OPST's Commando Heads are the result of decades of focus on sustained anchor systemology (SAS) by Ed Ward. They are designed to expand the capabilities of shorter spey rods, switch rods and single hand rods beyond that of normal. You may be surprised at their short length, but this was no accident. The ultra-short design provides an effortless casting feel and enhances performance in circumstances of restricted casting room, troublesome winds and in casting bulky flies. It also makes them more fishable than longer lines that are hard to control on the water. Wanna roll cast? Underhand? Nymph? Single hand Skagit with a haul? Overhead? Go right ahead. You have never cast a line like the Commando. 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 rods. 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. The Commando Head turns your single hand rod into a slingshot, a technical streamer presentation tool that you can cast almost anywhere since a Skagit cast, especially a single hand one, requires almost no back cast space. One of the major advantages of a Commando Head is that it allows you to fish big flies on relatively light rods. What this means is that you no longer need to fish a 6 or 7 weight to fish streamers. You will be surprised by the size of fly you can fish on a 4-weight with a Commando Head—size 2 streamers are no problem. We all know that 10 inch trout far outnumber 20 inchers, so in fishing a Commando with a light rod, you are able to enjoy every trout–not just the big ones. Another thing we love about Commando Heads on single hand rods is that they can be cast in a variety of different ways. Skagit casting is the most common method employed, but if your Skagit casting starts to suffer, you can overhead cast them. Or, you can single spey or snake roll with Commando Heads. This variety of casting possibilities makes for a more interesting day on the water, and it allows you to switch up styles if you're not happy with the way you're casting. For single or double hand fly rods, the Commando Head is revolutionary. Above else, its popularity stems from one fact: it's easy to cast! Try it for yourself, and take your fishing enjoyment to the next level.
