Switch Rods?

[jdeona]

Love to hear from you guys on your experience w/ switch rods... love or hate. Thinking about making my own.

Thanks in advance!

[camA]

What the heck is a switch rod?

[AndyK]

I have one switch rod, a Loomis 11 foot "single Spey", seven weight.

When matched with the right line, it casts quite well. With the Airflo Compact Skagit, 420 gr. I could easily cast across the North Umpqua on a trip last month.

I plan on using it more often on some of the "smaller" rivers in Oregon/Washington. I have several longer Spey rods and will still use them on a regular basis, but the 11 footer will do the job.

[jdeona]

Just heard that I need to up the reel size for the rod weight to hold the amount of line, i.e switch rod= 7wt; reel 8wt.

[leadeyedbugger]

I have casted the full line of beulah switch rods......My thoughts on there rods at least was that the 4/5 and 5/6 made solid single hander rods that spey casted ok....great sticks for nymphing....great lake fishing sticks...
The 6/7 was probably the closest to a true switch rod in the idea...good single hander and good spey caster...again i think they are best as nymphing rods although the 6/7 would be good for dry line swinging as long as the river wasn't too big or too windy...
The 7/8 and bigger were to me too heavy to fish as a single hander for long.....spey casted ok but not nearly as well as a true spey therefore defeating the purpose in my mind...

to me at least after casting the beulah switches it was the ultimate compromise that didn't really work.....I would rather pack a 9ft or 9.5ft single hander and a true spey rod then a switch rod to replace both...

[nookslayer]

I think these rods have a niche in some of our rivers here. The addtional length and handle leverage are nice to have available when needed. I have an Echo 12'4" that I like a lot. I also have Meskel retrofitting a 10' 7/8 wt with a seitch grip for me that will come in very handy this winter.

[358norma]

I fished a sage z-axis 11' 7wt for a season and hated it... Too brittle and too slow in my opinion. I went back to the old orvis 10' 7wt single hander and been happy ever since.

[cooky]

I was fishing a Loop 12'4" the other day. I would just cast it like a regular rod and man does it throw line... I think there pretty cool but remember the Jack of all trades is not likely remarkable in any one. That being said I want one.

[Sea-Ducer]

I have fished the 5/6 Beulah switch with the Elixir line the last two summers on the Siletz R. and and I haver never gotten a bigger kick out out of a rod.Summers to 10 lbs.and yet still light enough for the SRC's and even with my poor casting skills I can bang out plenty of line. I don't think this rod would be my first choice on a larger river with heaver current or alot of wind but May through the Fall this rod rocks on the Siletz.

[C-lice]

I have an 11' 8/9 wild river switch rod and I like it a lot. It cannot cast quite as far as my spey, but there are very few holes where I need all the distance my spey gives me anyway. For instance, I can't quite reach the farthest slot at Deadline (North Umpqua) with the switch; with the spey I usually can. Log pool, the far side of upper Mott, and the far bank at Famous are cake.

It is small enough to cast one-handed all day and can bang out pretty fair double speys and reverse Cs all day. It can roll cast quite a ways.

If I know I'm going to be doing nothing but nymphing, I fish my 10' 8wt. If I know I'm going to be doing nothing but heavy leeches at extreme distance, I fish my spey. The switch can do both nearly as well as the 'special purpose' rods can. If I had to fish one rod, I'd probably fish the switch and give up the areas too distant to reach. (or just work on my casting some more)

[Hookset]

Originally Posted by Sea-Ducer

I have fished the 5/6 Beulah switch with the Elixir line the last two summers on the Siletz R. and and I have never gotten a bigger kick out out of a rod..

What size reel matches up with this rod? Would a 7/8 weight reel work and what are you currently using?

Thanks for the help,

Gregg