loop. Choose variant here: [Line weight] #8/9 DH #9/10 DH #10/11 Choose variant here: [Density] Float Int/S2/S3 Int/S5/S6 Int/S6/S7 The idea is to just get your fly out there far enough to "swing" it into the bucket. The Skagit method could be termed a Pacific Northwest winter steelhead method. Skagit and Scandi methods each have applications appropriate for steelhead fishing. There are few other kinds of products where general consumers are as critical as fly fishers. AIR TH 9wt: A true two-handed cannon that is our most powerful rod in the Air TH line up. Adjusting the shape of the line to fit the needs resulted in a short shooting head that could have a long flight time. This video includes multiple tips about how to use your favorite Skagit casts for casting floating Scandinavian or Scandi lines without blowing anchors or hitting yourself with your D loop of Fly for a successful transition into spey casting floating scandi lines whether you are using a two-handed spey rod or a single hand fly rod. When fishing for steelhead, the Scandinavian method fishes the fly downstream at a steep angle that brings the fly across slowly on a steady predictable course. In the beginning, Scandinavian rods were stiffer and faster action than Skagit rods, which are actually fairly "traditional action." Compact Skagit heads are designed to throw big flies and sink tips in tight confined spaces, perfect for winter steelhead fishing. However, lines with long heads take more room to operate, and they take more skill. We recommend both Airflo and Rio Spey and Switch fly fishing fly lines and our experienced staff stand ready to help you select a fly line that will be properly matched to any Spey or Switch rod you may own or be planning on purchasing. Below, we'll put the microscope on the Skagit family of lines in an effort to help you make an informed product decision. Traditional Spey casting methods have evolved slowly over the past several hundred years. Scandi (Scandinavian) heads are designed to be fished primarily on or near the surface. This belly creates mass that loads the rod quickly for a lot of line speed. The race to build the most accepted Scandi and Skagit lines is basically between three companies: Airflo, RIO and Scientific Anglers. 3. They are offered in grain weights 150-360. That is why all Spey distance competition lines are in the traditional Spey configuration. Rio Scandi Body is a versatile body that combines Skagit power with Scandi grace. When superior synthetic materials for rods and line construction became available, casting techniques also began to change. Completing the range of Guideline shooting heads, the SCANDI Lines fill the gap between the Compact and the Skagit lines perfectly. Airflo Fly Lines - Spey - Skagit Switch Airflo Fly Lines - Scandi - Scandi Compact . The very thin running line is carried forward by the thicker and heavier mass of the Scandi or Skagit head during a cast. The Skagit method often presents the fly more across-stream, or even slightly upstream, then the fly is allowed to drift and sink before coming under full tension. Skagit lines do need a front tip added (whether floating or sinking), and a shooting line at the back before they are ready to fish. The all new SDS Scandi System is a totally interchangeable shooting head solution for modern two handed fly fishing techniques with switch and double-handed fly rods. Long D-loops are not handy in this situation. This enables Scandi lines to load with a lighter amount of grain weight. This led to a quantum leap in how much fly line speed could be developed. Other lines recommended with this rod are 480 to 510 grains. Yes, but minor changes. Both methods insist that the cast is thrown with emphasis on the under-hand (if you are Scandinavian), or bottom-hand (if you are North American). The main differences between Scandi and Skagit lines is that the Skagit line design concentrates more weight in a shorter mass, especially in the sinking tip portion, which helps turn over heavy, bulky flies. Scandinavian action rods are very fast and Skagit rods are pretty moderate. Scandi lines on the other hand have more grains in the top leg and less grains in the lower leg and hence less grains to carry. Click Here. Polyleaders are actually made from fly line material and when added to a shooting head, become part of the total length and mass of the head. During this same period, scientific methods also became available for analyzing the dynamics of fly casting. Designing fly line tapers involves unique physics, that drives a specialized science that is ever evolving. In the modern world of Spey fishing, anglers have a multitude of choices when it comes to selecting a fly line. New fly rod… No, this is not a requirement, but if you want to maximise a skagit line to its absolute full potential, look out for a medium action mid-curve fly rod, not fast like most newer Scandi style rods of today. Messages 9,430 Reaction score 39. As you recall from our previous posts, both Skagit and Scandi line systems are made up of three components - a shooting head, a tip or polyleader, and a running line. As the majority of Switch rods are around 11 ft in length, a good starting point is to utilize a line with a head length of around 33 ft. At first these new materials were applied to the same general designs that had been proven with older materials. Nordic Skagit Heads – new Skagit fly lines by Skagitanglers.com Nordic Skagit Heads is a brand new series of short fly lines designed and developed by the Danish web shop Skagitanglers.com – the new lines will cover all sorts of situations while fishing for seatrout (sea run brown) and salmon. Skagit heads tend to be thicker and offer more water resistance to get a better load on the two-handed fly rod. For a couple hundred years progress was slow because of the relative sameness of woods and animal fibers from which all fly rods and lines were constructed. This evolution was fueled by incremental changes in rod/line technology which resulted in improvements in the use of materials that were available. The science of Spey casting/fishing seems to have diversified along three main schools or philosophies. Then that energy flows into a very long front taper. Spey Lite Skagit Head. Also, apparently Atlantic salmon are more prone to come to the surface than are our winter steelhead. Designing fly line tapers involves unique physics, that drives a specialized s. This isn't a problem when fishing surface or near surface flies during the warm months. Skagit lines are denser then a Scandi. By creating an account, you will be able to: ... Spey and Skagit Fly Lines: Sort by: ... Scientific Anglers® Spey Lite Scandi Integrated: With all of the different Skagit Spey lines out there, I thought I would try and simplify things a little. The Scandinavian method uses a very light anchor on the water and a slight deceleration and then re-acceleration in the formation of the D-loop. Skagit System. Those are regularly called the Traditional, Skagit and Scandinavian methods. Because the tip of the line helps control the sink rate of the fly being used, many different lengths and densities of tips may be used with the same Skagit head. The change in fly line designs affected fly rod designs, and visa versa. A Skagit system is a heavily weighted line with a sinking leader or tip attached to it. Example: Rio Skagit Max, Scientific Anglers Spey Lite Skagit, Airflo Skagit Scout, Airflo Skagit FIST. View our Salmon Running and Shooting Lines. Skagit Lines. All Skagit lines need a tip attached to the head portion of the line to enable it to function properly. Scandi tackle and casting techniques are in many ways a radical departure from both traditional Spey and Skagit tackle and techniques. The Caddis Fly Shop has the expertise and can deliver a superior fly line for Spey and Switch rod fishing from RIO and Airflo. Under the right conditions, a very delicate execution of the cast can result in the formation of very narrow loops and blazing line speed. The Scandi rods store the most power in the tip of the rod, while Skagit rods concentrate power lower into the butt. Welches, Oregon 97067, In fly line design, very small amounts of weight shifted from one part of the line to another can make huge differences in the casting performance of that line. The only downside is that because of the long taper and fine tip of these lines, they have trouble delivering a heavy pay load. 1 2 For skating flies on or near the surface with a tapered leader. Many salmon and steelhead rivers have natural vegetation close to the water. PO Box 368 Feb 7, 2012 #2 Airflo floaters have been good for quite a long time now, I would have no concerns about them having coil memory like they used to. 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