OPST – Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics

We have a multitude of fly lines for every species and application.

Please contact the store here for further details and availability after visiting the OPST – Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics website here.

About Us:

Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics – OPST is a group of steelheaders who focus on Skagit-style swing fishing for everything from king salmon to smallmouth bass.

The Skagit River and the Olympic Peninsula have defined our products, the way we fish, and our philosophy.

We are a company dedicated to maximizing fly fishing enjoyment and opportunities.

Our program revolves around Skagit casting, the most recently innovated “Spey” or anchor-based type of casting.

It is our preferred methodology because of its wide latitude of angling versatility. It is distinguished from other Spey-type styles of casting by its use of a casting mechanism known as the Sustained Anchor.

The Sustained Anchor is key to Skagit casting versatility and we here at OPST strive to optimize that effect by utilizing SAS (Sustained Anchor Systemology).

By concentrating on SAS, the utmost potential of Skagit casting is achieved. We call the entire concept “Pure Skagit”.

From casting delicate soft hackles out 60 feet with a 3 weight, to blasting four inch weighted steelhead flies through sideways wind and rain, to bouncing heavily-weighted crayfish patterns into wood-lined bank pockets for smallmouth- it can all be accomplished through the use of Pure Skagit.

In other words, this is one casting concept that can effectively meet the demands of many different angling situations.

This singular focus also equates to a quicker route of learning and achieving effective casting consistency and proficiency.

Such a versatile casting system is dependent on particular casting knowledge and skills.

At OPST, a vast wealth of Skagit casting knowledge and skill, along with steelhead fly fishing and fly tying experience, is represented by two fly fishers who have been in on the development of Skagit casting since the beginnings: Jerry French and Ed Ward.

Jerry and Ed are names long associated with Skagit casting and its related innovations- Skagit lines, “radically” short sinktips, sinktip tactics for steelhead, and “radical” steelhead flies such as the Intruder and Dirty Hoh.

Their expertise on “all things Skagit” is of the highest caliber.

We’re Not making stuff up!

OPST Commando Heads – Pure Skagit!

The Last Skagit Line You Will Ever Fish!

OPST Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics Commando Heads AA OPST – Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics Commando Heads.

OPST’s Commando Heads represent the culmination of decades of innovation in Skagit casting by Ed Ward and Jerry French.

Ed and Jerry were at the forefront of the “Skagit Revolution”, and they have been refining skagit fishing techniques ever since.

These are remarkably efficient, easily casts and enjoyable for the simple reason that they are specifically designed for SAS (Sustained Anchor Systemology).

The philosophy behind SAS is simple: The Skagit cast is a water base cast with the rod load coming from the tension between the water surface and the line.

As Such a sustained anchor cast where the fly remains stationary until the final power stroke is the most efficient form of casting.

Our lines are shorter than traditional skagit lines and perform exceedingly well with a continuous “out and around” casting stroke.

There is no pause before the final stroke and the cast is one continuous motion.

Pure Skagit lines take beginning casters and make them effective.

They take experienced casters to a whole new universe of casting pleasure.

Our Commando heads excel on conventional two hand “Spey” rods but are optimized for shorter switch rods from 10 -12 foot.

But where these lines really get interesting is in single hand casting.

We have taken two handed casting theory, traditionally associated with steelhead and salmon and applied it to the micro end of the spectrum.

Now you can skagit cast and swing flies for everything from sea run cutthroat trout to smallmouth bass to panfish with rods as light as a 3 weight, and as short as 6 foot.

The same principals of sustained anchor and water load apply.

You can haul or not, back cast or not, roll cast, skagit cast, just about whatever you want to do, these lines will do it and they will fly off your rod tip.

Line charts showing OPST Commando Head pairings for several of the major rod manufacturers:

• BEULAH LINE CHART
• BURKHEIMER LINE CHART
• ECHO LINE CHART
• REDINGTON LINE CHART
• SAGE LINE CHART
• SCOTT LINE CHART
• WINSTON LINE CHART

See here for our Spey Head Loaner Program !!

OPST – Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics Commando Head Specs:

PS-150 – 150gr – 12ft
PS-175 – 175gr – 12ft
PS-200 – 200gr – 13.5ft
PS-225 – 225gr – 13.5ft
PS-250 – 250gr – 13.5ft
PS-275 – 275gr – 13.5ft
PS-300 – 300gr – 15ft
PS-325 – 325gr – 15ft
PS-350 – 350gr – 15ft
PS-375 – 375gr – 15ft
PS-400 – 400gr – 16.5ft
PS-425 – 425gr – 16.5ft
PS-450 – 450gr – 18ft
PS-475 – 475gr – 18ft

Suggested OPST – Olympic Peninsula Commando Head Setups:

•7’6″ Fiberglass 4 weight, 150 grain Commando Head, 7 foot Rio Versileader

•9’0″ 5 weight, 200 grain Commando Head, 7 foot Rio Versileader

•9’6″ 6 weight, 250 grain Commando Head, 8 foot Airflo polyleader or light MOW tip

•9’0″ 8 weight, 275 grain Commando Head, light or medium MOW tip

•11’0″ 7 weight, 325 grain Commando Head, medium MOW tip

•12’6″ 7 weight, 400 Grain Commando Head, heavy MOW

•13’0″ 8 Weight, 450 Grain Commando Head, heavy MOW.

Contact us for current inventory after visiting the OPST website here.