Switch/Spey rods

[jcspey]

Hi i am new to the group.

I was wondering if any one uses switch or spey rods in their fishing. I have gotten in to switch and spey rods for steelhead and warmwater look to see if anyone else has too. I enjoy them for overhead casting bugs or streams, and swing fishing rivers.

jcspey

 

[chucke]

Jcppey I also have been using a a switch rod since last year. I am basicly fishing fore stripers in the cape. It sure is a lot easier on my arms since i can use both hands to overhead cast.I built my rod and it's a Rainshadow 10'6'' blank.Chuck

 

[sandfly]

I have a rainshadow also but I think it's to soft to cast in the salt..they are 10'8" long..I will be selling complete rods here..great rod to nymph with and work streamers. soft tip for light strikes from steelies and trout, but for salt no power compared to a salt blank..

 

[chucke]

Sandfly i don't know what wt rod you have but mine is an 8 wt so it is heavy enough fore salt. It will deliver some pretty large flies and handel stripers Chuck

 

[sandfly]

Yes but will it cast on the beach, i mean over 50 feet ?? I sell all 4 models of their switch rods..
the tips on most switch rods are a little soft for throwing salt flies, The rainshadows are all the same except line wts.. you can use it in the salt but are you getting out there with your cast ? A stiffer rod would work a lot better for the salt especially in the wind. The rainshadow series are a mid flex rod..

 

[FishOnCamp]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site. I am about half way through a build on a Rainshadow 10' 8" 5 wt switch. I can't wait to give it a try on the Upper Pine (Tioga Co.). I also thought it would be fun to use in the Schuylkill for smallmouth. Anyone have any experience with the 5 wt?

 

[chucke]

Seams like you think it is not fore the salt but fore what we are doing it's just the ticket fore long overhead casts in windy condissions.It sure does cast a lot more line than any one hand rod i have ever owned or cast .Granted i am not a 100+ ft casterbut i am satesfied with the ease of the cast and the stress is off my old shoulders. Chuck

 

[jcspey]

Thank you for so many guy getting in a talk here.

I have been using switch rod for just about everything lately.
I own two switch rods

The first is a Cabela's LST 11'3" 5/6 wt.

They call it a 5/6 spey line wt., but after much testing I think it is really a moderate thru action 7wt. standard line wt. rod.

It fishes well with a Rio Outbound or a Steelhead taper line in 7 wt.

The second is a Gander Mountain Guide Steelhead 10'6" spinning rod that I customized with Hailoy Concept fly guides to use as a switch rod for mono or flyline.

It is a med. fast progressive action, it rocks with the same line as the other rod just with some noticable speed differences, because of the action. It is my new go to rod for now.

I know were talking switch rods, but you guy saying about the Rainshadow rods and blank I also have a 11'6" 6/7 (speyline) wt. rod that i use for stripers, pike and bass or other overhead aplication.

It is a little heavy for true switch rod use, but as a light spey rod for overhead or spey prsentation it rocks.

jcspey

 

[gzacckey]

jcspey,

I purchased the LST 11'3" rod in a complete package last November but I only had it for a week. They packaged the outfit with a standard prestige 6 wt line which, as you already determined, is not a good fit. So I returned the outfit but I was impressed enough to keep on trying.

So I waited until the Somerset show. I watched Simon Gawesworth's demonstration, spoke to him a little and then selected the TFO Deer Creek 11'. 4 wt switch rod. It was on backorder but should be here any day now along with the RIO AFS line in 4/5 wt. I hope to have it out soon for a test ride. The extent of my spey casting has been watching the RIO DVD and some single rod spey casting practice.

Like FOC I hope to try this out on Pine this spring and I'll probably be doing some practice on local lakes chasing gills and bass. Plus I'm thinking this will make a nice high stick nymphing rig for the Tully.

 

[StudentofTheStream]

GZ
that is going to be a fantastic rod. I did some casting with the 11' 7wt TFO DC Switch and it was awesome. Almost inspired me to buy one but right now I don't have enough practical applications for it.

It was super easy to cast with one hand and when using an overhead two handed cast, I was throwing 80 ft of line with just a simple flick. It was amazing and I think would be an awesome salt rod for 120'+ casts.

Good luck and let us know how you like the rod.

 

[jcspey]

gz

You will love that AFS line. I have been using the AFS 7/8 on my custom 10'6 rod i mention above. It speys well especially with the underhand casting method. I been watching Rio's DVD also and practicing on the Conewago Creek outside of East Berlin, PA.

I love Rio's DVD.

I also been watching and rewatching "Spey to Z" it a very good video beginners like me. In the begin of the video Way Yin start with normal overhead casting and talk through the steps to change to spey casting, then move on to different cast and styles highly recommended if your looking for more source of info to learn from.

The AFS line, because the taper of the line has the weight in the back of the head towards the running line and a long narrow tip in the front toward the leader it will spey or roll cast well. And a limited distance overhead cast.

But for true overhead casting big flies, I have found that for my rod an Outbound line for single hand rod rating (not the AFS outbound Spey line) works well if around the same line weight.
For your 4/5 spey line that would be about the equivalent of a Outbound WF7-8 wt.

Thing of the outbound as a weight forward or bass bug taper on steriods, mainly from the 37.5' head versus the normal 30' head on most lines.
I believe this is so because the taper of the head is setup exactly the opposite of the AFS with the weight toward the front

Good luck let us know how it goes for you. Enjoy.

jcspey

 

[gzacckey]

jcspey,

Thanks for the advice. I'll let you know how it goes once I get some experience on the stream.

 

[sandfly]

FishOnCamp wrote:
Hello everyone, I'm new to the site. I am about half way through a build on a Rainshadow 10' 8" 5 wt switch. I can't wait to give it a try on the Upper Pine (Tioga Co.). I also thought it would be fun to use in the Schuylkill for smallmouth. Anyone have any experience with the 5 wt?

Stop by with it when your up, like to see it. Seems like the 5 and 6 wts (I have a 6 for my self) like a line heavier. the 7 and 8 wts. cast work well with the intended line weights. I have a reel with 2 spools I'm setting up with a double taper (for long roll cast) and a rio multi tip in 7 weight for Pine and light steel head.

 

[FishOnCamp]

Sandfly, I'll stop by your shop next time I'm up. I've never used a switch rod before so I was planning on trying 5wt and 6wt lines on the rod to see what works the best.