Skagit Flight Head - Our Most Popular Spey Line

This our best selling spey line at Red's, and our "go to" for most spey applications.  The front end has a thick tip that packs a big punch and easily lifts out heavy tips and large flies with supreme ease. This is what makes the Skagit Flight our most popular line.  It can cast any size fly.  The heads vary in length between 22 ft and 31 ft, depending on the size, and the range of weights ensures that even the most fastidious of casters will be able to tune their rod to perfection.

Happy Red's Customer and Guided Guest Enjoy the Rewards of the Rio Skagit Flight Spey Line!

Skagit Lines Cast Big Flies

Spey Line Buyer's Guide:  Running Line + Head + Tip = Complete Spey Line

Most spey lines consist of 3 parts.  A head, running line, and a sinking or floating tip.  Heads can be interchanged using a loop to loop connection to running lines.  This allows you to use one reel and one running line for various heads or weight rods.  This is a very cost effective system because you could use one reel and running line for several different spey rods or switch rods.

2 Types of Lines, Skagit Versus Scandinavian Spey Lines

There are 2 main types of spey lines, Skagit style and Scandinavian. Skagit lines are generally used for casting big weighted flies and fast sinking lines, but they also cast light lines and small flies just fine.  Scandinavian lines are designed for casting mid-sized flies and lighter lines.  The Scandinavian heads offer some advantages.  The head is a bit longer so there is less line stripping between casts.  Your casting loops are generally tighter, changing directions is easier, the lines themselves are bit lighter grain weight which results in less fatigue, require a shorter quicker rod stroke using primarily the tip of the rod, and are all around a bit more "fun" to cast.  The downside is that if you plan to fish big flies down deep the Scandi is at a disadvantage.  If you are fishing on or near the surface for steelhead in July - mid October the Scandi is a great choice.

At Red's we sell 4 spey lines to 90% of our customers.  Our best selling spey line is the Skagit Flight.  The advantage of the Skagit Flight  is that it picks up big heavy flies with ease which is especially important for using weighted flies and fast sinking tips. The Airflo Compact Skagit is also a great line and offers very similar qualities.   Our best selling Scandinavian line is the Rio Steelhead Scandi.  The Airflo Compact Scandi offers the same features and is also a great seller.

You will need a running line and some tips to complete your spey line if it isn't being bought as part of a kit.  There are 2 main running lines to consider.  The most popular is a Rio Powerflex running line in size .030.  It is a traditional vinyl line and easy to handle.  It shoots well and is kind of the "standard".  The other option is a mono running line called Rio Slick Shooter.  As the name implies, it is very slick and shoots a long ways. This is very popular with more advanced casters that want some extra distance.

For your Skagit line you want Rio MOW sink tips, they are the best in the business.  You can buy our MOW tip Starter Kit, or you can buy them individually.  They come in a variety of sinking rates and cast very well.  For Scandi lines, you want Rio Power VersiLeaders.  They come in a variety of sink rates and are very easy to cast.

FREE Shipping, WA State Sales Tax Discount, and Red's Customer Service

At Reds we ship all orders FREE via UPS and USPS and pay your sales tax.  In addition to a great price, you are also buying from a premium brick and mortar retailer whose passionate and knowledgeable shop staff will stop at nothing to provide you with the best possible advice and service.  Combine all this and you have the best deal on the internet!  Shop with confidence at Red's Fly Shop.