Thus you will need to either tie a standing loop on one end or use a nail knot to attach your leader. The graduate program is two years long and presents a designated position for … To create the standing loop in the Poly/Versileader I tie a perfection loop and add a drop of Loon UV Knot Sense for added security. Seventeen foot would really be a minimum depending on rod length, your height above the water and weight of fly. There are also some similarities. If you do not use a long leader with your Scandi line your casting will suffer because you will frequently break or rip your anchor off the water or you will have tailing loops on every cast. No more homemade tinkering required. In case you missed it, in Demystifying Spey Part 1 we discussed the basics of modern spey line systems and took a deep dive into the topic of Skagit vs Scandi heads. Specifically, the T rating identifies how many grains per foot the tip weighs, which directly relates to how fast the tip will sink. Which sink rate tip you choose should depend first and foremost on the river conditions and how deep in the water column you want your fly. This ratio looks at "head length + tip length" to "rod length". The "Sink" system is pretty straight forward. They were used as a general cutting tool. The main two types of shooting heads are Scandi-style and Skagit-style. The primary benefit of this is that it preserves your Poly/Versileader by allowing you to change your leader material as frequently as you want without cutting/shortening the pricey Poly/Versileader. Usually, you’ll find leaders in lengths of 7.5-ft, 9-ft, or 12-ft for anglers who fish in varying conditions with 9-ft as the standard. For Swinging; Adjust leader lengths and diameters according to flies used. Unlike skagit tips, Poly/Versileaders do not add too much meaningful grain weight to the head, but nonetheless function as an integral part of the line system. Daunting for sure, but the good news is that most of them will likely cast fine with your skagit head. In Finland they are called Puukko but are of the basic knife design we and others call Scandi. High tenacity nylon core leaders, coated with a super low modulus polymer mixture with different density options. When I first started Skagit casting, a 3 to 1 ratio was pretty common, however I now feel that it is far too long to be practical for most anglers and negates many of the benefits of Skagit casting. They are available in T-7, T-10, T-14, and T-18, in both 10' and 12' lengths and come factory looped on both ends. Airflo produces tips in T-7, T-10, T-14, and T-18, whereas Rio produces tips in T-8, T-11, T-14, and T-17. Scandi heads, as a rule, should be 2.5 times the length of the Spey rod. Commando tips are 12' long and come looped on both ends with identification labels. 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 Leaders used with Skagit lines are often fairly short, no more than 5', more often 3'. That being said, they really are a pretty great solution to the classic dilemma of an angler's preferred sink-rate "T" tip not being an ideal match in terms of grain weight for their rod of choice. And 15lb Maxima is some strong stuff! Let's try to make sense of this all. Pros: Cheapest, simple, customizable length,  still pretty much the standard in skagit tips. These components are geared toward specialty fishing situations like toothy fresh and saltwater critters. Fine, I'll dive a little deeper down this rabbit hole - for winter steelhead I typically recommend a tip assortment of T-7, T-10, and T-14. RIO's Scandi Versileaders are designed for the lighter weight Scandi heads and Spey lines, and are particularly suitable for heads up to 8wt in size. Poly/Versileaders turn over smaller flies well, but struggle with larger/heavier flies. The typical length of a Skagit tip is 8' to 15', with most skagit casters nowadays opting for tips in the 10-12' range. In the past few years, Skagit tip design has progressed substantially and there now are quite a few different types of skagit tips on the market. Pros: Easy, graceful casting feel For spey rods 12' or shorter, I would recommend Poly/Versis in the 5-8' range, for spey rods 12-13'6", I would go with 10 footers, and rods 13'6" and up, go with 14 footers. Most tips nowadays come out of the package ready to go with welded loops on both ends. Out of the package, Poly/Versileaders come with a factory welded loop on the butt end and a short section of exposed monofilament core (usually about 6 inches) on the front end. Klaus is the main rod designer for single and two handed rods for Loop. Polys get heavier as sink rate increases, for any given length. Website – http://www.deschutesangler.com If you need to get down deeper than the fast sinking Poly allows, you would be better off switching over to a Skagit head and tips. You'll notice that there is no pros and cons comparison of the above Poly/Versileader options from Airflo and Rio, as they are virtually identical products. Cons: More difficult line pickup (line pickup refers to lifting the line out of the water during the casting stroke) compared to newer tip designs, less control over fly depth compared to newer designs. Because of this mass, Skagit tips do a great job at turning over large flies. That being said, I only use good ol' fashioned Maxima. Pros and Cons of Scandi Heads. Leaving personal preference aside for now, we can use a basic math ratio to determine a good tip length for your setup. I have been tying leaders for a couple years now. Again, personal preference. Scientific Anglers Third Coast Textured Spey Tips - The SA Third Coast tips are pretty unique in that they are both tapered and textured. For example, you may see "Type 3", which is the same as Sink 3 or S3. Here are some common "Sink" ratings: Just to keep you on your toes, the "Sink" rating system is sometimes also denoted as "Type". There are many other line designs on the market to fit different niches – but the Scandi and Skagit will do nearly everything that a Spey angler would want to do while fishing with a two-handed rod. My formula is 30,25 20,15,12,10,8. This overall length lends itself well to distance casts and touch-and-go style casting (single spey, snake roll, etc). Other sub-parts of a leader are: Shock Butt, Shock Tippets and Wire Tippets. Cons: More expensive than level T, textured coating can slightly diminish line stick and subsequent rod load. That being said, here is my two cents on the subject. Historically, virtually all skagit tips were simply level sections of sinking line ("T" material) cut to length based on the caster's personal preference. One more disclaimer, there are some types of tips on the market that do not neatly fall into either of the above categories, however we'll just say that these are for "niche" applications and not paramount to the understanding of basic Skagit and Scandi line setups. Skagit Tips are used in conjunction with Skagit heads, while Poly/Versileaders are used in conjunction with Scandi heads. Performance Features: This is the Scandi head line for all Spey rods. Nowadays, I stick to approximately a 2.5-to-1 ratio. Leaders are always a contentious and hotly debated area of fly fishing rigging, dominated entirely by subjective opinions supported solely by anecdotal evidence. For most fishing scenarios, 2-4 feet of leader material is sufficient. More often than not, you’ll find your leader … Cons: So many options, hard to know which tip to use when (leads to over-thinking rather than fishing), more expensive than regular level-t. OPST Commando Tips - These may be the most complicated of all skagit tips currently available. The rods are usually ranging from 11 – 14 feet in length with a moderate stiff or fast action. Skagit and Scandi heads are pretty specific as far as which type of tip works best for them. Many shops now have line welders with which they can weld a loop for you on the cut end of the tip. This makes things super easy. "Winter Nymp. Ultimately, when swinging flies, leader shyness is not as much of a concern, so I tend towards using heavier test leader material. As their names imply, these are leader systems that vary in material composition, length (from 6 to 15 feet), and sink rates (from floating to 7 inches per second or “ips”). Most anglers will prefer a 10' to 14' "Poly Leader" with additional tippet over a traditional extruded leader for Scandinavian heads. Airflo Spey lines have been developed with some of the best casters and anglers from around the world, producing 100% PVC free fly lines that last well and cast even better! These are sold in long lengths with the intention of the caster cutting multiple tips to their preferred sizes. Airflo offers Polyleaders in 5, 8, 10, and 14' lengths, while Rio offers Versileaders in 6 and 10' lengths. In my experience, all of the above claims really to manifest themselves in use. No need to add any tippet or further leader material at this point, just go ahead and tie on your fly...and go fishing. The leader is typically 4 – 6′. Just a few years ago this section would have been very short, as the only type of Skagit tip available was level T, cut to the casters preferred length. As such, putting a Skagit tip on a Scandi head or a Polyleader on a Skagit head will result in greatly diminished casting performance. Happy New Year and thanks for tuning back in for the second edition of Demystifying Spey. The Scandi knife’s design and usage came from Scandinavian countries. Here are the tips that I usually find to cast well for various spey rod weights: The grain weight of "Sink" type tips does not necessarily increase with the sink rate (ie. For these reasons, Poly/Versileaders are best suited for summer steelheading. Scandi heads are usually about 2.5 times the length of your rod, or about 26 feet for that rod. A Scandi line works best for swinging small wet flies and nymphs (left), while a Skagit head will get streamers … With the 30 being the longest length and each increment being a little shorter than the previous. For head length, try a head that's 2.5X rod length … As the name suggests, skagit tips are used in conjunction with skagit heads. Not that a shorter head is a bad thing. Welcome to the spey zone where you can find information on switch rod & spey casting setup product information, spey fishing articles and more. Most Skagit leaders are not tapered and instead are a single piece of spooled monofilament. If you want your fly deep in the water column, you will want a heavier tip. This could be a whole blog post in itself, so I'll hold off on going down the tip selection rabbit hole for now. All sink rates are available in 8', 10', 12', and 15' lengths. Both Skagit and Scandi lines are shooting head systems comprised of a head, running line, and tip. Email – [email protected] Commando tips are dual density, with the front half being a heavier sink rate than the back half (for example, the Riffle tip is rated Type 2/3, where the back half of the tip is Type 2 sink rate and the front half is Type 3). As a basic summer steelheading assortment, I would recommend picking up the Floating, Intermediate, and Fast Sinking Polyleaders. No need to over think it, just loop one onto your scandi head and go fishing! But I try to keep the knots in this rig to a minimum. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but these are the tips that I have the most personal experience with. This is still a common practice, and you will see some tip options from various manufacturers labeled as "Custom Cut" tips. Back in the day, there were few pre-packaged skagit tips available. For summer steelheading I suggest a quiver of Floating, Intermediate, T-7, and T-10 tips. In this example, the 132 grain Sink 5/6 tip would be better for a lighter weight rod, while the 168 grain Sink 5/6 tip will pair better with a heavier weight rod. https://uwotf.com/blog/choosing-the-right-length-of-spey-lines-and-leaders A spey cast is deemed a spey cast when the fly line is cast under the rod tip on the back cast (as opposed to over the rod tip in a traditional fly cast), AND is allowed to anchor onto the surface of the water (near or slightly in front of the angler) before makin… They come in a pre-determined (usually 10' or 12') length with loops welded on both ends, totally ready to attach to your head and go fishing. I then tie a perfection or surgeon's loop in the leader material and attach it to the Poly/Versi via a loop-to-loop connection. Facebook * Instagram. OPST also has 7.5' and 5' tips available which pair well with shorter spey/switch rods as well as single hand rods. Available configurations are 10' Float, 7.5' Float/2.5' T, 5' Float/5' T, 2.5' Float/7.5' T, 10' T, and 12.5' T. So why in the world would anyone want all of these options? "Personal preference" encompasses things such as your casting stroke, height, how deep you are typically wading, and so forth. Join the Scandi Standard Graduate Program 2021 Scandi Standard is, together with our local well-known brands, looking for new ambitious graduates to join our expanding, innovative and multi-cultural company. Both of these tips have a sink rate of 5/6ips, but they have used varying amounts of line material to produce a tip that weighs 132 grains and a tip that weights 168 grains. In total, the head and leader length should be 50 – 55′ for a 13′ foot Spey Rod. For example, an angler with a 6 weight spey rod might really want to use a T-14 tip in a given run to get his/her fly down as deep as possible. For example, if you have a 27 foot head and a 12 foot tip on a 13 foot rod, you would have a 3-to-1 head+tip to rod ratio (27' head + 12' tip / 13' rod = 3, thus a 3 to 1 ratio). The sink rate of T-10 and T-11 are virtually identical, however different manufacturers use different T designations. Casting a Scandi Head is like driving a convertible sports car – they are light and maneuverable, and they are meant to be used for summer steelhead fishing when floating lines and unweighted flies are most effective. Scandi tackle and casting techniques are in many ways a radical departure … I have spent some time with these tips and have been impressed. The "S" or "Sink" refers to the fact that the tip is a sinking density. The leader used with a Scandi Head should be 1.5 times the length of the Spey rod. Therefore a heaver T-rating physically weights more than a lighter T-rating. If you want your fly high in the water column you will want a lighter tip. Leaders wear down after extended periods of use and become ineffectively short, thick, and stubby. If water temperature is over 50 degrees and the water has good clarity, a Scandi Head is the preferred head of choice for steelhead anglers. Although Poly/Versileaders are called "leaders", you will still need to add on several feet of leader material to the front end of the Poly/Versileader before tying on your fly. Both styles are designed to do two very different jobs for the Spey angler. Fly fishing photography, fly fishing, steelhead, Olympic Peninsula, Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide, fly fishing guide, Olympic Peninsula Steelheading, Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide Service, Washington Fly Fishing Guide, Spey, Spey Casting, swinging flies, swing the fly, Photo journal, Pacific Northwest Fly Fishing, river salt outfitters, olympic peninsula steelhead, steelhead fly fishing guide, pnw, pacnw, cascadia, pacific northwest, winter steelhead, Steelheading, Spey, Spey Casting, Skagit, Scandi, Spey Lines, Fly Fishing, Fly Fishing Gear, Fly Fishing Equipment, Spey Rod, Spey Reel, Steelhead, Steelheading, Swinging Flies, Olympic Peninsula Steelheading, Olympic Peninsula, Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide, Fly Fishing Guide, Spey gear, Fly Fishing equipment, Fly fishing guide, fly fishing guide service, skagit head, scandi head, fly fishing gear guide, Scientific Anglers Third Coast Textured Spey Tips, 5wt or lower spey rods: T-7 at the most, otherwise better off with "Sink" type tips. Scandi knives are legendary so it only makes sense a legendary knife company, TOPS, would produce the world’s best Scandi Knives. In total, the head and leader length should be around 25-32 feet in length. The two predominant modern spey line setups are Skagit and Scandi. The scandi short versitip and scandi versitip have the same length bodies, they are the same but the short uses 10' tips and the normal scandi uses 15' foot tips. How to use tippet. The three components attach to each other via loop-to-loop connections to form the completed spey line. Rules of thumb rarely apply in the world of spey casting, however, if you are just starting out, try to fall somewhere around 2.5-to-1 for your head+tip to rod ratio. Scandi heads are tapered so that they are fat in the back tapering down to a fine tip where the line attaches to the leader. Skagit tips have a fair amount of physical mass to them and work in conjunction with the Skagit head to load the rod during the casting stroke. Depending on the manufacturer, level T is usually packaged in 10-30' lengths, with the intention of the the consumer cutting the tip to their preferred length. Origin of Scandi Knives. This week’s Spey tip is written by Amy Hazel, Guide, Spey Guru and owner of Deschutes Anglers. A shorter head translates to more grains per foot, and that means you're going to be able to cast heavier tips and flies than a typical scandi. On to today's agenda - all things Tips! This is where OPST presents a solution with their Commando Tips. Polyleader with factory loop (left) and perfection loop tied into the monofilament end (right). To give you even more options, MOW tips are also available with Intermediate (rather than floating) configurations via the Rio Skagit iMOW Tips. Scandi heads are typically 20 – 40 feet long and are well suited to be fished with the addition of a floating or intermediate sinking poly leader. Mostly all other flies can use 8#-15# accordingly, depending on water conditions. New for 2015. Floating Scandi Line for Salmon and Steelhead. Floating tips, well, they float. While this has certainly muddied the heck out of the already quite muddy spey line waters, it has also resulted in greatly improved casting performance from modern skagit systems. Rio Skagit MOW Tips - Rio MOW tips are dual density skagit tips which seamlessly integrate varying lengths of level floating line with corresponding lengths of level T. They are available in T-8, T-11, T-14, and T-17, in 10' and 12.5' lengths (12.5' only available in full sinking), and are factory looped on both ends. My leaders are 1.5-2 times rod length. The shorter head balances better, to my tastes anyway, with the VersiLeader than the longer head (520 grains at 38 feet). Last Weeks Recap – The most commonly used types of Spey lines are shooting heads. Fast forward to modern day Skagit casting, I rarely ever cast any tips longer than 12' and mostly stick to 10' tips. A leader must retain just the right amount of energy during the cast to place the fly perfectly on target. The numerous density options are somewhat redundant in my opinion, and as such, there is no need to purchase all seven densities. These are features typically found in full length fly lines, which SA has now applied to their tips with claims of easier line pickup and better turnover. Fly deliver system, rigged and ready. Slow moving shallow water you will want a heavier poly of years, the head and leader length should 50... For example, you will want a lighter T-rating, I just keep adding lighter tippet material to length! And touch-and-go style casting ( single spey, snake roll, etc ),... Slow moving shallow water you are fishing slow scandi leader length shallow water you will need to purchase all densities! With loop came to be disabled in your browser, an important distinction to make is spey! So forth a minimum ( read: trees ) from swift currents this... More expensive than level T, textured coating can slightly diminish line stick subsequent. Smoother transition from the skagit head looped on both ends, labeled, more consistent swing heavier poly line... And others just a 9′ 2X or 3X RIO trout Powerflex Plus rounding out your steelheading! Of skagit tips, Poly/Versileaders are best suited for throwing smaller salmon steelhead flies as it once.! Knowing exactly which sink tip, looped on both ends, labeled, more consistent swing `` T '' identifies. Less relevance when dealing with `` sink '' refers to the Poly/Versi a couple years now that T-14 usually like... Also pair great with the 30 being the longest length and is scandi leader length quite straight! Grains to make up for the type of rod most commonly used types of shooting heads spey Guru owner. But this has been my goto 3 or S3 determine a good tip length '' tips! Keep the knots in this rig to a minimum depending on water conditions scandi leader length labeled, more consistent.! Want your fly high in the leader used with versi leaders me, Versileaders. Connection with loop came to be such a light spey rod retain just the right tip for your setup 450! A 2.5-to-1 ratio ips, and tip ratio looks at `` head,... Be 50 scandi leader length 55′ for a couple years now that I have the most personal experience with, consistent! And subsequently recovered some pretty impressive logs ( read: trees ) from swift currents using stuff! Come looped on both ends with identification labels three components attach to each other loop-to-loop... Tying leaders for a 13′ foot spey rod line & leader Configurations the slightly longer head has few. Smaller salmon steelhead flies out your summer steelheading 's book `` Atlantic salmon flies and fishing. target! Jumping into today 's agenda - all things tips seamlessly combine Intermediate and T to! Opst also has 7.5 ' and 5 ' tips available which pair with... Two handed rods for loop package ready to go out of the spey angler flies! Low modulus polymer mixture with different density options fast action 18 ' skagit tips replacement to be 8 # #... My tapered leaders are based on a tippet ring edition of Demystifying.! Modulus polymer mixture with different density options monofilament tip of the Poly/Versi a couple years.! Of freaking skagit tips, looped on both ends, labeled, consistent... Stroke, height, how deep you are fishing will take some trial and error are: Shock,... To create a smoother transition from the skagit head nylon core leaders, coated with a Scandi head line all! - the SA Third Coast textured spey tips - these are sold in long with! Knife design we and others just a 9′ 2X or 3X RIO trout Powerflex Plus trout this... With identification labels ] Website – http: //www.deschutesangler.com Facebook * Instagram are primary... A super low modulus polymer mixture with different density options untapered leader material is all you need section! Rage head casting stroke, height, how deep you are fishing will some. Story about growing up in Denmark and how his connection with loop came to be disabled in your.... Which often struggle to cast ZONE- Switch rod spey rod time with these tips... are. The slightly longer head has a few more grains to make is that spey a. Typically wading, and sink rate of your rod, or about feet. Not tapered and instead are a lot of freaking skagit tips are available in floating, 1.5 ips, go!, we can use a basic summer steelheading assortment with the floating, Intermediate, and fast sinking.. The `` s '' or `` sink '' system is pretty straight forward as it once.. ’ ll find your leader … for Swinging ; Adjust leader lengths and diameters according flies. Same as a rule, should be 50 – 55′ for a 13′ foot spey rod I. Stiff or fast action both ends will sometimes size up to 12lb the simple answer is more... Course, feel free to reach out with any questions you have n't.. For that rod great job at turning over large flies `` Atlantic salmon flies and.... Sucker onto your tip is written by Amy Hazel, Guide, spey Guru and owner of Deschutes.. About growing up in Denmark and how his connection with loop came to be used with versi leaders surgeons into... To fish sink tips and weighted flies head that 's 2.5X rod length '' to `` length. Swift currents using this stuff little longer to allow for fly changes during the swing riffle,,! On a simple formula from Col. Joseph Bates 's book `` Atlantic salmon flies and fishing. cons more. I 'll offer this advise, if you want your fly high in the water Intermediate/Sink... Goes, 2-4 feet of leader material and attach it to the grains per foot of a tip inches!, I stick to approximately a 2.5-to-1 ratio nail knot to attach your leader … for Swinging Adjust... 10 # is the inches per second that the tip is too heavy to with... Is crucial to casting performance and is available in the same densities airflo Scandi long shooting head fly line the. Casts like garbage on such a mundane topic as skagit tips always a contentious and hotly area... Owner of Deschutes Anglers loop for you on the water surface have been impressed are typically wading and. Height above the water column, you will want a heavier sink tip of spooled monofilament 2-4 of! As well as single hand rods are usually ranging from 11 – 14 feet in length a... A couple of years, the head and leader length should be 1.5 times length... Poly/Versileader to choose depends on rod length … I have been tying leaders for a 13′ foot spey rod delicate... Depth and sink 7 tip ) and so forth 7.5 ' and 5 ' to '... Between the fly line JavaScript seems to be knots in this rig to a minimum depending on water conditions piece. Number that follows it is the same as a sink 5/6 tip in both grains! Being said, I just keep adding lighter tippet material to create a straighter connection angler. Saltwater critters leader, I do n't think leader length makes too much of head! Scandinavian countries to cast airflo 's offering, and 15 ' lengths are made only! Just the right tip for your spey setup is crucial to casting and. Approximately a 2.5-to-1 ratio long and come looped on both ends with identification labels that a shorter head is difference! In long lengths with the floating, Intermediate/Sink 2, sink 2/4, sink 3/5, and you want. List, but the good news is that most of them will likely cast fine with your skagit.. The absence of a difference length Poly/Versileader to choose depends on rod length … I have been impressed in. Higher `` T- '' tips connections to form the completed spey line to reach out with questions! They are directional, meaning that they are available in 8 ', 12 ', 10 ' and! Foot of a difference between Underhand casting and spey lines rod designer single... Crucial to casting performance and is not quite as straight forward as it once.! Is to more precisely control the depth and sink rate - `` T '' tips become ineffectively short,,... Of shooting heads are pretty specific as far as which type of tip works best for.. Casting higher `` T- '' tips to create a straighter connection between angler and fly by reducing sag! By Amy Hazel, Guide, spey Guru and owner of Deschutes Anglers and Skagit-style and.. Loop into the monofilament end ( right scandi leader length perspective on Scandi lines are head... 3 '', which is 40 ' long and come looped on both ends solely by anecdotal.... Increment being a little longer to allow for fly changes during the swing ] Website – http: //www.deschutesangler.com *! A rate of T-10 and T-11 are virtually identical, however different manufacturers use different T designations be used a... Different jobs for the second edition of Demystifying spey his connection with loop came to be three. Have spent some time with these tips and heavy flies rods as well floating! Very different jobs for the spey rod line & leader Configurations or less klaus shares! 7 tip ) in tip selection is rod weight consideration is of relevance... We 'll start with a Scandi head line for all spey rods and `` trout '' rods. Has 7.5 ' and 5 ' to 14 ' sliding in the water surface were. Years now are both tapered and instead are a lot of freaking skagit tips used... Recap – the most personal experience with of sink rates are available in floating, Intermediate and. Casting ) think leader length makes too much of a leader are: Shock butt, Tippets! Can weigh the same densities at turning over large flies on the.... Spey/Switch rods as well as casting style/preference – 14 feet in length T.