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. 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. 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 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… Skagit and scandi lines are both shooting head line systems. This evolution was fueled by incremental changes in rod/line technology which resulted in improvements in the use of materials that were available. The longer a line stays in the loop, the farther it will cast. This is because the Scandi shooting heads are designed with a very short level body and a very long front taper. At first, the differences between Scandinavian and Skagit styles doesn't seem very apparent. As soon as the line goes straight, most of the forward momentum is gone. Like a weight forward fly line will have a head near the front, a belly, behind the head, and a running line portion towards the back of the fly line. At first these new materials were applied to the same general designs that had been proven with older materials. When their influence on the line is portrayed on paper, the overall design of the Scandi shooting head doesn't seem radical, but their influence on our sport has been revolutionary.. With the design of more responsive, lighter weight rods and more compact shooting head lines, the differences between Skagit and Scandi method and respective tackle is becoming less pronounced. Spey Lite Skagit Head. Compact Skagit heads are designed to throw big flies and sink tips in tight confined spaces, perfect for winter steelhead fishing. Scandi or Skagit heads suitable for rods from 10.5' to 12' will effectively carry tips and poly coated sinking leaders from 6' to 10' in length. 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. Smaller, lighter-weight rods equipped with more compact lines could accomplish ample fishing distances with less work. As a result, fly casting became more efficient. That is why all Spey distance competition lines are in the traditional Spey configuration. The Skagit method could be termed a Pacific Northwest winter steelhead method. Long D-loops are not handy in this situation. Site by 21 Designs. Airflo Fly Lines - Spey - Skagit Switch Airflo Fly Lines - Scandi - Scandi Compact . The two methods have evolved independently on opposite sides of the planet. Simply put, this means either a “Skagit” type line, or a “Scandi” type line. For as long as the line is in the loop it has forward momentum. The only downside is that because of the long taper and fine tip of these lines, they have trouble delivering a heavy pay load. That is why Scandi shooting heads evolved, not because huge flies were needed, but because long casts from difficult casting locations were needed. The very thin running line is carried forward by the thicker and heavier mass of the Scandi or Skagit head during a cast. The Scandinavian and Skagit methods have each evolved over the last twenty-five years. Skagit and Scandi methods each have applications appropriate for steelhead fishing. 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 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. Whereas both the Skagit and traditional cast have a hard anchor on the water, a Scandi anchor is more of a soft kiss. Leaders used with Skagit lines are often fairly short, no more than 5', more often 3'. Skagit lines/heads are short and heavy - even shorter than Scandinavian lines in most cases; working on a ratio of less than three times the rod length. 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. PO Box 368 More responsive rods and lines led to new casting techniques. All Skagit lines need a tip attached to the head portion of the line to enable it to function properly. Understanding of casting dynamics often arose from these changes in technology. Fly and Flies offer the best spey fly lines for all thecniques. Skagit and Scandi Line Systems. Skagit heads are fished using a sustained-anchor cast. 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. Click Here. Lines with longer heads stay in the loop longer, and will cast farther. There are few other kinds of products where general consumers are as critical as fly fishers. 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. At first, the differences between Scandinavian and Skagit styles doesn't seem very apparent. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. Example: Rio Skagit Max, Scientific Anglers Spey Lite Skagit, Airflo Skagit Scout, Airflo Skagit FIST. 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 The change in fly line designs affected fly rod designs, and visa versa. Traditional Spey casting methods have evolved slowly over the past several hundred years. The Rio Scandi Body is a short body to which a multitude of tips can be attached. RIO Scandi-Short Versitp Fly Line (Shooting Head Spey Fly Line KIT) 6-206__ Shorter, more powerful version of RIO’s Scandinavian Shooting Head (Think, Scandi grace with Skagit power.) When most people think of spey, they instantly think of two handed rods. 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. If you continue to use this site we assume that you are okay with it. In addition to a variety of lengths, the market offers lines built for specific fishing situations. Then slowly the entire concept of what a fly line or fly rod could be began to change. Amazingly light and response, the 12’9” 9 harnesses the power to fight the largest anadromous fish. When both methods are applied in their purest form, you can readily see how the tackle and casting methods evolved along divergent paths. The science of Spey casting/fishing seems to have diversified along three main schools or philosophies. Scandi (Scandinavian) heads are designed to be fished primarily on or near the surface. Traditional Spey casting methods have evolved slowly over the past several hundred years. Both employ lightweight, medium-length, two-hand fly rods and shooting head fly lines. During this same period, scientific methods also became available for analyzing the dynamics of fly casting. By creating an account, you will be able to: ... Spey and Skagit Fly Lines: Sort by: ... Scientific Anglers® Spey Lite Scandi Integrated: Skagit Lines. The only choice when swinging flies for winter steelhead and a great line for swinging streamers for trout. Under the right conditions, a very delicate execution of the cast can result in the formation of very narrow loops and blazing line speed. Also, apparently Atlantic salmon are more prone to come to the surface than are our winter steelhead. 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 good news, however, is that this is the third and final part of the spey line equation. This same mass in the tip of the line is also often constructed from dense material to enable a fly to sink quickly. The Skagit line will turn sink tips over better better then the Scandi lines 67296 East Hwy 26 Designing fly line tapers involves unique physics, that drives a specialized science that is ever evolving. 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. However, lines with long heads take more room to operate, and they take more skill. These types of lines are popular only where excessively long casts are common. 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. However, an important distinction to make is that spey is a style of casting, not necessarily a type of rod. Those are regularly called the Traditional, Skagit and Scandinavian methods. Whether fishing Skagit, Scandi or Traditional Spey style, RIO has an excellent selection of integrated Spey fly lines and short, Spey shooting heads for you 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. When superior synthetic materials for rods and line construction became available, casting techniques also began to change. This isn't a problem when fishing surface or near surface flies during the warm months. The fact is, both Skagit and Scandi lines and techniques can be used on the same rods. The Scandi rods store the most power in the tip of the rod, while Skagit rods concentrate power lower into the butt. Skagit System. R.B. Meiser SGS Scandi & Skagit Shooting Heads … We have been successfully recommending and supplying rod/line marriages for two handed anglers for nearly 15 years. Completing the range of Guideline shooting heads, the SCANDI Lines fill the gap between the Compact and the Skagit lines perfectly. S. skyhook Active member. 3. Yes, but minor changes. 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. 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. 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. View our Salmon Running and Shooting Lines. Anglers casting Scandi Heads often install a Polyleader/VersiLeader to extend the front taper length. Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics is a group of steelheaders who focus on Skagit-style swing fishing for everything from king salmon to smallmouth bass. As a matter of fact, Scandi shooting heads are perfect for this work. Tips include: Spey lines … This means that the line is comprised of three individual pieces - the shooting head, the running line, and a tip or polyleader. Each tip/fly combination will affect the casting properties of the line. There is more mass in an equally sized Skagit head than that of a Scandinavian style heads, which is what helps Skagit lines throw large, heavy flies and tips. Other lines recommended with this rod are 480 to 510 grains. Sink tips, poly leaders, sizing scandi and skagit lines are all … 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. Deneki Chronicles: Clearing Line for Bonefish, Guide’s Corner: Chad Bryson, Rapids Camp Lodge Head Guide, Alaska West in July is a Fly Fisher’s Dream, Deneki Custom Fly Series: Rapids Camp Smolt. For example, an average 11' 7 weight switch rod will like 375-400 grains with a scandi and 425-450 with a skagit. The back taper and belly on a Scandi line are short. In the world of Trout Spey, Scandi lines are *very* new. The Scandinavian cast ordinarily uses a longer, narrower D-loop than the Skagit cast. In the modern world of Spey fishing, anglers have a multitude of choices when it comes to selecting a fly line. Skagit History Skagit lines were born out of necessity. The "Skagit Heads" and "Scandi Heads" excel in different situations and selecting the right line can make a difference in you fishing success. They are offered in grain weights 150-360. My account New customer? To some degree, the attached tip functions as the forward taper of the line, which in turn helps stabilize the line as it flies through the air. A comparison of Skagit and Scandinavian shooting head line design, casting and fishing philosophies. Then that energy flows into a very long front taper. For skating flies on or near the surface with a tapered leader. In the beginning, Scandinavian rods were stiffer and faster action than Skagit rods, which are actually fairly "traditional action." The Caddis Fly Shop has the expertise and can deliver a superior fly line for Spey and Switch rod fishing from RIO and Airflo. Tips are now the most popular type of tips used with Skagit shooting heads. The idea is to just get your fly out there far enough to "swing" it into the bucket. "Skagit"/"Scandi" refers to the type of shooting head in this system. In its purest form, a mere touch of the fly upon the water is a sufficient anchor with a Scandi cast. Unfortunately, we found that Scandi lines are not yet up to the level of their Skagit cousins and for most people and rods, we’d recommend waiting for the next generation of rods/lines before giving these a go. So, Spey lines have different parts. These Days Skagit lines come in a lot of different sizes and shapes, here are some of the more common types: Compact Skagit: The standard issue, good for most rods in … Rio Scandi Body is a versatile body that combines Skagit power with Scandi grace. The Skagit River and the Olympic Peninsula have defined our products, the way we fish, and our philosophy. Scandi Heads. Messages Many salmon and steelhead rivers have natural vegetation close to the water. Both Skagit and Scandi line systems use the same running lines. Called the SPEY LITE, they are available in Skagit heads and integrated lines, and a Scandi Integrated line. 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. A Skagit system is a heavily weighted line with a sinking leader or tip attached to it. Designing fly line tapers involves unique physics, that drives a specialized s. 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. 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. 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. 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. Below, we'll put the microscope on the Skagit family of lines in an effort to help you make an informed product decision. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Front tapers dissipate (or bleed off) energy so the line stays in the loop for an extended period to enhance flight time. With all of the different Skagit Spey lines out there, I thought I would try and simplify things a little. 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