SKAGIT INTERMEDIATE HEADS: A PRIMER

SKAGIT INTERMEDIATE HEADS: SPEY CASTING AND FISHING

Written by Deschutes Angler Guide Evan Unti

RIO's NEW Skagit iFlight Intermediate and AIRFLO's Skagit Compact Intermediate Heads

Airflo Skagit Intermediate & Rio iFlight Intermediate

We have been getting many phone calls about the the Skagit Intermediate Lines pertaining to both Spey Fishing and Spey Casting.  These new lines have been getting a lot of hype lately, and for good reason. We all know that Winter Steelhead present many challenges not offered up in the summer. The rivers are constantly changing - flow, turbidity or temperature are forcing anglers to adapt tactics to the current conditions. in our experience, the most important aspect of catching Winter Steelhead is making sure the fly swings as slow as possible - which is harder then it seems.  This is where the Skagit Intermediate Lines come in.  

What Are Skagit Intermediate Head For?

The Skagit Intermediate is designed to help slow the fly down without over mending the line. In fact, its critical to mend less and think casting angle when using the Skagit Intermediate Head. Remember, as soon as the line hits the water you will have over 30 ft. of material sinking which leaves little room to make adjustments. Thus it's of paramount importance to cast the line at just about the angle you want the fly to fish at.  One mend will suffice to help get the fly down and make sure the fly, sink tip and line are all straight. Here is the beautiful thing about the Skagit Intermediate Heads - surface currents are always faster then sub-surface currents. When the intermediate line sinks below the surface currents it will find the slower sub-surface currents. This means without having to mend the line it will come across the current slower. With the right casting angle you will be crawling your fly across the current as slowly as possible.  The slower the line speed, the greater the chance a Steelhead will strike.  

How To Select A Skagit Intermediate For Your Rod

When selecting a Skagit Intermediate Head for your rod, choose the same grain weight as your Standard Skagit Line.  One would do this because the Skagit Intermediate and the Standard Skagit are identical in terms of taper and length. The only adjustment you will have to make is setting the line up for the cast.  Because there is additional sinking material it will be much harder to lift all the line out of the water whether for a Snap-T, Double Spey or Perry Poke. The real key to getting all the sinking material out of the water will be to lift as slowly as possible to ensure the Skagit Head and sink tip come to the surface.  If you move to quickly the rod will bend against the resistance of the head and the tip and will not bring the material to the surface.  If going slow is out of the question, just give the line a roll cast downstream and immediately move into the set up.  Always remember not to camp on it after you roll cast because the head and tip will start to sink again.

A Winter Steelheading Advantage

If you want to up the ante in Winter Steelhead fishing, we at Deschutes Angler believe this line will significantly aid in slowing the swing regardless of water or weather conditions. With Winter Steelhead, we need every advantage possible because even in the best conditions, the Steelhead are often allusive and very hard to come by. Give one of these Skagit Intermediate Heads a try and see what happens.  We think you will love them!

Choosing The Right Shooting Head Can Be Difficult.  Contact Us For Recommendations.