Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[badboi]

I have a 6wt Redington Pursuit which I like but will be under matched for larger coho/ chums / springs.
Should I get an 8wt possibly?

And, I have began looking up the Skagit style of Spey fishing....I wonder if that would be better to chuck larger flies easier.

any thoughts on the two options?

[TayC]

Skagit casting is great for tossing junk in tight spots, only down side to skagit heads and coho is that with the hoes I like to strip in close. So unless you get a skagit shooting head with an integrated running line it can be a bit of a pain at times.

[HOOK]

perhaps get yourself an 8wt and line it with a line that can also do single hand spey casts. Spey is not really designed for stripping flies, its do-able but not favourable.

[badboi]

I see, so typically for Chums and Springs and cohos you want to be stripping flies in...?

[HOOK]

Weeellllll...........honestly I have caught all 3 of those species on swung flies but yes stripped ones tend to work better especially on coho.

[FlyFishin Magician]

I've been using my 7 wt switch rod and found that I can retrieve flies no problem.  I think it's better suited than using a full length spey rod to cast and retrieve.  Plus, I get the benefit of higher efficiency when drifting the fly (no false casts).  However, for frog water or at the beach (salt), I'd go with a single hander for cast and retrieve for sure.

For chums and springs, I've probably hooked more fish on the drift. I have hooked them on the retrieve, but I find that coho and pinks seem to chase the fly more than the springs and chum.

Forget about using your 6 wt for the larger salmon.  You will be under-gunned which is bad news for both you and the fish.  An 8 weight rod is a good all around rod for salmon/steelhead.  Even an 8 weight can be slightly under-gunned with a spring, but at least you'll be able to put some amount of pressure on the fish when you need it.  I also prefer a fast action rod for salmon.  I find fast action rods are better suited for tossing heavier sink tips.  Plus, with today's graphite technology you can get a fast action rod with good sensitivity.  Check with the rod manufacturer or fly shop about the "action" of the rod.

[RalphH]

Most springs are caught swinging flies. Chum respond well to stripped and to swung flies but a very slow strip works best. You'll need at least a #9 SH rods for springs which is a very good choice for chum but on the heavy side for coho.

[koifish]

are 9WT ok for springs?

[HOOK]

I have caught Chinook up to 43lbs on a 9' 8wt Dragonfly. That rod had some serious backbone though and I never feared breaking it so I would hammer down on fish tiring them out quickly. If I was using a more expensive rod I would probably lay off a little which would mean needing a higher weight rod. This is my main basis to not spending over $200 on a salmon rod, if I blow it up its not hard on the wallet to replace

[Matt]

Spey rods aren't for coho.

[HOOK]

I would agree with you 99% of the time Matt however there is the odd place you may find yourself wanting a spey/switch when coho fishing. I myself fish in a couple spots every year where I use my spey and it works but having to work the head back out the tip every cast does get a bit annoying. In these spots thankfully most fish come further out for the most part 

[ajransom]

I'd go for a 9 weight, and probably 10ft if possible. A 9 weight is great for bigger salmon and you can land fish easier without too much fear of breaking your rod.

[Banny]

Spey rods aren't for coho.

x2

[koifish]

it doesnt matter if my fly rod breaks i have the lifetime unconditional warranty LOL even if i break my rod by my door cloosing it on it

[HOOK]

100% guarantee you its a "conditional" warranty and not unconditional. TFO does a "no fault guarantee" warranty where you pay a price per section broken. Most shops will only cover your warranty if its a defect in the rod or rods components that they themselves put onto the rod blank.

I just sent my Sage 5wt back for warranty. My wife shut it in the truck door and will cost me about $60 to have it repaired