In any case, like most things in life you can make it as complicated as you like, but for those wondering, here is my understanding of Skagit vs. Scandi heads (the two biggest competitors in the spey system if you will). If I'm wrong, please do correct me. I'm on day 2 of trying to understand this.
Scandi head: is just like a regular flyline, except it is shorter and thicker and has a different taper, and you need to add a running line to the rear yourself. To the front you add a leader and tippet as you would normally do, although poly leaders are preferred. At the end of the day you are throwing a line and the fly rides along on a leader. Imagine a Toyota Corolla with a guy trailing behind it on a skateboard.
With the Skagit head you are throwing one mother of a fly line (even shorter and thicker than a Scandi head), and another smaller fly line rides along (the tip), and the fly rides along with that smaller line on a leader. You are using one fly line to throw another fly line to throw a leader with a fly attached. Imagine a Toyota Fortuner with a trailer attached with a guy behind it on a skateboard.
The advantage of the Skagit is the same as with the Fortuner plus trailer combo, you can transport more stuff (bigger flies and heavier tips to carry the fly) more easily, although blending in will be more difficult (weaker presentation).
I think it is safe to say (as Pierre did) that for SA freshwater purposes, Skagit systems will be overkill. Exceptions may be if you want to fish very deep, or maybe if you fish large flies on fast sinking tips for tiger fish. So really we are looking at Scandi heads, which is a relief as that seems to be the simpler system of the two. Choose the correct weight and length line to match your rod, add a running line to the back, decide where you want to fish in the water column and add the appropriate leader and fly (floating, intermediate, fast sinking etc).
I have two questions for those who are more informed.
1) Will a 5 weight scandi head be the correct match (as a start) for an 8 weight rod as measured through the common cents method (i.e a single handed 8 weight rod, although in this case the rod is 12ft long)
2) What is considered a large fly in a spey context?
Benzo, I think your estimate of a 5 wt Scandi head for a 8wt (conventional rod) sounds reasonable. Have a look at the grain weights for conventional 8wt lines and compare to the Scandi head weights. Spey / switch rods are quite forgiving when it comes to the weight of short head lines (Scandi and Skagit) and they can cast quite a range. Do make sure though that the Scandi head length is in the proper range. There is a range rod of rod length to head length that you want to be in. 12 ft is more of a spey than a switch, and if the head is too short you will not have enough line to anchor your cast.
Then I may be leading you slightly astray... Had something more along the lines of 300 gr in mind. A 2 wt Scandi is what Pierre has just matched with the conventional 5 wt he turned into a switch rod.
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