North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine December 2015 | Page 31

I have been in the business

of selling fly fishing products, in the retail realm, for
the past 16 years. I have to say during that time
there have been a few products that weren’t just
hype and actually changed the game of fly fishing.
With new hyped-up products emerging each year to
help companies’ bottom line, it is sometimes hard
to wade your way through the brown, soupy water. Sometimes your
waders aren’t tall enough. Recently, I skeptically started researching
OPST’s new Commando heads and Lazar running lines. Watching the
videos of professional casters making professional casts didn’t really do
anything for me. Most of those guys can throw a lazer with nothing more
than a piece of 0x and a tenkara rod. It wasn’t until fall rolled around that
I demoed a 250 Grain OPST Commando head, with 10 feet of T-8, on a
Loop 690-4 Cross S1. When I first picked up the package, I found I was
over-casting the entire set up. The combo of this line with a decent size
streamer loaded the rod perfectly and was actually an extreme pleasure
to fish. Slowing down my cast to more of a Skagit style timing helped
my greatly. Tight, consistent loops cut through the wind and rain and
the Lazar line had enough feel to detect even light grabs by smaller trout
and flew through the guides after a quick stretch before fishing.
I have not yet thrown the Commando heads on a short spey or switch
rod, however, I bet they will perform flawless.
After spending the day fishing this set up, I am now sold on OPST’s
system. Their lines for single hand spey casting are second to none.
It is a perfect setup for swinging tight banks. Be sure to try one out
whenever you can…it will surely become a quick favorite in your arsenal.