Swinging a fly for steelhead is one of the oldest, most addictive ways to fish moving water, and two-handed rods have made it accessible to a lot more people. For our steelhead and two-handed month, Zack, editor of Swing the Fly Magazine, joined me to talk about how spey gear has changed, which lines make sense for which water, and the one mistake that wrecks most people's first trout spey setup.
How Two-Handed Fishing Grew Up
Zack grew up in Michigan and bought his first spey rod at 16, when two-handers were only starting to show up in the Great Lakes. He picked up the idea from a brief mention in a classic steelhead book, bought a rod on a shop deal without knowing much about using it, and then learned the most from a handful of regulars swinging flies on his home river. That's still the best path for most of us: watch someone who's good, ask for a few pointers, and put in the reps.
Back then, anglers threw early long-belly and mid-length lines. The first commercial Skagit heads came along in the early 2000s, and in his view they changed the game, especially for winter fish. Rods got shorter and lighter to match those short heads. More recently he's seen longer rods and longer lines come back, refined so they're easier to cast than the originals.
Skagit or Floating? Match the Line to the Season
This was the most useful framing for anyone choosing a first line:
- Summer steelhead, smaller flies: Zack fishes a lot of summer water and is perfectly happy with a floating line and small flies. You don't need a Skagit head for that.
- Winter steelhead, sink tips and bigger flies: This is where Skagit heads shine. Their short, aggressive taper turns over heavy tips and weighted flies, and most people find them easier to pick up and cast well quickly.
If you're starting out and you'll fish both seasons, a lot of anglers begin with a Skagit setup because it's forgiving, then add a longer floating line once their casting stroke is dialed. Ask your local shop which head lengths match your height and rod.
The Trout Spey Mistake: Wrong Line Weight
Trout spey has taken off, and Zack thinks it's a great way to learn spey casting even if you never chase steelhead. It's also a way to stay connected to the swing during the off-season or if you only get a few big trips a year. Two-handers work for stripers and other species too.
But here's the trap he warned about. Anglers see a light two-hander and think, "I'll just throw the 5-weight line off my single-hand rod." That line ends up at roughly half the weight the rod actually needs to bend. Spey rods are rated in grains, not just line numbers, and an underweight line means the rod never loads. You'll be fighting it from the first cast. Look up the grain window for your specific rod and match it, or have a shop set it up for you.
Why the Swing Culture Matters
Zack started the magazine because social posts disappear in a day, and he wanted the stories, flies, and history of this style of fishing to stick around. It started digital in 2014, then went to print after readers kept asking. The magazine covers traditional steelhead and Atlantic salmon methods, fly tying, art, and a strong conservation message. That last part hit home: we talked about wildfires burning through storied steelhead water while we recorded. If you fall in love with swinging flies, support the groups protecting wild salmon and steelhead. The fish are the whole point.
Gear
The single most important piece of spey gear is a line correctly matched to your rod's grain window, so start at your local fly shop and have them help you pair head, tips, and rod. For more rigging and technique fundamentals, our Tips and Tricks for Fly Fishing eBook is a solid companion. And for cold winter steelhead mornings, start with a hot cup in our FFIP Logo Anglers Coffee Mug.
