Mystic Waters Alaska Fly Fishing

Perfect Trout Spey Reel

In the Big R Fly Shop in Great Falls, Montana, we carry Nautilus Reels.  It was there I saw the FWX 7/8 for the first time.  Every few days, I’d open the case and play with it.  That’s pretty much how I choose a reel.  After I hold it a few times, I can tell if its the one.  I figured I’d play with the Nautilus until sometime this spring.  When I could stand it no longer without a fly line, I would likely get one.  Then low and behold, I received a package in the mail this past week.  In the package was the perfect trout spey reel along with a card from Paul and Johne.  Paul and Johne are two of my long time guests in Alaska and we’ve shared some memorable days on the Kenai River.  They must have decided I needed a nudge to continue putting them on fish or maybe they felt bad about the gifted Ross Canyon 3 that I’d had stolen a few years ago.  In any event, thanks very much guys. You were Spot On!

I set up the reel in the shop last week. For backing, I loaded the spool with 125 yards of 50# Spider Wire Stealth Braid.  Its super slick, super strong and packs down tightly on the spool.  It will also slice through the water easily if a big fish should run it out there.  To my backing braid, I looped a 33 meter shot of 30# Loop LTS flat nylon Shooting Line.  The LTS shoots incredibly well and adds little bulk to the reel.  It also slices through the water easily, which is great when a fish is already towing a skagit head and heavy tip.  I tie a non slip loop knot at both ends of my LTS.  To the terminal side, I added an Airflo Skagit Compact 390  grain head with a length of 22.5′.  To the Skagit head, I loop any of the tips in the Medium MOW series from Rio.  The 10′ tip with 7.5′ of T11 is my favorite for most trout spey conditions.  To my MOW tip, I loop on 3-4′ of 12# Sunline FC Super Sniper.  Then I tie on the fly du jour with a non slip mono loop.

Tying the Shop Sculpin

After launching it all with a Sage 6119 TCX…

The Nautilus FWX 7/8 is incredibly light in the hand and a pleasure to fish. With my backing/running line set up, there is plenty of spacing for a skagit head on the spool. I had a chance to get the drag pulled, and it was buttery smooth. This was the first time I’d tried the Skagit Compact 390 and it worked perfectly on the Sage TCX 6119. I have used the TCX now since last April and it is my go to 2 handed fly rod for trout spey swinging (*swey). The Nautilus really polished off the package.

*swey: Swinging and spey casting with a switch/spey rod between 11 and 12′ as described by Dave Henry of   2 Handed Trout.

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