Would I be happy with a switch rod???

jerseygeorge

jerseygeorge

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Mar 25, 2007
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Guys (Gals)-

I am looking for a dedicated streamer (trout) / bass fishing fly rod for larger streamers. I was thinking of a 7wt, 9ft. I visited a shop today and the boss took me out back and started casting a switch rod. He swore by them.

I have never seen someone throw such distance so easily. He was pounding out over 100 foot cast effortlessly. That was really cool.

I cast the rod, and I can see that it would be really fun to learn the techniques. But I am not sure that the rod would serve my main purpose.

I want to float rivers, like the D, and pound the banks with streamers. I also want to fish ponds and streams from my Kayak for bass, and other warm water species.

Distance casting does not seem as important as accuracy. Anyone use one of these rods on a regular basis, and like it???

JG
 
I've been having this argument with myself alot lately. My answer will almost positively be a TFO Teeny 10' 5wt, and when I decide that I need to pick up two handed stuff, then its just a little bit of custom fidgeting and I should be abl to mount an extended handle on the back in lieu of a butt.

Or, I never modify and Cabela's offers a super sale on their LST switchers. :)
 
gfen wrote:
My answer will almost positively be a TFO Teeny 10' 5wt

Oddly enough, I just happen to know where you can get a really good deal on a Teeny 10' 5wt 5pc rod, with a custom case (divided liner) for a great price.

One man's switch rod is another man's little brush rod... ;-)
 
I have never used switch/spey rods but I saw a very interesting show on flyfishing profiles yesterday.
They were at a lodge on the thompson [sp] river in BC. fishing for steelhead.The spey rods are the rage there and all were using them.
As it happens I spent 30 years in Montana where Streamer fishing big rivers was my "thing".
I wade fished.
9 ft. 8wt. for the Missouri.
9 ft. 7 wt. for yellowstone
9 ft. 6wt. smaller rivers -Madison etc.
I used shooting heads with amnesia running line[20pd.mono]on larger rivers.
seemed to me there was a lot more effort with the spey than double haul but one thing stood out-the talker mentioned mid water was their target area-I fished hispeed,hi d sinking lines to fish down to 8 or 9 ft.-so I wonder how well spey/switch[think they are the same] rods are with deep sinking lines?
humorous thing on the show was-
even though it's ALL catch and release the fly fishermen want to ban the bait fishermen.
Reason: bait fishermen average 7 hookups a day,fly fishermen 2 so they claim baiters are stressing the spawning stock three times as much.Couldn't be jealousy ,could it? Nah.
 
Heritage-Angler wrote:
Oddly enough, I just happen to know where you can get a really good deal on a Teeny 10' 5wt 5pc rod, with a custom case (divided liner) for a great price.

One man's switch rod is another man's little brush rod... ;-)

I'd thought about asking, but never did. I figured I'd wait til after Somerset and what might show up.

Evidently, a used Teeny will be showing up.

Bring 'er along, we can play let's make a deal. :)
 
I would stick to the 9' 7wt. A switch rod has better use on a steelhead river. Ask the guy to cast a 9 footer 100 feet. should be able to do it. sure you can use it for trout but under NORMAL circunstances a 9' rod is best. I hve been casting swith rods since they came out, I do like them but only for certian situations. the butt most likely will interfer with your casting from a yak.
 
Elixir line really makes my Beulah 6/7 switch rock. The set up balances in the hand is not at all heavy in my hand and "guns" line like no other set up I have. I can single hand 110'+ casts and easily double hand that distance all day.
It should make my summer river fishing trips much more bearable. The head is a floater, my plan this summer is to use a dry fly with it.
I've been told it is a great nymph set up too.
 
o' by the way I am talking rivers not streams with this set up.
 
mrflyfish, that would be nice swingin BIG size 2 drys on the delaware for stripers, or a gurgler. I plan to use mine for that. what river are you fishing.
 
I did a lot of that type of fishing out west, and think a switch rod would be a PITA. It's great for distance casting and nymphing, but I would want a shorter, more accurate rod for pounding the banks with streamers.
 
A switch rod is a great tool for swinging flies for steelhead, trout and bass on medium to large streams when wading. The two-handed casting style is very relaxed and, when done correctly, almost effortless. However, I would think that while fishing from a boat or kayak a shorter rod(say, 9 foot?) would allow for more precise casting as well as making it easier to land the fish(with a 2-hander I tend to beach my larger fish). Maybe you need one of each?! Tight lines.
 
i would say for what you your application... a switch rod is not best.

For pounding the banks with streamers and warmwater, look at some of the shorter "bass" rods (sage and tfo).
 
The Allegheny River From Warren to Oil City. Predominately wading the river and swinging flies with a sink tips.
 
In my opinion I am happy with my switch rods.

I use is a lighter 5/6 wt. model for swinging flies on streams and nymphing. It is a very light rod and i can overhead or spey cast with it. The longer length allows for longer mends, easier line control and it length gives an advantage when speycast.

Also even though, you can speycast any rod of any length, with the right line, a longer rod does have an advantages in placing an anchor and getting a long line out.

My second rod is a 6/7 wt. that i use with a single hand Outbound line to cast bass bugs, streamer, divers and clouser minnows for bass, panfish and other warmwater fish. I have cast this line from my kayak, canoe and on the bank. I started using a switch rod for throwing the big stuff for bass, because double hauling all day get tiring. Now with a my switch rod i just put a second hand on the rod and gain the energy from both hands on the rod, instead of gaining the energy from one hand on the line.

I change up lines to a AFS 6/7 for situations that require speycasting. I have used speycasting on warmwater fish with this rod with out a problem.

As far as accuracy or sight fishing and pounding banks, if you use a line on a switch rod design for overhead work or even a scandi/shooting head system is it not a problem at all.

Just my experience with my switch rod, hope it helps.

jcspey
 
Thanks everyone for you comments. A switch rod is in my future, but I am going with a straight 9' 7 wt. I cast a few at the show this weekend. Now to dig up some cash...
 
I'm intrigued with the idea of a switch rod too and am thinking about trying to build one. I do a lot of bassin on large rivers, mostly wading, and sometimes wear myself out double hauling. I think a switch rod would offer some good capabilities for this sort of game. Other than making a couple casts at the beach with Frederick's switch, I've never fished two handed rods. I normally use a 9" 7WT or 8WT for river smallies. Jcspey has some good ideas. What would you recommend as the best switch rod substitute - and what line would best match such a rod?
Thanks in advance....
 
Hi

As for building a switch rod, I have not built one just converted a 10'6" Gander Mountain Steelhead Light Action rod to run switch/fly lines on by changing out the guides.

If I was going to build one from a kit, I would go with a Rainshadow Forecast Switch Rod kit in either a 5/6 or 6/7 wt, hands down, IMHO.

They are med fast actions, which makes them best for switch rod work and overhead or spey presentations.

I have a 11'6" Rainshadow Forecast spey rod that i used for bass and general fishing and love the rod, I use the same lines as recomend below for switch rod on it, its just not a switch rod.

As for lines it is determined by the grain window or the rod they are to be used with.
I don't know if you intend to spey or only overhead cast, but
matching the rod to a correct Rio AFS or Rio AFS Outbound spey line for spey or switch presentations is recomended. As for overhead casting a Rio Outbound line is my choice.

I have used two hand rods and switch for bass bot overhead casting and speycasting. Hope all this help. let me know if i can help any more.

PS your location is not to far from my mine, if you are interested in try out a line or rod once let me know.

Jcspey
 
I built my switch rod with a Rainshadow RX7 10' 8" 5wt blank. I wasn't aware that they made a Forecast switch rod blank but everything that I've seen from Batson has been a really good value.
 
In my experience the effortless casting that is valuable during long days of repeated casting is only achieved when using a spey style line or something similar. Essentially an overweight, short head, WF line. A switch rod with a standard line is just a long single hand rod. The line is an essential factor in the technique. You can fudge it with a standard line and may do OK, but if you want the effortless casting you need a specialty line, IMO. The difference is like night and day. For what it's worth, it is easier to cast overhead with a spey line then it is to execute a spey cast with a regular fly line.

BTW, Many switch rods are rated for the line needed for standard overhead casting and generally work best with a heavier line when spey casting.

Kev
 
totally agree.

On my switch and two handed rods I use Rio AFS lines. They are spey style lines that are intended to be spey cast, but because they are short and heavy they can be cast overhead too.

I have found in my experience with spey and switch rods that a line for overhead casting tends to be lighter than the line used for speycasting. For example my 5/6 rod I use a 340 grain AFS line for spey or crossover ( switch from overhead to speycast) casting. And a 7 wt 275 grain Rio Outbound for mainly overhead work.

If you look at the head profile you see that the mass of the weight on the Outbound is in the front and in the back of the head on the AFS line.

The different in line weight is because in overhead casting the whole head beyond the rod tip loads the rod and with a spey cast only the arialized portion of line between the rod tip and anchor loads the rod. Check out Rio's link below it is a good explaination of different lines and casting style.

http://www.rioproducts.com/photos/file/Understanding%20Spey%20lines%202010.pdf

jcspey
 
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