Salmon River Spey Setup: Chris Frangiosa's Steelhead Kit

Spey gear can get complicated fast. Rod lengths, grain windows, heads, running lines, tips, and every one of them has to match the others. It is the main thing that keeps people from picking up a two-handed rod in the first place.

So we asked Chris Frangiosa a simple question: if someone is heading to the Salmon River with a spey rod, what should they bring? Chris kept it to one of everything. One rod, one reel, one line system, a handful of tips, and a box of flies that cover the river. Here is the full setup, and why each piece made the cut.

The Rod: Sage Spey R8, 12'6" 7-Weight

If Chris could only hand someone one rod for the Salmon River, this is it. The 12'6" 7-weight is a mid-length spey rod, and it fits the size of the river well.

Chris calls it the nine-foot five-weight of spey rods. It handles steelhead and light salmon fishing, low water and high water, and it is about as close to a jack-of-all-trades two-hander as you will find. The Spey R8 also leans toward a Skagit action, especially in the shorter lengths, and that pairs well with the heavy tips we fish here in the Northeast.

It travels too. It is a four-piece rod, and the same rod will cross over to the Pacific Northwest. You may feel a little short on some of that bigger water, but it is still very capable. If you are getting into spey for the Salmon River and think a West Coast trip might be in your future, this is the one to buy.

Sage also makes the Spey R8 in a 13' 7-weight. The extra length helps if you are wading deep and need longer casts, but Chris's pick is the 12'6".

The Reel: Sage Spey II, 6/7/8

Chris stays with Sage for the reel. The Spey II is one you will see on rods of every brand, all over the world, and for good reason.

It uses the same sealed drag as the Sage Arbor XL, which has a long track record. It is a full-cage design, so your running line cannot slip out through the line guard. The spool is wide enough to hold heavy heads, and the whole reel is solidly built. The 6/7/8 size holds the 500 to 550 grain heads this setup calls for and balances the 12'6" well.

The Line System

Head: RIO Elite Skagit Max Power

For the Salmon River, Chris runs a Skagit head, and specifically the Max Power version. It is a little heavier than a standard Skagit head, which helps get heavier tips and bigger flies out there.

Sizing is where people get tripped up. Spey rod line recommendations almost always come in two numbers: one for an advanced caster and one for a beginner. The beginner number is heavier, because the extra weight loads the rod more easily and helps turn over the tip and fly. On this rod, that works out to:

500 grain for advanced casters.
550 grain for newer casters.

Running Line: RIO Powerflex Ultra Shooting Line

The running line connects to the back of the head and is what lets you shoot for distance. The key is matching the diameter to the head you are fishing. For this setup, that is the 0.030" diameter, which is a 25-pound running line.

Tips: RIO Skagit MOW Tips

MOW tips loop onto the front of the Skagit head and let you adjust how deep your fly swings. Chris recommends carrying four, all built around T-11, so you can change depth as the water changes without rerigging anything else.

Leader: Maxima Ultragreen, 12 lb

This part is easy. Chris steps away from RIO here, and the only leader you need is a spool of 12-pound Maxima Ultragreen. Tie on three to three and a half feet of it, and you are ready to fish.

Flies: Intruders and Egg Leeches

Chris keeps the fly box simple too. Two patterns from Fulling Mill, three colors each.

Intruders. Any of the intruders are good. Black and blue and purple and pink are his favorites, and white and pink rounds out the set.

Mega Egg Leeches. Egg-sucking leeches work really well on the Salmon River. Burnt pink is a standout, with orange and black and chartreuse as the other two.

Accessories

One of the nice things about fishing one two-handed setup is that you do not need to carry much. Chris keeps it to a few pieces.

RIO Shooting Head Wallet

This is where your MOW tips live. Get the regular size, which is built to hold tips rather than full heads, so it stays small.

Simms Dry Creek Z Hip Pack

You do not need a complicated pack for this kind of fishing. A good waist pack covers it. You are often wading deeper on the Salmon River, so you want something that keeps your gear dry, and you do not need much storage. The Dry Creek Z keeps you stocked and puts the few things you need right in front of you. The olive colorway is on sale right now, too.

Round it out with nippers and hemostats, and you are set.