skagitn head shooting line management?

[newsteelyman]

I was out last weekend trying a new (to me) head and as usual I was doing fine until i got to about 25 feet of running line out and i was having a tough time avoiding tangles when i shoot the line out.
i was wondering how you guys control/handle your line. do you hold it with the top hand, bottom hand or both, how large are your coils etc.
with my 13.5' rod, 27' head, 10' tip, 3' leader and 25' of shootin line i am at about 78' from the reel, which is lots for most of my fishing but i was wondering how to get a little more distance,
thanx for any instite in advance,
Brian

[btree]

I tend to hold 2-3 large loops in my hand when ever I'm casting, single handed or spey. I also try to hold them in order, and have them at different lengths. For me, I either have the first loop longest and then shorter from there, or the last loop longest (oppositely), but I rarely have issues with tangled line during a cast. The trick is when walking or standing to not get your loops twisted around eachother. The only tangles I get are when moving up or down stream with too much line in my hands. I usually step down after my line lands, or during the retreive.

I'm guessing that getting a wee bit more distance is going to be in getting your timing and power just right rather than how you hold your line. By the way, I'd be quite happy if I could cast the spey 78'

[24_7Fisherman]

I dont bother holding mu loops unless im either waist deep or standing in faster current that holds my loops to tight along the water. Majority of the time i just let it lay downstream, yes it will get you wet sometimes when it whips up but thats the least of your problems. The only downside i have found with leaving long loops laying on the water is that once in awhile i will hook it with my fly as i cast which is frustrating, it only happens once in awhile though. You could also use a stripping basket if you wanted to manage your loops, I have seen a few spey guys using them especially in saltwater situations. I have thought about trying one out but havent yet.

[SalaR]

I dont bother holding mu loops unless im either waist deep or standing in faster current that holds my loops to tight along the water. Majority of the time i just let it lay downstream, yes it will get you wet sometimes when it whips up but thats the least of your problems. The only downside i have found with leaving long loops laying on the water is that once in awhile i will hook it with my fly as i cast which is frustrating, it only happens once in awhile though. You could also use a stripping basket if you wanted to manage your loops, I have seen a few spey guys using them especially in saltwater situations. I have thought about trying one out but havent yet.

Ben has it right...back when we used to fly fish with double tapers in both Spey and Single handed line management was a must...forming loops is the ideal method of line management especially in moving water,one 6 pulls,the next 5 and so on...when standing in fast water there is always a back eddy created on our downside,this can cause issues with line twists..so,when you are setting up for your cast THROW the loose running line out and away from the impact of the back eddy...this will extend the loose lins and let it straighten out ..make sure all your loops are longer than the EDDY!. Holding the loops on top or bottom hand is personal preferrence. If you want a bit more distance simply pick up your casting arm after you have stopped on your froward stroke and simply lift the rod and line you are holding off the water,this provides less water resistance.Especially true if you are using Mono type shooting lines. If you let the water carry your running line to far away from you when you make your cast the water definitely slows down you outgoing line and the distance is seriously affected.
C

[24_7Fisherman]

who is Ben ?

[11th Warrior]

who is Ben ?

2nd post is Ben.

[ded heron]

I personally avoid many of the running line fowl ups by using a longer belly fly line and not have to strip any line to make my next cast. I know the trend is to "skagit-it-up", but I prefer to spey cast without having to strip in anything but a marginal amount of line. Most of the time I can deliver a quick roll cast downstream to lift the tip and fly from the depths and punch out a snake roll in the time it takes to strip in the running line with a skagit system. With my current set-up, I carry a 65' head with a 14' tip and only shoot the extra when required, which is rare as I fish the 'der, chehalis and squamish most often, so 80' is plenty. The skagit way has some advantages, but next time you're hating the tangles, think about a long belly line and some of the niceness of not having to pull in 40-50' of runner. Kind of old school but the reason I started spey casting was to not have to strip anything in before the next cast, just set it up and blast it out. That was a big draw for me. With the current trend it seems that we're back to stripping in substantial amounts of line to set up the cast. Not a big plus to me, seems like we've negated one of the big advantages of fishing with the long rod. Just a quick couple of scents.

[younggun]

i also hold loops, yesterday i was maxing out at three loops, a 6 stripper, then a 4 and finally a 3. 12ft of t-14, 2.5ft leader, 27 ' head, 13.6ft rod and a 5" blue intruder. my casts ranged from a shitty 70fter, to a good 90fter. Line drag on the waterplays a huge role in whether or not you can bomb. After about 50-60ft you should be holding loops.

[Pat AV]

good thread, I have running line management issues as well, I have been finding that holding loops in my botton hand works much better, but still have miles to go in this department.

[Doubletap]

I hold loops - and do so for any fishing I do while wading - single or double-hand.

I use the Airflo Ridgeline running line (30 lb for a 540gr skagit, and 20lb for a 330gr compact scandi) and find its a very rare thing for either of them to have tangling issues - regardless of whether I'm holding loops or letting it hang in the current - and regardless of how cold it gets.