Swinging Flies for Trout

[thinhorn_AK]

What’s a good sort setup to get as my first one? I’ve done a lot of fly fishing, even some saltwater fly fishing but I want to get a sort rod for steelhead and salmon.

I’m thinking like a 7wt or go with an 8??? Reel with a full cage for sure like a Galvan swing but what rod? I do t want something cheap but I probably don’t want to spend like 1500 dollars for just the rod, wouldn’t mind 1500 for the rod/reel though.

I see Scott makes one as does sage. Are those worth the money over like a Redington claymore or an echo? I’d like something that I’ll be happy with for awhile, not something I feel I need to upgrade or have regrets about buying.

Thanks!

 

[JMasson]

What’s a good sort setup to get as my first one? I’ve done a lot of fly fishing, even some saltwater fly fishing but I want to get a sort rod for steelhead and salmon.

I’m thinking like a 7wt or go with an 8??? Reel with a full cage for sure like a Galvan swing but what rod? I do t want something cheap but I probably don’t want to spend like 1500 dollars for just the rod, wouldn’t mind 1500 for the rod/reel though.

I see Scott makes one as does sage. Are those worth the money over like a Redington claymore or an echo? I’d like something that I’ll be happy with for awhile, not something I feel I need to upgrade or have regrets about buying.

Thanks!

The Echo Full Spey. They’re all 13’ and I’d likely recommend the 8wt since you’re fishing Alaska and a monster king salmon is a real possibility. Redington Claymore is a pretty good rod for the money and they make it in a 13’6” 8wt so it also wouldn’t be a terrible choice. Are Scott, Sage, Hardy, etc worth the money? That will depend on who you ask. It isn’t worth the money in my opinion but that’s just my opinion so take it for what it’s worth….not a damn thing. The Galvan Swing is a nice reel and would work great. Personally, I’m a fan of Lamson’s stuff and they have a few models that are full frame reels and are roughly the same price as the Galvan reel.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

The Echo Full Spey. They’re all 13’ and I’d likely recommend the 8wt since you’re fishing Alaska and a monster king salmon is a real possibility. Redington Claymore is a pretty good rod for the money and they make it in a 13’6” 8wt so it also wouldn’t be a terrible choice. Are Scott, Sage, Hardy, etc worth the money? That will depend on who you ask. It isn’t worth the money in my opinion but that’s just my opinion so take it for what it’s worth….not a damn thing. The Galvan Swing is a nice reel and would work great. Personally, I’m a fan of Lamson’s stuff and they have a few models that are full frame reels and are roughly the same price as the Galvan reel.

My buddy really likes the echo stuff, I’ve used some of their standard rods in the past, nothing flashy but they were good rods and if I remember right the warranty was solid.

 

[JMasson]

My buddy really likes the echo stuff, I’ve used some of their standard rods in the past, nothing flashy but they were good rods and if I remember right the warranty was solid.

Never had to use their warranty but I like their rods. I would probably pair a 13’ 8wt Echo Full Spey with an OPST Commando 450gr head so you could fish really heavy sink tips and big flies. Running line of choice but I like to use a fluorescent Berkley 40# monofilament as running line. It floats and shoots well and you can get a whole lot more of it for the price you’d pay for a spool of dedicated running line. I’ve started to use a bimini twist in my running to head and backing to running line connections on big critter rods vs using a double or triple surgeon’s knot. It’s a smoother connection and runs through the guides easier and it’s also the only knot that is 100% the tensile strength of the line (doubles the tensile strength of the line at the knot actually). Use a minimum of 30# backing but 40# wouldn’t be the wrong answer in my opinion.

 

[MulemanMT]

I've caught Bull trout on articulated streamers

 

[Mcnasty]

View attachment 799374

Anyone else swing flies for big trout? I’m stationed in Italy currently (my tour will be over in January 2026) and I’ve been doing a lot of fishing. Currently most of the trout fishing is in a closed season until mid-March. I’ve become obsessed with catching a big Marble Trout which can only be found in southern Europe rivers that drain into the Adriatic Sea. Italy has a lot in South-Tyrol, Trentino Alto-Adige, Veneto and Friulia- Giulia-Venetia provinces. Slovenia probably has the largest population and the biggest as well as Huchen (Danube Salmon). Been sitting at the vise for a while and after tying about 300 flies for my nephew’s Christmas present I started tying some intruders and bunny flies to swing on my spey rods. Hopefully I can connect in the spring. I managed to hook some big trout this summer and fall but didn’t manage to bring any to the net. Most trout regions have a barbless hook requirement. I’ll be swinging these on an Echo Swing 11’ 3wt rigged with a 250gr OPST head and various dual density/ sinking tips come this spring.

Anyone else swing flies for trout on a two-handed rod? Definitely not the most productive method of fishing but I’ve been hooked since the first time I swung flies for steelhead in BC….about 20 years ago now.

I love to swing for trout in CO. I got a loomis IMX pro 3 wt with OPST Skagit head and Rio tip set after swinging a 7 wt echo switch for steel head on a trip to Washington. It took me a bit to figure out the right line/grain weight to enable solid casting but now that I have the right combo its a rocket (when I cast well). Most of my local water is not really big enough from a width and flow perspective to swing properly so I mostly use it high water and run off when the rivers a blown out. Agree its not the most productive tool from a numbers game but the takes are amazing and typically the bigger fish in the system. Its also great tool for the beach as well in inlets and places that have heave tidal flows. I am really happy that companies are embracing the lighter "trout spey" focused rods, lines and tips. Flies look great, sculpzilla is probably my favorite pattern for swinging up trout in various weights depending. Cheers

 

[Dos XX]

Here are a couple. The first one I caught. I will never forget it. I'm not sure if I caught the other ones or if I was the photographer. I think my buddy may have caught those. I don't recognize that blue fly.

 

[trip3k]

nice fish