[Robert MacDonald-Lewis]

Finally finished assembling my Christmas present. Had a brief play on grass this morning , seems casting a bit of fluff makes for an excellent cat toy.

Thanks to Sandy for the advice on the epoxy.

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Robert 

Have you built one before?

[Robert MacDonald-Lewis]

Thanks Mike.

Yeah, this is my second build. Few years ago I built one of the Epic 686 blem ready to wrap kits.

[James Laraway]

You can totally fish my mini humongous' on that rod 

[Steven Kidd]

I have that very rod it is great fun.....casts a 3wt Barrio SLX just perfect.  towards the end of last season I had a mini skagit set up on it, loads of fun to cast

Enjoy!

Steven

[Terry Coging]

Hello Steven - can you describe the mini skagit that you used please? - head length and weight?

[James Laraway]

I use a Barrio SS #4 on mine and its great ( only because I couldn't get an SLX at the time and i was in a hurry to get out and use the rod !)

[Steven Kidd]

Terry,

I experimented with an OPST microskagit set-up, its great fun........can cast size 8-10 streamers with the wee 4wt happily.  Set up is:

Running line - OPST Lazer Line - 25lb
Head - 175gr - 12ft OPST MicroSkagit
Tip - 40gr - 5ft - OPST Riffle

Enjoy, , Its fairly addictive messing about with this,

Steven

[Richard Bates]

You will love that rod Robert, capable of far more than it should.
My go-to rod for the river,  for dry's through to tossing streamers.  It can throw a 5wt Smallstream line for windy conditions and bigger flies and easily handles the big rainbows in my local fishery.
I love the idea of the micro skagit Steven is playing with, food for thought.

[James Laraway]

I going to be controversial here.

On a river where you have no space to back I can see the point in a skagit on a single hand.

Trout spey - another gimick by and large designed to sell more rods ( a bit like switch rods that are only really short double handers - they are too heavy to cast single handed all day unless
you are 'The Rock' )

Why don't i see the point in them?
- even if you are very good caster they land like you have thrown a stone into a pool
- when you are casting, you make much more noise and disturbance as opposed to if you were overhead casting - so not really a stealthy approach

So, I'm very limited circumstances i see the point ( small overgrown rivers etc) but past that i struggle.

Plus the cost:
Barrio lines - sub £50
OPST running line £33, Head £56, tips £35

I think i'll stick to my smallstream 

[Steven Kidd]

James,

Don't disagree, but for having a carry-on and maybe casting streamers with the wee rod the micro-skagit provides some fun entertainment.

But 9 times out of ten, I'll fish with the SLX or a line with long front tapers and fine presentation capabilities.

Steven

[James Laraway]

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be able to do whizzy single handed spey casts .....but I can't 

I even struggle with a single spey on a salmon rod but that is another matter 

I really like my #4 on my taniwha, but I do like my SLXs so would love to give it a try on my glass

Mike - i take it that that there is no prospect in the near future of seeing SLXs back ?

James,

Don't disagree, but for having a carry-on and maybe casting streamers with the wee rod the micro-skagit provides some fun entertainment.

But 9 times out of ten, I'll fish with the SLX or a line with long front tapers and fine presentation capabilities.

Steven

[Mike Barrio]

Mike - i take it that that there is no prospect in the near future of seeing SLXs back ?

Never say never James - but no, I have no plans to reintroduce the SLX line at the moment.

There is no need, the Smallstream ll is covering all the tactics/casts that the SLX did very well indeed

If you have a rod that casts better in your hands with a little extra weight in the head ( I have a couple ) simply move up a line weight and it flies