Question: What line do I need?
Answer: Spey lines come in a huge variety of lengths and weights. You don’t buy a 7wt line for a 7wt rod like you would a single hand rod. There are lines designed to do different jobs like sink-tip fishing or dry-line fishing. There is a trend in spey lines today towards short head lines. Essentially, spey lines are getting shorter and heavier giving the rod a quicker and deeper load, thus making them easier to cast. Because of this, matching up rods and lines is also easier. Consulting an expert, whether it be a fishing guide or product rep, is the best way to find out what will make your rod work right for the way you want to fish. Manufacturers will often have this information available but typically the line suggestions are made based on casting situations by expert casters and not so much fishing situations by the average Joe.
Rio introduced and started the Skagit line craze a few years ago. We use and endorse them for their effectiveness, no-nonsense design, and castability. There is no better sink-tip line system on the market. For floating lines, we recommend Rio's AFS Shooting Head Spey lines. They are the smoothest casting floating lines available on the market today. No custom tweeking or cutting needed. Right out of the box, the AFS lines perform flawlessly when fished with a long leader or versa-leader (like a polyleader or mini sink-tip). Buying Shooting Head Skagit or AFS lines allow you to change out you lines quickly without having to buy an extra spool or reel. Rio makes two different shooting lines, Powerflex Core and Slickshooter. Powerflex core comes in a 3 diameters. We recommend the 0.030" for general steelhead use. It comes pre-looped and is very user friendly. Slickshooter shoots like a rocket but is a little higher maintenance. Contact us for more info.
Return to Spey Page