First salt trip with spey

[Mike Thomas]

Hi guys, I finaly managed to get out for a couple of hours fishing this weekend at Orewa beach. Gave the Sey rod a go in the salt with a shooting head and managed a couple of small fish, one Kahwai and one mullet. I found the shooting head hard to cast so switched to a floating spey line with a sinking poly leader and found it much better, perhaps the shootin head is not balanced with my spey rod? I realy enjoyed the casting with the spey rod and hope to give it another go soon.
All the best.
Mike.

[JohnScott]

Mike -

How does the Spey rod do on quiet water ?? ( Assuming the salt you refer to is not moving, except for maybe some tidal currents. )

I really enjoyed casting the two handed rod - 14' for 8/9 - while I had it, but it just wasn't suited to the kind of fishing I do. From my limited experience, it doesn't seem like that kind of rod would be suitable for the salt, unless it is being used for overhead casting as opposed to spey casting ?? **

Whatever, you did get some fishies, and that is what it is all about.

John

** Maybe Barry will see this thread and set me straight !!

[Mike Thomas]

Hi John, the water realy rips through the spot I was fishing at so the spey cast was working just fine, but the shooting head with an overhead cast was hard work, I do not know if the rod is not suited to overhead work or if the shooting head is just too light. I suspect probably a bit of both, but I can not justify the cost of a heavier shooting head just at the moment so it is kind of hard to work out. I think I will have to keep an eye open for a used shooting head of about 500 grains to see how much difference it makes.
Hope all is well with you.
Mike.

[JeffHamm]

Hi Mike,

Sounds like it went well enough to do again. A good sized kawahi on the fly would be a lot of fun.

- Jeff

[Uncle Barry]

Good evening Mike.
Welcome to my World, as I fish a Double just about every evening of the year into the salt.

I normally use a 12ft 7/8w or 14ft 9/10w Double.

You are correct with the thinking that a Spey rod is hard work with shooting heads !
The thing is, your using the wrong rod for the work.

Myself, I use a rod that was designed for Overhead casting, with some form of Head.

OK to try and help you.
What length and weight rod are you using ?
The present head length and weight ?

(your not trying to use a Spey line to Overhead cast, I pray and this load may blow-up your rod, with a lot of care ! )

A suggestion, most people think they require a heavier head where in fact they need to improve their casting action which will result in the person using an even lighter head than they ever thought.

Kind regards,
UB
A very flat winters day,

[Mike Thomas]

Hi Uncle Barry, I am using a 14 ft 8\9\10 St Croix Imperial rod with a floating spey line with a head of around 55ft when spey casting but a 300 grain fast sinking shooting head when overhead casting. I am trying to keep the overhead cast to a short stroke but I am finding it hard to get the timing right and am finding that sometimes the shooting head will cast a fair way but land in a big heap without turning over. I am trying to use the bottom hand more than the top to get the stop required in the forward cast but realy I am not sure if this is the way to go or not.
I am sure that I do indeed need to improve my casting action and also try to find a floating shooting head or maybe a skagit line of about 470 grain but that will have to wait untill my job situation improves a bit!
Anyway thanks for your comments
All the best.
Mike.

[Uncle Barry]

Good evening Mike.
The 14 ft 8\9\10 St Croix should be suitable for OH Casting with care.

Using a 55foot/Short Head Spey, myself I wouldn't bother !
Using a Shooting Head is the way to go for Saltwater applications.

300grain Heads, FS, sounds like a 30ft lump of T14 or LC 13 or there abouts, to me, and that is really a pig to cast, no matter what the experts tell me, if you don't want it to dump, and even harder if your night time fishing.
Of course the experts cast perfectly, each and every time, but general casters like myself have trouble, don't nor do about 99% of the casters.

Why, simply because there is no forward taper to/on the head.
To help over come this problem, I would suggest a very large diameter section of hard monofilament..another story.

BUT
300 grains is way too light for a 14/9/10w rod, you should be looking at about 550 to 580grains of head, depending on the head's length.

'floating shooting head'
NO....... unless, you want something hard to learn with.
A FS or better still an Intermediate is the way to learn and understand the casting forces at work.

'maybe a skagit line of about 470 grain'
Don't think so, because they are special application short heads.
Myself, I would even dream of using one in the salt.

'I am trying to keep the overhead cast to a short stroke"
Thats the right idea, a stop at 1'oclock, then shoot line into the backcast and then allow a drift backwards, then start the forward stroke.

'I am trying to use the bottom hand more than the top to get the stop required in the forward cast but realy I am not sure if this is the way to go or not. "

Wrong! You must be thinking an Underhand cast with the action of the lower hand.
A suggestion,
if you hold, grip, the lower grip in OH casting you are choking the rod's action, and in turn making the turning point at the top hand.
Therefore in effect, generally, reducing the rod's length to between the top hand and the tip.

If, you were to form a cup with your lower hand and place the ball of the lower grip in this cup, you are now, allowing free movement of the rod, and inceasing the rod's length to between the bottom of the rod to the tip.

Now, when casting, push the upper hand as if your punching someone, a nice straight punch.

The ideal distance between your hands should be the width of your shoulders as this is where the max, in power lays.

Any other further ideas or suggestions or help, please feel free to ask at anytime.

Kind regards,
UB

[Mike Thomas]

Thanks very much for all the advice Uncle Barry, I guess I will have to keep my eyes open for a cheep 580 grain shooting head. It realy is a different world on the salt, I look forward to a bit of experimenting.
Once again Thanks.
Mike.