Comp outfits.

[Toastedheretic]

Right guys,thoroughly enjoyed watching a small but elite speycasting comp yesterday, what would be considered an entry level outfit for throwing these 80ft heads? 15ft twelve weights are not regularly fished here in Ireland is a specialist comp rod the only way to go?

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi P.J.

Any reasonably stiff 15 footer and a suitable head will do.
80 feet is what some of the top dogs use, but most use shorter heads.

If you're looking to start out with throwing James' EED 80 footer though, then a fairly stiff rod will probably be needed

Cheers
Lasse

[Toastedheretic]

Thanks Lasse, have a long way to go alright,really impressed with what those guys can do with a spey line, particularly with the nuances each caster brought and by the encouragement and support they gave each other, a really fine bunch.

[Casting Matters]

Hi Toasted Heretic,

The Spey Heads are cut to suit the rod and also the particular depth of water the competitors have to stand in. At the Spey O Mega competition on the Shannon most heads used were cut around 72 and 73 feet, some 71 feet. A length of amnesia shock leader down the rod then varivas 20 lb running line. All the cutting is done at the back of the Gaelforce 80ft head, the front taper is not touched. Sometimes 15 foot competition rods come up on the forums second hand, or if you put a wanted ad on the SFF one might become available. James Chalmers could probably source you a second hand one to start off with if you asked him.

[Toastedheretic]

Hi Casting Matters, will be taking a lesson in the near future with one of the competitors, hope he can fill me in on the tackle required, comps long way down the road as yet though, will be purchasing one of the Gaelforce 63ft lines next payday for sure. Am fortunate in that live only a couple of hundred meters from a lake with a pontoon on which I can practice when ever the notion hits me, at the moment am putting some of the concepts I have come across on here into practice with my single hander, rotation,drift, etc.
Regards. PJ.

[crunch]

CTS Affinity DH #13-14 blank 4pc: IP=546g (450mm between mounting "pegs"), AA=60

length 5480mm, painted weight 354g, (155,4g, 114,6g, 60,6g, 24,3g)

For comparison Partridge 18 ft 11/12 fast model 1650 rod: IP=395g AA=60 so CTS is 38% stiffer but Partridge is known to be too flimsy for competition casting.

Esa

[sms]

Mikael Blomberg did quite well with the Partridges actually. Until they popped.

[crunch]

I know Sakke it is the Indian... This video I saw in CTS pages did plunge me to order that blank when I thought it is the same "Tellis" blank but obviously it isn't. Hopefully an upgrade anyway?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDICYTHEquo

[sushiyummy]

I picked up the Bruce and Walker Norway 10/11 15 feet rod for $600 new. I know Competition Rods are stiffer, but I wanted a rod that I could also fish with. I will be trying it out with a Vector Head and Nextcast Competition line soon.

I think this was an affordable price to enter the sport, without dedicating this rod to casting only.

[Toastedheretic]

Thanks for the input guys, will be keeping an eye out for something second hand in the coming months.