Introduction
There are a multitude of different spey lines available on the market today and most can either be categorized as a Skagit or a Scandi line. Both Skagit and Scandi are names for shoot lumps that are part of a system that consists of; a shooting line, a shooting block and a tip. A shooting lump is a short piece of fly line that is heavy enough to load a rod and deliver long and precise casts in one sweep. You fasten the shooting block to the shooting line where the same shooting line works equally well for both Skagit and Scandi lines. The shooting line's job is to shoot out through the grooves as friction-free as possible while the shooting block travels to its target. Imagine throwing a tennis ball with a thin string attached to it, the tennis ball has a higher force than the thin string, which means that the thin string will fly behind it like a tail - Newton's second law. For Skagit clumps, you need a tip/tip, and as with the shooting clumps, these come in a variety of lengths and densities. On the Scandi clods, the tip is usually integrated into the clod. Finally, attach your paw with the bow at the far end. All of this is usually connected with loop-to-loop connectors. I also want to mention that shooting blocks with integrated shooting line are starting to grow in popularity. The advantage of this type of rope is that you can strip the rope in longer without having loops that tend to get caught in the tracks.
Skagit Lumps
Skagit Lumps are designed to cast heavy flies and sinking tips with ease. It's at its best when you're casting in tight spaces, say you've got a tree above you or you're standing close to the shoreline. You get these properties because the lump is short and loads your rod easier. A skagit line is a good choice for someone new to two-handed fishing. This is because the fisherman can more easily feel how the line affects the rod when it is loaded, there are not the same demands on the timing of your cast and it is more forgiving of a lack of technique.
To hopefully create further understanding, a Skagit lump is really just an "extremely" WF (weight forward) line.
Advantages:
- Can throw heavy flies and spikes
- You can get good speed on the line, which together with its weight easily shoots through the wind
- Throw with limited space behind you
- A very good all-round line as you can throw both heavy flies and tips, but of course light counterparts too
- Beginner friendly
Disadvantages:
- May feel awkward due to the heavy weight and volume of the lump
- It is not the line for soft presentations, which is usually not of the highest importance when swinging flies. But there are times when nice presentations can be important
- It can be a bit difficult to maneuver when you want to do combo throws. Better suited for simple anchor casting.
Scandi Chunks
The Scandi block is designed to be easy to throw and flexible. If the skagit block was more focused on just getting the fly out, the Scandi block is more of a throwing experience where presentation and elegance are the watchwords. The Scandi block is recommended when you have to throw a little smaller flies and maybe a little lighter tips on rivers with a little less water. The Scandi lump gets these characteristics due to the fact that it is longer overall but it also has a gentler taper.
Advantages:
- Light throws with great elegance
- Soft and nice presentations
- Suitable for combo throws such as a snake roll
Disadvantages:
- Tricky with heavier bow ties and laces
- Performs worse in windy conditions
- Requires more throw space
Understanding Line Weights
You who are new to two-handed fishing are perhaps used to the fact that how much the line weighs does not matter. If you have a class 6 rod, you only choose a class 6 line. It's not really that simple when you have to choose a speyline, here you rather measure the real weight of the lump, this is usually measured in the unit grains but also occurs as grams. Most two-handed rods have a recommended line weight either written directly on the rod or found where you buy the rod. Many manufacturers also have a recommended line weight for a Scandi lump and one for the Skagit lump. To add an additional parameter to this equation, line weight depends largely on your casting technique - thus a personal preference.
A scandi lump is generally 30-60 grains lighter than a skagit equivalent on the same rod.
For example, if the recommendation for your rod is a scandi lump of 480 grains, then a skagit lump on the same rod should be in the 510-540 grain range. But again, it's a lot of personal preference that comes into play. If you are new to the field, I advise you to follow the recommendations that are available.
If you have more questions about the subject or perhaps need a recommendation for your particular rod, write us an email and we will help you, info@flyfishingmarket . see
Emil - Fly fishing market
