During the last week, a package arrived from Japan. What was it?
Yes!!! it was my new toy, a Skagit Head for my double-hander, Sage One 7126-4, as well as a 10', T-10 sinking tip! Since this winter has been really cold one, I just needed to stimulate myself with something new to get through, to keep fishing, and I got them!
Air Flo Skagit Compact Inter 540gr and Custom Flo Tip T-10, 10'. They look all good!
I quite like Air Flo's spoolless packaging, in a zip-lock bag, which I think it's much better idea than on a crappy spool.
Line matchwise, it was not easy to pick up 510 or 540gr, even 480gr might have been considerable as well I thought because Sage One 7126-4 has a wider "grain window", so different casters can match different weight lines depending on their preference and feel different.
Eventually, I went for 540gr for two reasons.
The first reason was since I am still a novice Skagit caster, I think a heavier weight line might be easier and better to learn this new casting technique with more load and feel.
And the reason two was my double hand game is mostly done during winter season on big rivers, windy conditions. So I really wanted a powerful shooting head that can cut through the wind and deliver larger flies far enough.
Also, I came across this article in past days and I still remembered about this.
This is a really interesting article for those of you who are keen on Sage Spey Rods, especially one of their most popular double-hander numbers 7126-4 stuff, you should have a very good read on it! Nice and absorbing reviews about TCX(a.k.a. the Death Star), ONE and METHOD are all there.
Another sleety shower day, not a really nice day to get out.
After 25mins drive, unexpected sunny sky on my arrival!
The new Skagit head is nicely accommodated in my Speed Ster 3.5.
After a couple of hours of practice, here is what I found about my new set up, Air Flo Skagit Compact Inter 540gr on Sage ONE 7126-4.
I think I quite like this set up, matching 540gr to the rod. I can feel nice and deep load down through to my top hand on the cork grip when I turn over my rod just after the sweep, but unlikely its slender looking, ONE's butt section has plenty of backbone power to cast out this heavy stuff far across the current.
I don't know, it's hard to describe how in words but it's just "Wow!!" kind of amazing feeling!
"Cool!!"
And I caught the first fish on my new skagit head, not a big one, like a OK one, not as small as the wee brownies that I fished last week.
What an awful weather... so changeable, sun shine, shower and then hail suddenly.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning, looked like a perfect day to search for some new fishing spots.
Sheeps must be feeling good under the sun shine and so am I.
Heading to the same big river but to more up stream like upper part of the lower reach for the first time.
The monster river, Clutha.
Spey fishing on the South Island's biggest river. It is challenging but fun!
As soon as I started fishing, a wee brownie took my new fly that I tied for sea-runners, which was good to know there were fish to take as I had never fished the spot before. But after that nothing much happened there.
So, move!
Just went back to the same spot as I tried a week ago again.
I couldn't get any bite again even though the river looked pretty good.
And then, tried the river mouth at the end of the day. A local family was spin fishing at my favorite channel spot. So I had to stay away from them fishing a bit up stream, and No luck.
On Monday, I took my switch rod and went back to my home river to spend some time for Skagit casting on the water again.
Nice and quiet afternoon on the water. Hopefully have some chance to catch some fish.
Like yesterday, caught a small brownie on the same fly again.
"Hmmm, where is a good one?"
No other fish bit on my fly.
It is fun to practice Skagit casting and I really wanna master it to extend my fly fishing technique in this new area. But at the same time, I just wanna fish more, always wanna catch good fish.
