Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Sage Trout Spey vs Winston Micro Spey



Here is a very good article by Gorge Fly Shop comparing Sage Trout Spey vs Winston Micro Spey. For those intending to make the foray into the small switch rod arena (2wt - 4wt), this is a good read.

http://www.gorgeflyshops.blogspot.sg/2016/04/winston-microspey-vs-sage-trout-spey.html

Friday, February 19, 2016

Spey Casting Fundamentals


Here is a very good video covering some spey casting basics by Will Turek. I decided to bookmark his video here because I find his explanation very concise and easy to understand. This would serve as a good reference for those interested in learning Spey casting.

I like how he explains the relationship between anchor and D-loop size and also the 180 degree rule of spey casting.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

RIO Spey Lines for the Micro Spey Game


Here is a very good write up by George Cook of Sage on the choice of lines from RIO if you are into the micro Spey / Trout Spey / ultralight Spey game.

http://www.rioproducts.com/blog/trout-spey-lines-defined-by-george-cook/#more-3693


Thursday, January 7, 2016

Making Sense of Switch Rods and Lines - by RIO



Here is a good write up by RIO on how to make sense of the plethora of lines offered by RIO for Switch rods. If you are ever in doubt as to which RIO Spey line to select for your need, read this and be enlightened.

RIO Spey Line Weight Table



Here is a table that I find very useful to quickly reference the Spey line offerings by RIO. This table allows me to quickly find out the length of and grain weight of each line type/model including the MOW tips. I though I will share it here.

Here is the link to the pdf file in RIO website:
http://cdn-tp2.mozu.com/15440-m1/cms/files/4c16fc29-bcf8-490f-94f1-802b90ba281d

RIO 2016 Spey Line Weight part 1

RIO 2016 Spey Line Weight part 2

For those interested in RIO sink tip specifications, they are available here:

http://cdn-tp2.mozu.com/15440-m1/cms/files/ae7a325e-6d72-42d9-a0d0-52982c6255cc



Tuesday, January 5, 2016

6 Piece Travel Switch Rod


I have been hunting high and low for a 6pc travel length switch rod for some time now. So, when a newly acquainted fellow angler pointed me in the direction of  Shakespeare fly rods, specifically the Oracle EXP range, I was both delighted and intrigue.

Intrigue because Shakespeare has never been popular for their fly rods. Spinning rods ...yes, the famous Ugly Stick comes to mind but fly rods??!!. I kept an open mind and did some research on the web. There are not a whole lot of reviews that I can find but here are a few good ones:



Here is the promo video by Shakespeare for this rod range:



In the end, I took the plunge and bought the Oracle EXP #7/8 11ft 6pc Switch. I had the rod for a while now and has been fishing with it to put it through its paces. Now I think I am ready to write a review.

The Oracle EXP #7/8 is AFTM rated. This means that it is equivalent to a single hand 7/8 wt rod rating. If we go by the US Switch rod rating, I would rate this as a 5/6 wt Switch rod. After some experimentation with different grain Skagit lines, I concluded the grain window for this rod is between 350 and 450 grains.

This rod amazes me with its recovery speed. Although not marketed as a fast rod, it does exhibit very good recovery and can generate some pretty good line speed. Furthermore, I like the progressive action of the rod. The more you load the rod, the lower down it bends and the more it powers up. I like how it launches the 450 grain Ambush head with ease, flexing progressively to the mid section.

Aesthetically, there is nothing to shout about. It is best described as low key and functional. The cork quality is no worse than my TFO and the blank is matte camo green to reduce fish spooking glare. I was impressed by how well the ferules fit together for a rod of this price range. It shows no sign of loosening or twisting even after pro-long casting. The reel seat is anodized aluminium which means I can use it in saltwater. Despite being 6pc, this rod does not feel heavy at all. In fact the swing weight is comparable to my TFO Deer Creek 6wt. This rod is also built tough and you can really yank on the fish without worrying about breakage.

Overall, this is a great rod and very affordable to boot. I like it that it can be broken down to 6pc and fits easily into my check-in luggage for travel. It cast well, it fish well and the 6pc design makes it a handy backup travel rod.

Here are some pics of fish I have done battle with on this rod.

Giant Trevally

Mangrove Jack


Jungle Perch


Currently the Oracle EXP range of Switch rod comes only in #7/8 and #8/9. I wish Shakespeare would consider making a #4/5 and #5/6 version which I would buy in a heartbeat. I have also spent an hour or so test casting the Oracle EXP #8/9 rod with 450 grain Ambush line. The verdict is that this rod is casting more from the top one third of the rod. The flex is not as progressive as the #7/8. This is not necessarily a bad thing as this "tip flexing" action gives very consistent tight loops. I think the Scandi casters will like this action.

Note:
Another option for multi piece travel switch rod would be the Guideline LXi T-Pac switch rod. It is 11'6", breaks down to 5 pieces and comes in  #6/7, #7/8, #8/9 (AFTM rating).

*Updated 11 May 2016:
I just came back from Thailand fishing trip using the Oracle EXP #7/8 rod. This rod has what it takes to handle big fish and is plenty tough too. There was an occasion when I accidentally whacked the rod tip onto a nearby tiled roof during a difficult cast and the rod survived. I was expecting the worst but the rod just went on as if nothing has happened.

Here are some pics of big fish I caught there pairing up the rod with my trusty Lamson Speedster and 400 grain SA Skagit Extreme line.

Chao Phraya Catfish
Mekong Catfish

Giant Pacu