Single Hand Skagit Tactics Part 2: Single Hand Skagit Set Up

By Fred Telleen

Single Hand Skagit Set Up

In Part 1, I provided some details about why an angler should consider a single hand Skagit set up. In Part 2, I am going to put things together.

The great thing about this system, is you don’t need anything special in terms of additional rods or reels. If you have a spare spool for your fly reel, you can set up a single hand Skagit system.

Instead of a conventional fly line, you will fill your reel with a running line and connect your Skagit head to it. To the Skagit head, you will connect a poly leader or sinking tip.

Running Line

For single hand Skagit casting, most anglers prefer mono running lines. Mono running lines are slick and shoot farther than coated lines. This is especially notable when fishing with a single hand set up. Mono lines are also less likely to tangle and peel off the water with less tension, increasing casting performance twofold.

We love the OPST Lazar Line. It is as slick as oil and comes in a 50 meter length. You can split it between two spools or cut out your heavily used portion over time and retie to some fresh material and still have plenty of running line left.

Skagit Head

The OPST Commando Head was designed with the single hand Skagit cast in mind. In grain weights starting at 150, pairings can start with 3 weight rods and move on upwards to 8wt. Recently, Airflo jumped into the game with the Scout head. We like them both.

Leaders, Tips, Flies

A Skagit head is a fly line body. In order to make it function properly for a Skagit cast, the fly line body needs a tip to “anchor” the cast, so a proper load can be built between the Skagit head and the fly rod. Setting up a running line and matching the head to your fly rod is easy. Figuring out the tip and leader system to use is where many anglers struggle. There are a couple basic principles to consider.

Lighter or weightless flies work best on Poly Leaders with long tippets. Think dries, soft hackles and tiny buggers. The Poly Leader provides more stick on the water than a standard mono leader and the increased length of the tippet allows the energy to transfer gradually from the thick Skagit body down to the fly. If you increase the mass of your fly, you will need to use correspondingly shorter and stouter tippet.

Weighted flies generally cast best when paired with sink tips. The sink tip provides a solid sustained anchor placement, so plenty of energy can build into the casting load and launch the heavy or bulky fly. The tippet needs to be short enough, so the tip and fly stay connected and do not oppose each other during lift off.

The streamer flies I’m throwing the most range from 1.5 to 3.5” long. Some days, they love the flash. Especially on a fast retrieve through skinny water. In deeper flows or on the swing, the more natural patterns typically find the most favor.

All-round 6 weight System

This fall, I have been having fun fishing on the Missouri River with a six weight single hand set up. The 6wt is plenty light and fun for Missouri River fish and has enough power to manage in the wind and to throw larger flies if I want to. With either a 250 grain OPST Commando Head or a 240 grain Airflo Scout Head and two tip combinations, I’m ready for fall streamer action.

System One: From a drift boat, I like to throw an Airflo 5’ Clear Intermediate Poly Leader (Salmon Steelhead size) with 4-5’ OX FC tippet. This system is great for firing out to the bank or stripping over shallow flats. With a 50’ cast, an angler can retrieve 25’ of line and then go straight into the firing position and send it back out. Efficiency translates to more casts in the productive zone and results in less fatigue. Win, win.

System Two: If I’m wade fishing and working more of a swing game, I like to use 5’ of T8 coupled with the same 4-5’ of OX FC tippet. I can achieve several feet of depth in fast water and then get a nice retrieve. The added mass and grain weight of the tip also helps to launch larger streamers.

Skagit Versatility

One of the benefits of the Skagit system is the versatility a single Skagit head can provide. I have described a couple easy set ups that work for me when it comes to streamer fishing. With the variety of floating, intermediate, and sinking tip choices available, you can use a single Skagit head and collect a number of tip combinations to match your fishing needs. As the character of the water or your fly choice changes, you can adjust to the proper delivery system. By changing out your tip, you can adjust to depth and current velocities much as a nymph angler would adjust a leader and add or remove shot.

Did you miss Skagit Tactics Part 1

If you would like to join the Skagit revolution, stop into your North 40 Fly Shop or if you still have questions, reach out to us in the comments below.