I had a great chat with Mariusz Wroblewski who is a big name in steelhead conservation, spey casting and rod development. Mariusz breaks down the exact two handed fly rod you need for winter steelhead for large and small rivers. We also cover the details of the right skagit line for the job.
We talk about the Triple density line and how to line your spey rod correctly based on the line and sink tip length and weight. We also jump into what Kamchatku has to offer and how steelhead is so different than the lower 48.
Click below and listen to the Mairusz Wroblewski Podcast:
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Show Notes on Choosing a Two Handed Fly Rod
04:50 – Derek Brown, Simon Gawesworth and others were hosted on the Penoy River while Mariusz was working there.
05:50 – Mariusz works for the Wild Salmon Center. The Kola Peninsula and the Penoy River was the period of time that helped Mariusz get into conservation.
07:10 – Skeena Wild is a group doing big things for conservation in Canada.
08:00 – John McMillan was on the podcast here and talked about the status of steelhead around the Pacific Rim.
18:50 – Mariusz noted the Airflo FIST line with a 13 foot spey rod as the perfect rod for winter steelhead.
21:10 – We talk about the FIST as a great triple density skagit line but also having a single density line with you like the Airflo G2.
22:20 – The Airflo G2 line is a great single density to use when you need to go a little lighter.
23:20 – T14 and T11 are the must have sinking tips you need for winter steelhead. You can check out the 10 foot Flo Tips here.
30:20 – Here’s the Airflo line chart via Rajeff Sports that helps you choose a line.
39:20 – The RAGE Compact line is a very good line for the Deschutes in the Wind. I use it on my 6 weight 12′ 6″ Echo Swing Two Handed Rod.
40:15 – Tom Larimer was on the podcast in episode 11 and had a funny story about the RAGE line.
44:00 – The Fly Shop in Redding puts together all of the trips for Kamchatka
44:20 – Utkholk River and Zhupanova River are two of the main streams that Mauriusz works in out of Russia.
54:10 – Dec Hogan’s Modern Spey Casting and the Passion for Steelhead are two of the great resources for steelhead.
59:20 – The Silvenator is the goto winter steelhead fly and the Steelhead Coachman is the goto summer steelhead pattern.
1:15:20 – We talk about the Deschutes River Alliance which is a group that Mariusz supports.
You can find Mariusz at the Wild Salmon Center here.
Resources Noted in the Show
Modern Spey Casting with Dec Hogan
Airflo Flo Sink Tips for Winter Steelhead
Airflo/Echo line Recommendation
Video Noted in the Show
The Zhupanova River Video
The Silvenator Fly Tying Video
Conclusion on Choosing a Two Handed Fly Rod with Mariusz Wroblewski
This was a challenging interview because Mariusz has so much knowledge with steelhead conservation, Kamchatku, spey casting and rod design. We dug into all of these topics including the effect of Vladimir Putin on the Steelhead work they are doing.
And if you’re interested in the right spey rod for steelhead, Click here to see the Echo Spey Rod that has helped me improve my spey cast and find more steelhead at a super reasonable cost (Mariusz noted the 8130 for winter steelhead). By the way, this link above is an affiliate link, which means I earn a commission if you do end up purchasing through that link. It’s at no extra cost to you, and please if you have any questions related to this product, please let me know and I’d be happy to answer them for you.
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