Springer
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Part 1
One of my favourite forms of two-handed fly-casting is casting with shooting heads. They are exciting to use and open up a range of possibilities to the salmon angler. The shooting head is a very versatile salmon fly fishing tool that allows for a lot of effective salmon angling presentation using any type of line from floating to very fast sinking with relative ease. Versatility is the shooting head’s strong point. I first understood the real effectiveness of the shooting head for salmon angling from fishing with Paddy Bonner who is a very experienced shooting head fisher. I have many times since experienced the effectiveness of shooting heads and they are especially useful for sunk line fishing and also for fishing in confined spaces.
A shooting head system increases the amount of good presentation time in the difficult circumstances of high to very high water levels and using a shooting head is I believe the best way of dealing with those conditions on a larger river. For general fishing it is also a fairly user friendly set up that will soon have novices fishing relatively effectively without too much trouble for them.
As well as overhead casting there are three main styles of Spey casting with shooting heads - pure Underhand style as used and popularised by Goran Andersson, more modern Scandinavian Spey style casting as used by many Scandinavian casters today and people like Henrik Mortensen or Andre Scholtz. This more modern style is often called Scandi Spey style. Also Traditional Scottish Spey casting techniques used with the shooting head. There are also more specialised Scottish shooting head techniques with longer heads used on the Tummel and Tay in particular.
Not everyone is fully aware of the differences between using classic Underhand style casting, modern Scandinavian or Scandi Spey style, and traditional Scottish style Spey casting with shooting heads so I will explain them later. First I will explain the set up. Now you may do things differently or cast differently and that is fine, I am only explaining here what I have found works for me.
Shooting Heads
Heads are short heavy fly lines usually of 10 to 13 metres. They are designated between 30 to 50 ft in the American Spey line rating system. However they can be made up to 15 or 17 metres. They are usually tapered so that they are thicker at the end which is attached to the running line and thinner at the end where the leader and fly is attached. They are usually looped at both ends for using loop-to-loop connections to the running line and to the leader or poly leader or tip. As the head is usually only 10 to 13 metres long and a quick change can be made of the head because of the loop-to-loop connections. Heads are usually stored in a wallet. To store in the wallet they are doubled over and then rolled around the hand from the bend in the middle where it was doubled over.
Thin, usually slick, tangle free running line is used behind the head and between the head and the normal gel spun backing. The advantage of the head for casting is that the entire grain weight of the line is normally placed outside the rod tip. It is then easy to project the head weight shooting out only the slick running line to achieve distance. Over shorter range, very close range fishing, the head may be used as a normal line.
There are some disadvantages to using a head, the main one being that in a head wind the line will not unroll out into it as well as a Spey line as there is not enough tension created on the bottom leg of the loop by the thin running line to unroll the top leg of the loop formed by the head fully out into the head wind. With a Spey line this will not be a problem and a Spey line will penetrate any wind, the top leg rolling out in a tight V loop. However with a shooting head braking the running line with the line hand at the right moment, the use of more overhang and the right trajectory helps, all explained later. It is however rare to have to be casting into a strong head wind.
Heads are available in all sorts of weights and sink rates or densities and sometimes with differing densities in different sections of the head. For instance it is possible to have a head rated S1/S2, which means most of the head, the rear part of the head is a class one sinker and the front part of the head is a class two sinker, or any combination, usually with a faster sinking at the front end. There is an F/S5 where the main rear part of the head is floating but the front section of the head is a class five sinker. I like shooting heads that are tapered and I find the Vision Ace to be the best head for this reason, presentation always matters to me, even when using a head. I also like the Scierra system, the Henrick Mortensen Modified Weight Forward system. Apart from standard heads there are also custom made heads and Ken Sawada and Loop supply heads for your own tailoring to your rod. Or you can purchase D.T. Lines about two or three sizes heavier than the rod is rated for and cut them to the right length. D.T. 12’s are considerably harder to find than they used to be. You can get two heads out of a Double taper line. Cut them at exactly the right loading after some experiment. I’ll not get into the grain weight detail and will let some technophile explain all that, I just do it by feel.
Sometimes shooting head casters will deliberately over line slightly with a commercially produced shooting head. Which may sometimes (or may not) make things even easier for short to medium range fishing. Some for instance use a 9/10 shooting head on an 8/9 rod. Vision also does a slightly longer head than standard for spring fishing with heavier rods.
There are also now Scandi Spey lines available now from Snowbee. These are in effect shooting heads with the running line seamlessly attached without any loop-to-loop connection. They are excellent lines.
Running line
Running line is designed to usually be tangle free though normally it will need to be stretched before use to remove the reel memory. Running line diameter is usually matched to the weight of the head so that it does not cause too much resistance. The thin running line is slick and creates little resistance along the rings of the rod. There are two main diameters of running line; I prefer to always use the fine diameter even with heavier heads as I don’t like too much resistance. I also like the lesser water resistance of the thinner running line for sunken line fishing.
Tips / Poly Leaders
Tips are optional attachments for the front of shooting heads as are poly leaders, more or less the same thing. Heads are very suitable for attaching tips to, especially when using Spey style techniques with them, the short heavy head has good command over the tip or poly leader. Tips are available in differing densities and lengths. They are attached by loop-to-loop connections. I can thoroughly recommend the Scierra modified weight forward system tips, which are very well made. I deliberately under line with a tip as the head has more command over it. I would use a tip for an 8/9 head with a 9/10 head. The leader is then attached to the tip or poly leader.
Like heads you can make your own poly leaders easily in different lengths and densities from sections of sinking trout or salmon lines. Buy the bargain lines and make your own loop-to-loop connections with tying thread and super glue. Di 7’s or 5’s make good tips in short lengths.
If I am going to do any amount of overhead casting I do not use tips or poly leaders with the head but select a head of the right density and use a normal leader, usually a short heavy leader if sunk line fishing. The whole purpose of overhead casting with a head is to generate line speed, the hinging effect of poly leaders and leaders destroys this principle and so I prefer to use the head alone when overhead casting especially on larger rivers, more explained later. It is one of the best set ups for throwing bigger flies such as Sunray shadows or bottle tubes at distance.
Other important factors –
Overhang
The amount of running line outside the top eye is called overhang and when using a shooting head the amount has to be controlled. Normally a foot or two and up to about two yards outside the top eye can be used. An excessive amount of running line out the top eye will spoil the cast as the thin running line has not the density or weight to control the head. Up to a certain point the more overhang the tighter the V loop created in front on the final delivery.
Line slip
To increase the amount of overhang used on the last back cast when overhead casting and when the head already has high momentum backwards generated, some of the running line can be slipped out in addition to the normal amount of overhang being used. An extra couple of yards or so is let slip by momentarily loosening the grip on the running line and then tightening it again. This extends the head out further behind and so then helps catapult the head away on the final delivery and importantly maintains a tighter V loop for longer on the forward cast as the head unrolls out slower.
Stripping In Running Line
Shooting head casting is often criticised because it requires stripping in the running line and managing the running line in large loops. That’s all simply completely irrelevant when you are used to it. That’s about the same thing as criticising a manual gear change car for not being an automatic. You just don’t think about using the clutch and changing gears when you are driving as it is so familiar it is done automatically by you anyway, as well as doing the steering and indicating and looking after whatever else is going on. You change gears and use the clutch almost without any thought process whatsoever. After you become used to handling it, this is exactly how stripping running line and running line management is done with a shooting head outfit. It becomes automatic, someone would have to point out to you what you were doing for you to realise what you were doing. You can be talking to someone the whole time and looking at them and do this all without thought or looking at your hands once you are used to it. You will check where your overhang is at a glance and that’s about it.
Running line is held in different fingers of the stripping hand as it is stripped in. Four five or six pull are made and then a loop is caught and held by the little finger. The same amount of pulls again or one pull less and then that loop is held by the ring finger. The next by the middle finger and the next by the index finger. On the final delivery all the loops are let go by opening out the fingers.
There is only two types of fishing time to me, down time or effective presentation time. If using a head gives me more effective presentation time overall during a fishing day in high to very high water levels, then my stripping time, although not presentation time is still therefore not a waste of time. Overall this necessary preparation still allows for more effective presentation time because of the superior efficiency of the technique overall in the circumstances. Having to strip in a lot of line is beneficial actually, it tells you there was a longer cast and better angle, slower presentation. Most importantly, in such circumstances - hold the running line taut and the rod tip out after making a cast until everything is at the right angle before letting it swing round, otherwise you will belly or balloon the set up downstream causing the fly to fish round too fast and defeating the purpose or advantage of the distance achieved. Despite perceptions there is no problem making a mend with the running line and rod after the initial cast, or holding it taut until the right angle is achieved when necessary.
Rods
Rod action and style can vary but you can Underhand or Scandi Spey cast with a traditional Spey casting rod and vice versa. It is perhaps slightly better to have a rod fine-tuned to the style for pure Underhand style. Scandinavian style two-handed rods have slightly shorter butts as the hands are normally held slightly closer together. They have a progressive hyperbolic curve and thin tips. Thinner tips generally than are on traditional Spey casting rods. Consequently they load very deeply on a short stroke but with the high modulus carbon recover quickly. I have a Henrik Mortensen Mk 2 signature series 13 ft for grilse and small river fishing but use my normal Spey casting rods in 14 and 15 ft for larger river fishing. I prefer the older blue Henrik Mortensen rod blanks which are not as fast and have more feel. I also liked the old Loop Adventure. Of course most people associate fast action rods with shooting heads and they do make a good combination, especially for overhead casting. However it is a personal thing with me and I like more feel and deeper loading rods, even for overhead. On the Tay system the Scots use 16 and 17 ft Spey casting rods for their specialised style. A Scandinavian style rod also Spey casts a shooting head exceptionally well when using it with the longer stroke traditional Scottish Spey casting style. Traditional Scottish Spey casting techniques work very well with a shooting head too and they are effective when used with classic Underhand style casting or modern Scandinavian style Spey Casting. Shooting heads and shooting head set-ups are generally versatile.
Shooting Head Casting Styles
It is not necessary to use the classic Underhand cast with a shooting head outfit and modern Scandinavian style is now popular also. It is useful out of interest and best to know the original Underhand style. Having used it for quite a while I quite like classic Underhand personally but generally prefer the traditional Scottish Spey or modern Scandi Spey casting styles with the shooting head as it is not necessary to use the longer leaders if one does not wish to. When you learn the various styles you can use which you like or use elements from some in your own hybrid version. Shooting heads are particularly suited to use with modern poly leaders and tips when doing any type of Spey or Underhand casting with them. However if you start overhead casting with them, although manageable it is not anywhere near so practical or easy as simply using the straight head and a shorter leader. For overhead it is better just to use a head alone of the right density for the water conditions and a shorter leader - otherwise you can encounter all sorts of hinging problems and will sacrifice some speed, which is really the main benefit of overhead casting with a shooting head. As there are very many types of head made nowadays including those with various sinking rates or sink tips integral to the head itself, so it is not necessary to use poly leaders or tips for overhead casting. I would recommend using a head with a good taper.
The main differences between the styles are in the grip, the stroke length, how much body movement is used and leader lengths used. Basically traditional Scottish Spey style is a long stroke style with circling up behind and using both upper body rotation as well as realignment. Also using weight shift. A normal shoulder width grip is used. The top hand may be used as much or more for the final delivery. Underhand casting as used by Goran Andersson is a short stroke style that involves working in front of oneself, shorter movements, practically no arm swinging or upper body rotation at all. Usually upper body realignment only is used. A shortened grip is used with the top hand brought down the handle. Long leaders are used. The bottom hand is very dominant in the final delivery.
Modern Scandinavian Style is now common with Scandinavian shooting head casters. It is in effect the modern straight line Spey Cast using some upper body rotation and weight shift, using a slightly longer stroke length than classic Underhand. The rod is still kept in front of the caster but the body weight shift is used more and a much more compressed and dynamic loop is formed. The normal width grip is also used although the handle on the Scandinavian style rod may be slightly shorter than on traditional style Spey casting rods. The long leaders of Underhand are not necessary though of course tips/poly leaders and tapered leaders may be used. If not and a standard tapered leader length is used some of the head may be placed on the water - or not some of the head as the caster prefers. This modern Scandinavian set up is then often more versatile for overhead casting as if the standard leader is used it does not cause any problems.
One of my favourite forms of two-handed fly-casting is casting with shooting heads. They are exciting to use and open up a range of possibilities to the salmon angler. The shooting head is a very versatile salmon fly fishing tool that allows for a lot of effective salmon angling presentation using any type of line from floating to very fast sinking with relative ease. Versatility is the shooting head’s strong point. I first understood the real effectiveness of the shooting head for salmon angling from fishing with Paddy Bonner who is a very experienced shooting head fisher. I have many times since experienced the effectiveness of shooting heads and they are especially useful for sunk line fishing and also for fishing in confined spaces.
A shooting head system increases the amount of good presentation time in the difficult circumstances of high to very high water levels and using a shooting head is I believe the best way of dealing with those conditions on a larger river. For general fishing it is also a fairly user friendly set up that will soon have novices fishing relatively effectively without too much trouble for them.
As well as overhead casting there are three main styles of Spey casting with shooting heads - pure Underhand style as used and popularised by Goran Andersson, more modern Scandinavian Spey style casting as used by many Scandinavian casters today and people like Henrik Mortensen or Andre Scholtz. This more modern style is often called Scandi Spey style. Also Traditional Scottish Spey casting techniques used with the shooting head. There are also more specialised Scottish shooting head techniques with longer heads used on the Tummel and Tay in particular.
Not everyone is fully aware of the differences between using classic Underhand style casting, modern Scandinavian or Scandi Spey style, and traditional Scottish style Spey casting with shooting heads so I will explain them later. First I will explain the set up. Now you may do things differently or cast differently and that is fine, I am only explaining here what I have found works for me.
Shooting Heads
Heads are short heavy fly lines usually of 10 to 13 metres. They are designated between 30 to 50 ft in the American Spey line rating system. However they can be made up to 15 or 17 metres. They are usually tapered so that they are thicker at the end which is attached to the running line and thinner at the end where the leader and fly is attached. They are usually looped at both ends for using loop-to-loop connections to the running line and to the leader or poly leader or tip. As the head is usually only 10 to 13 metres long and a quick change can be made of the head because of the loop-to-loop connections. Heads are usually stored in a wallet. To store in the wallet they are doubled over and then rolled around the hand from the bend in the middle where it was doubled over.
Thin, usually slick, tangle free running line is used behind the head and between the head and the normal gel spun backing. The advantage of the head for casting is that the entire grain weight of the line is normally placed outside the rod tip. It is then easy to project the head weight shooting out only the slick running line to achieve distance. Over shorter range, very close range fishing, the head may be used as a normal line.
There are some disadvantages to using a head, the main one being that in a head wind the line will not unroll out into it as well as a Spey line as there is not enough tension created on the bottom leg of the loop by the thin running line to unroll the top leg of the loop formed by the head fully out into the head wind. With a Spey line this will not be a problem and a Spey line will penetrate any wind, the top leg rolling out in a tight V loop. However with a shooting head braking the running line with the line hand at the right moment, the use of more overhang and the right trajectory helps, all explained later. It is however rare to have to be casting into a strong head wind.
Heads are available in all sorts of weights and sink rates or densities and sometimes with differing densities in different sections of the head. For instance it is possible to have a head rated S1/S2, which means most of the head, the rear part of the head is a class one sinker and the front part of the head is a class two sinker, or any combination, usually with a faster sinking at the front end. There is an F/S5 where the main rear part of the head is floating but the front section of the head is a class five sinker. I like shooting heads that are tapered and I find the Vision Ace to be the best head for this reason, presentation always matters to me, even when using a head. I also like the Scierra system, the Henrick Mortensen Modified Weight Forward system. Apart from standard heads there are also custom made heads and Ken Sawada and Loop supply heads for your own tailoring to your rod. Or you can purchase D.T. Lines about two or three sizes heavier than the rod is rated for and cut them to the right length. D.T. 12’s are considerably harder to find than they used to be. You can get two heads out of a Double taper line. Cut them at exactly the right loading after some experiment. I’ll not get into the grain weight detail and will let some technophile explain all that, I just do it by feel.
Sometimes shooting head casters will deliberately over line slightly with a commercially produced shooting head. Which may sometimes (or may not) make things even easier for short to medium range fishing. Some for instance use a 9/10 shooting head on an 8/9 rod. Vision also does a slightly longer head than standard for spring fishing with heavier rods.
There are also now Scandi Spey lines available now from Snowbee. These are in effect shooting heads with the running line seamlessly attached without any loop-to-loop connection. They are excellent lines.
Running line
Running line is designed to usually be tangle free though normally it will need to be stretched before use to remove the reel memory. Running line diameter is usually matched to the weight of the head so that it does not cause too much resistance. The thin running line is slick and creates little resistance along the rings of the rod. There are two main diameters of running line; I prefer to always use the fine diameter even with heavier heads as I don’t like too much resistance. I also like the lesser water resistance of the thinner running line for sunken line fishing.
Tips / Poly Leaders
Tips are optional attachments for the front of shooting heads as are poly leaders, more or less the same thing. Heads are very suitable for attaching tips to, especially when using Spey style techniques with them, the short heavy head has good command over the tip or poly leader. Tips are available in differing densities and lengths. They are attached by loop-to-loop connections. I can thoroughly recommend the Scierra modified weight forward system tips, which are very well made. I deliberately under line with a tip as the head has more command over it. I would use a tip for an 8/9 head with a 9/10 head. The leader is then attached to the tip or poly leader.
Like heads you can make your own poly leaders easily in different lengths and densities from sections of sinking trout or salmon lines. Buy the bargain lines and make your own loop-to-loop connections with tying thread and super glue. Di 7’s or 5’s make good tips in short lengths.
If I am going to do any amount of overhead casting I do not use tips or poly leaders with the head but select a head of the right density and use a normal leader, usually a short heavy leader if sunk line fishing. The whole purpose of overhead casting with a head is to generate line speed, the hinging effect of poly leaders and leaders destroys this principle and so I prefer to use the head alone when overhead casting especially on larger rivers, more explained later. It is one of the best set ups for throwing bigger flies such as Sunray shadows or bottle tubes at distance.
Other important factors –
Overhang
The amount of running line outside the top eye is called overhang and when using a shooting head the amount has to be controlled. Normally a foot or two and up to about two yards outside the top eye can be used. An excessive amount of running line out the top eye will spoil the cast as the thin running line has not the density or weight to control the head. Up to a certain point the more overhang the tighter the V loop created in front on the final delivery.
Line slip
To increase the amount of overhang used on the last back cast when overhead casting and when the head already has high momentum backwards generated, some of the running line can be slipped out in addition to the normal amount of overhang being used. An extra couple of yards or so is let slip by momentarily loosening the grip on the running line and then tightening it again. This extends the head out further behind and so then helps catapult the head away on the final delivery and importantly maintains a tighter V loop for longer on the forward cast as the head unrolls out slower.
Stripping In Running Line
Shooting head casting is often criticised because it requires stripping in the running line and managing the running line in large loops. That’s all simply completely irrelevant when you are used to it. That’s about the same thing as criticising a manual gear change car for not being an automatic. You just don’t think about using the clutch and changing gears when you are driving as it is so familiar it is done automatically by you anyway, as well as doing the steering and indicating and looking after whatever else is going on. You change gears and use the clutch almost without any thought process whatsoever. After you become used to handling it, this is exactly how stripping running line and running line management is done with a shooting head outfit. It becomes automatic, someone would have to point out to you what you were doing for you to realise what you were doing. You can be talking to someone the whole time and looking at them and do this all without thought or looking at your hands once you are used to it. You will check where your overhang is at a glance and that’s about it.
Running line is held in different fingers of the stripping hand as it is stripped in. Four five or six pull are made and then a loop is caught and held by the little finger. The same amount of pulls again or one pull less and then that loop is held by the ring finger. The next by the middle finger and the next by the index finger. On the final delivery all the loops are let go by opening out the fingers.
There is only two types of fishing time to me, down time or effective presentation time. If using a head gives me more effective presentation time overall during a fishing day in high to very high water levels, then my stripping time, although not presentation time is still therefore not a waste of time. Overall this necessary preparation still allows for more effective presentation time because of the superior efficiency of the technique overall in the circumstances. Having to strip in a lot of line is beneficial actually, it tells you there was a longer cast and better angle, slower presentation. Most importantly, in such circumstances - hold the running line taut and the rod tip out after making a cast until everything is at the right angle before letting it swing round, otherwise you will belly or balloon the set up downstream causing the fly to fish round too fast and defeating the purpose or advantage of the distance achieved. Despite perceptions there is no problem making a mend with the running line and rod after the initial cast, or holding it taut until the right angle is achieved when necessary.
Rods
Rod action and style can vary but you can Underhand or Scandi Spey cast with a traditional Spey casting rod and vice versa. It is perhaps slightly better to have a rod fine-tuned to the style for pure Underhand style. Scandinavian style two-handed rods have slightly shorter butts as the hands are normally held slightly closer together. They have a progressive hyperbolic curve and thin tips. Thinner tips generally than are on traditional Spey casting rods. Consequently they load very deeply on a short stroke but with the high modulus carbon recover quickly. I have a Henrik Mortensen Mk 2 signature series 13 ft for grilse and small river fishing but use my normal Spey casting rods in 14 and 15 ft for larger river fishing. I prefer the older blue Henrik Mortensen rod blanks which are not as fast and have more feel. I also liked the old Loop Adventure. Of course most people associate fast action rods with shooting heads and they do make a good combination, especially for overhead casting. However it is a personal thing with me and I like more feel and deeper loading rods, even for overhead. On the Tay system the Scots use 16 and 17 ft Spey casting rods for their specialised style. A Scandinavian style rod also Spey casts a shooting head exceptionally well when using it with the longer stroke traditional Scottish Spey casting style. Traditional Scottish Spey casting techniques work very well with a shooting head too and they are effective when used with classic Underhand style casting or modern Scandinavian style Spey Casting. Shooting heads and shooting head set-ups are generally versatile.
Shooting Head Casting Styles
It is not necessary to use the classic Underhand cast with a shooting head outfit and modern Scandinavian style is now popular also. It is useful out of interest and best to know the original Underhand style. Having used it for quite a while I quite like classic Underhand personally but generally prefer the traditional Scottish Spey or modern Scandi Spey casting styles with the shooting head as it is not necessary to use the longer leaders if one does not wish to. When you learn the various styles you can use which you like or use elements from some in your own hybrid version. Shooting heads are particularly suited to use with modern poly leaders and tips when doing any type of Spey or Underhand casting with them. However if you start overhead casting with them, although manageable it is not anywhere near so practical or easy as simply using the straight head and a shorter leader. For overhead it is better just to use a head alone of the right density for the water conditions and a shorter leader - otherwise you can encounter all sorts of hinging problems and will sacrifice some speed, which is really the main benefit of overhead casting with a shooting head. As there are very many types of head made nowadays including those with various sinking rates or sink tips integral to the head itself, so it is not necessary to use poly leaders or tips for overhead casting. I would recommend using a head with a good taper.
The main differences between the styles are in the grip, the stroke length, how much body movement is used and leader lengths used. Basically traditional Scottish Spey style is a long stroke style with circling up behind and using both upper body rotation as well as realignment. Also using weight shift. A normal shoulder width grip is used. The top hand may be used as much or more for the final delivery. Underhand casting as used by Goran Andersson is a short stroke style that involves working in front of oneself, shorter movements, practically no arm swinging or upper body rotation at all. Usually upper body realignment only is used. A shortened grip is used with the top hand brought down the handle. Long leaders are used. The bottom hand is very dominant in the final delivery.
Modern Scandinavian Style is now common with Scandinavian shooting head casters. It is in effect the modern straight line Spey Cast using some upper body rotation and weight shift, using a slightly longer stroke length than classic Underhand. The rod is still kept in front of the caster but the body weight shift is used more and a much more compressed and dynamic loop is formed. The normal width grip is also used although the handle on the Scandinavian style rod may be slightly shorter than on traditional style Spey casting rods. The long leaders of Underhand are not necessary though of course tips/poly leaders and tapered leaders may be used. If not and a standard tapered leader length is used some of the head may be placed on the water - or not some of the head as the caster prefers. This modern Scandinavian set up is then often more versatile for overhead casting as if the standard leader is used it does not cause any problems.