Eoin Fairgrieve's Casting School Part 12: Skagit Heads

Why this heavy line will help your spring salmon fishing.

- Eoin Fairgrieve

ASKAGIT SET-UP will definitely justify its selection in the early season. Made up of a running line, a short, powerful belly and fast-sinking tip, this set-up is fit for purpose when rivers are running high and cold during the first months of the year.

The main benefits of fishing a skagit are the opportunity to cast a long way and the ability to present heavy flies deep through the stream using tungsten T-class sinking tips. Very effective in the early season when wading deep or fishing from a boat, they require the use of sustained-anchor casts such as the double spey and circle C to optimise their performance. The combined length of the belly and tip is noticeably shorter than a standard shooting head and waterborne casts anchor the line well during the set-up for the final delivery.