Skagit Casting Made Easy: OPST Commando Heads on Long Rods

[@robertwest7197]

I’ve watched this video a bunch of times because I just like it, it is good to know you can use the OPST system on longer rods. I think that’s the point of this vid. I can see your one fun dude to fish with, thanks Oliver.

[@JohnWambach-x6k]

I really enjoy your down to earth content..thanks

[@MrKveite1]

Definately one of the best casters i have seen on that side of the pond on youtube, well done:)

[@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins]

0.47 Holy Smokes that is a looooong cast!

[@WesleyWong-wm1fl]

Thanks for the wonderful video Oliver. I was just wondering how these lines would work on big spey rods and now I know thanks to this great film. It was beautifully shot, funny and just enough dialogue to make it informative....I'm going to experiment with these OPST lines in the surf for Stripers.....Yowwzzaaaa !

[@oesutro]

Wesley Wong great idea on the surf. I generally go down in grain weight for overhead casting long bombs.

[@georgebowman5115]

Wesley Wong, l would go same line weight and longer rod, especially when it’s surf. Then you have anywhere from 9 to 11-1/2’ or more fine tuning perceived variables.

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Awesome casting

[@decoydavesmith]

It was painful to watch the guy clamping the line when that fish was bucking hard, but leaning on them and getting them in quickly makes for healthy releases, so nice work. Super cool, all of it!

[@ORBoy80]

This is an awesome video.

[@gcdenkers]

Nice film.

[@mikecoughlin5419]

Beautiful casting! I'm going to try my 450gr. Commando on a longer rod.

[@dylanupdyke4616]

So ,. I have a 13'-8 Winston spey rod but I have a 10' (I believe) OPST commando shooting head which is way too short , on the OPST green laser line. That said, what is the longest shooting head allowable to function properly on a 13'8- 8wt ?

[@ptbodo]

great vid. love the Commando heads on any length

[@Belbivdevoe]

This video was badass!

[@joeyomatic58]

I love Oregon the water and fishing is beautiful

[@robertwest7197]

Revisiting this video many years later and I’m wondering what length of tips are you using?

[@oesutro]

15 ft tips from RIO

[@robertwest7197]

@@oesutro your a good man Oliver! Thanks for the info

[@rangerwhite7091]

Great distances and a very energy efficient way of fishing and great water coverage. The only disadvantage i can see, is having to strip a lot of running line in.

[@simonpieman1653]

And also it's a noisey cast

[@AnonymousOtters]

@@simonpieman1653 Noisey cast? How and in comparison to what?

[@FinLineFly]

Nice video!

[@troutn405]

nice video! what reel is that? at 3:11

[@oesutro]

Christian TFO atoll

[@Cody-fp4qx]

What commando head would be best to go back and forth between a redington dually 11'9 8wt switch rod and a Gloomis roaring river 14' 8/9wt, a 450 or 475?

[@oesutro]

generally, "switch" rods of the same weight carry less grains than a "spey" rod. You could probably get away with a 450 grain, but if it was me, I would choose a 400gr for the switch and a 450 for the 8/9.

[@JosephOng]

Oh to be able to cast like u you guys & be on that divine water......

[@dann4218]

Try anchering the leader instead (you may need a little longer leader). Anchering the line slows it down and takes alot more power to cast it. Plus it scares the fish in calm rivers

[@oesutro]

Selveste Dan , there’s a time and place for everything sure! Sometimes I like touching just the leader when I cast Scandi, but If you want to swing deep with a sink tip and skagit head (like in this video) you don’t want a long leader. The fly would have a tendency to fish closer to the surface than the sink tip, and even if you did have a heavily weighted fly a long leader makes it clunky to cast. Steelhead and salmon here in the pnw are pretty resistant to noise (most of the time). There are jet boats running up the river all the time, in fact sometimes the noise will bring on a bite.

[@dann4218]

If you make that much noise in Scandinavian or Icelandic rivers you would probably get zero fish. Interesting how it's so different. Haven't fished in US yet

[@ezra4517]

What rod are you fishing with in this video?

[@oesutro]

Ezra two rods: TFO 8wt 13ft deer creek and sage 8wt 13ft X

[@dpage1844]

I like this one. I also need to know more about you're equipment How much did you pay for the whole set up? what kind of flies are those? exactly. I have fished that bend for thirty two years and know it well. There's No way that was steelhead he hooked.

[@oesutro]

You can find prices for OPST gear at pureskagit.com/store/ . I don't know what to tell you about that bend, man. No matter how long I have fished, I learn new things every day. What river is that bend on?

[@src4526]

it was a hog fish for sure. maybe a big springer?

[@eighteenbull6177]

The cast 1.46 minutes into the video, line tangled and rod raised high to get rid of slack ? oh this line management, yes most casts are good but only with the right hand uppermost. The river is wide and clear of obstruction, try this with your backside close to a tree lined the bank. Why hinder your self with very short heads. I'll be fishing the big rivers in Scotland with early spring fishing conditions meaning a big deep sunken fly. I served my apprenticeship with rods ranging from 12 to 18 feet with double tapered lines, summer fishing was with a single hander 7/8 , 10 1/2 foot. Last few years the long bellied lines up to 85 ft was my favourite cast until the need for "skagits" for specialist fishing, strong winds, tight places and deep long range fishing. A trip to the river Ness last year saw a lot of anglers using Gael Force shooting heads, so i had a go and was impressed bar the amount of stripping of running line required. Unknown to me a friend gave me a damaged Airflo Rage C 600 grain line that I never bothered to try out, I now have the 570 and 660 version. Shorter rods are fun to use, however, a longer rod just may be easier to use when a heavy sink tip is required. Last week i used my 14ftr Shakespeare Oracle (9) with the 660 range plus an 18ft of T7 Airflo tip and single spey cast it with no issues. Then my RIO 750 Grain with an 15 ft rod (11) 18ft of T18 Airtflo Tip and no issues with the single spey cast. I'm sure i'll be buying more lines like these for my shorter rod for night time sea trout fishing. So what am saying, both the RIO and the Rage are 30 ft long with the potential to single spey cast with them with the added tips, try going long or short for both rods and lines and see whats easier. I do Snake roll, Snap T and Perry poke before it was deemed a standard cast, but the single spey is my favourite from either shoulder but did not come over night

[@MichaelPhillips-jw4bj]

the short opst head casting was designed for highbanks obstructions in mind. common sense a longer head needs more room to use . The opst head is shorter but a 400 grain is a equivalent to 550 and beyond, it has insane bulk and allows you to punch out easier then a long head, Just imagine your 40 foot head folded over to make a thick 20 foot . Imagine how much punch that has. These lines punch out sink tips like you wouldn't believe. I blast out 12 of t11 plus a 4inch intruder with dung bell eyes on a 11 foot switch rod easy... ... skagit heads were purely designed for high banks, smaller rivers,big flies and deeper fishing which is many pacific rivers like the bulkey and the sol duck have... The same people who invented skagit invented the opst head. at 137 you see what i mean kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp-tqGl4lrOKa6c

[@humbleheronflyfishingfinea6887]

Thought i recognized that boat!!

[@oesutro]

Humble Heron Fly Fishing & Fine Art I’ll be back in August, let’s get that boat back out there.

[@humbleheronflyfishingfinea6887]

@@oesutro Any day brother! Had a blast fishing with you.

[@BenjaminArai]

What reel are you using?

[@oesutro]

Benjamin Arai Temple Fork Outfitters Atoll

[@BenjaminArai]

oliver sutro Is it the 9-10 version you matched with the 8wt X?

[@oesutro]

Probably. Not quite sure

[@Raevenswood]

Killer!

[@stephencifka4629]

Great video. Which 13 ft 8 wt you throwing?

[@oesutro]

A TFO 13' 7/8wt Deer Creek Spey and a Sage 13' 8wt X

[@Banzai83]

With 450 grain. Sounds light but I looks like you use the leader to load the rod as well.

[@oesutro]

With OPST lines, you really have to just try it to believe it.

[@Banzai83]

oliver sutro I have 3 opst heads 200, 225 and 325grain to my singelhandrods #5 and #8. But for my 2-hand rods I use 525 13” 8 and 625 grain to my 14” 9-10.

[@oesutro]

Depends what you fish for of course, but if you need to get down for Steelhead or Kings or anything, you should try the 450gr with a 15' tip on your 8wt. Absolutely effortless, and you can get away with a heavier tip/fly.

[@christiannilsson4071]

No. all of those waters could/would/had been fished just as effective on a 150gr 1h - why? opst...

[@oesutro]

ever tried landing a steelhead or chinook on a 8ft 3wt?

[@christiannilsson4071]

no but i have encoutered a sea run brown 80 cm on my 3 wt - why? cause the presentation wa stealthy - sorry for my poor english

[@oesutro]

Maybe that's fine for seatrout, but I was fishing for steelhead and chinook salmon, using a 3wt would have been abusive to the fish. Would have taken an hour to land a 30lbs chinook on that, if at all. If it was a wild fish, the exhaustion would likely kill it. Secondly, I'm using 15ft of t-18 and a heavily weighted fly to get down to these fish. Try casting that on a single handed 3wt. We all love fishing light tackle, especially with OPST heads, but in this particular case, It makes no sense.

[@christiannilsson4071]

i concure/agree - the shortest fight wins the day - in no way shape or form was i trying to state a prolling of cruelty :) ergo i will tip my hat and agree - why? cause you convinced me!! thank you! but still i do enjoy the run of 300 yards break of down the coast/shore/brink