12 ft. 6/7 spey help.

[Panhandle]

Its appraoching X-mas and I'm shooting for a two hander for trout on big rivers like the Kootenai, Clark Fork, Upper Columbia, etc... I'm primarly going to be using tips, nasty nymphs and streamers. The problem I've heard with trout/switch speys is that they tend to fold when doing basic spey casts with big flies and tips because of the rod weight, length and lack of backbone. Poppy is pointing me in the direction of a Meiser which I will try this weekend while I'm down there. Does anyone out there have any first hand experience filling this niche or offer good advice? thanks, Adam.

[Philster]

Well I can speak about the beulah products I have used. I have the 7/8 switch. I throw 6 inch lead eye intruders on it. I use the belly of a 10/11/12 windcutter versitip spey and the rio tips that came with the line. No folding. casts of 70 feet with that sparrow on the end of leader are no problem. I also have their 11foot 7 inch "4/5/6" spey. nice spey but I think it is heavier than advertised. I like it alot with floating lines, but I have never tried sinktip on it.

[Skilly]

Yup,,,,,,,,,,, I would try the Meiser rods and talk to Mike and Meiser and decide which one of his trouter series will be best for you. I tried almost all his trouter srreis and somewhere in there is a rod that will fit your needs.

Skilly

[bigtj]

For me the 6 or 7-wt. 2-handers are better suited for steelhead than trout. Check out the lighter models - a 4 or a 5 - for trout. I am not a trout speyaholic but I have heard good things about the Sage 5120, I've heard good things about some of the lighter Anderson rods as well. Where I'm coming from is my expereince with steelheading - I am now using nothing heavier than 7 wts. for steelhead that average 30". So far after having no problem quickly landing 35" and 38" steelies this year with a "true" 7-wt (Sage 7136-4) I'm convinced they are plenty of stick for that, which means they are way, way too much stick for trout in the 14-20" range. See what you like for yourself I'm just saying don't be afraid to go super light on the 2-hander I think you'll be glad you did. You are on the right track though checking out the rods before plunking down the $$.

[Ringlee]

I Have a Sage 6126. It is bigger than a 6 weight, more like a 7 weight. I use a SS 450 on it with 15' sink tips or a 12' floater. Works good throwing articulated leeches in AK. I tried a 6/7 midspey and it would not turn anything big over. It is a pretty good rod that bends when you get a decent fish on. Bull trout, AK Rainbows and Char, Silvers, SRC's are a good match for this rod.

I see that Sage discontinued this rod! That is the only downside. They have a new one but I have not casted it.

[Davy]

A very large part of this (or indeed all of it)may just be my inability to cast worth a dog poop.And my limited experience with the lighter twohanders.

But using the 12'1/2- 6 wt TFO with a 6/7 midspey would not turn over or pick the anchor or cast effectively anything larger than say a #6 unweighted purplemuddler or similar all fall for me.(just a hollow conehead ) Let alone when I tried to use a #3 tip when the water came up last week . I fought with it every day on the Ronde. . It played what fish I got fine, the largest being around 7-8lbs........ But like I said it was probably all in the caster and not the equipment

[Big K1]

Burkheimer 7125!:thumb:

[Panhandle]

Dave, you just reiterated my concern. That's why I'm wondering if the folding and fulcrum problems can be solved by a stouter lower taper, other taper manipulations, or line rod matchings. It sounds like some people are using the trout spey effectively-spey casting. BK1, I'll have to wait until I win the lottery.

[solduc]

check out the sage z-axis 11 footers. i've been fishing both the 5and 6 wt versions for the past couple of months. very versatile rods. single hand spey, overhead single or double and two hand casts. 4/5 &5/6 windcutter lines have worked well for me. also suspect shooting heads would cast well with these sticks. light in hand, light enough to have fun with trout sized fish, still enough backbone to turn over weighted flies, and handle larger fish like summer steelies and coho. i can cast further with my 12 and 13 ft rods, but they tend to be too much rod for the trouts and the smaller coastal rivers that i fish.

[gbeeman]

I just spent 4 days on the Grande Ronde. The river was in terrible shape and we didn't find any fish. However, I was very pleased with the way my Meiser 12'6" 6/7/8 handled the type 8 tip I was using along with size 6 and 4 heavily weighted flies.

I was using a Rio Wind Cutter 7/8/9 multi-tip and 3 to 4 feet of 8 lbs. Maxima. With shorter lengths of line a snap T was no problem. As the line got longer a double spey worked very well.


GBeeman

[Salmo_g]

Skwala,

I have a CND 12' 5/6/7 wt Spey Tracker. I use a 6 wt Spey line and cast 1/40 oz dumbell eyed and 3/16" conehead sculpin patterns with it. I've caught sea run cutthroat, bull trout, and small steelhead with it. The rod doesn't fold and seems to have plenty of power to cast this set up. I find that the heavier the fly I cast with it, the more I need to slow down my casting stroke, but it puts the weighted flies out there comfortably.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

[fredaevans]

Hit Meiz's web site and take a look at the 'Mike Kenny' - aka "MK" (think I spelled that right) series of rods. They were designed/built with just what you have in mind.

[FlyShopKristin]

But using the 12'1/2- 6 wt TFO with a 6/7 midspey would not turn over or pick the anchor or cast effectively anything larger than say a #6 unweighted purplemuddler or similar all fall for me.(just a hollow conehead ) Let alone when I tried to use a #3 tip when the water came up last week . I fought with it every day on the Ronde. . It played what fish I got fine, the largest being around 7-8lbs........ But like I said it was probably all in the caster and not the equipment

A mid-spey line is not my favorite set up on that rod. Try a short head spey line and i bet you will see a difference.

Skwala - Fred's talking about the Meiser MKS (Mike Kinney Special) series. He's right, its a great design for the fishing conditions you are talking about. Sounds like that's what Poppy is steering you towards also. The MKS series is a great rod - but, like any spey rod - try before you buy to make sure it fits your style.

I have no doubt that Poppy will take good care of you - let us know what you finally decide!

[Davy]

A mid-spey line is not my favorite set up on that rod. Try a short head spey line and i bet you will see a difference.


Yeah thanks Ron, I spent them days through that canyon thinking even knowing thats what I needed, knowing thats what and how I learned with the heavier TFO stick. Got one on the way.

I was able to fish it all right. Just couldn't bang it out there, you know? Every set had to be just right or elfoldo!

Appreciate the reply

[Brian Thomas]

I'm shooting for a two hander for trout on big rivers like the Kootenai, Clark Fork, Upper Columbia, etc...

Does anyone out there have any first hand experience filling this niche or offer good advice? thanks, Adam.

I fish a Snowbee Torridge on the Thompson , for trout . Big water , and often , big wind . Using either a 5/6 Windcutter , or Hardy shooting heads , I have no problem fishing Muddlers and weighted stoneflies . I think if I ever wanted to fish the real heavy tugsten cones etc. , the lightest of the Skagit lines would get the job done .

The rod is a 12 footer , rated as a 6/7 , but it is definately a lighter , troutier (if that`s a word) rod , than the TFO , which I`ve also fished and liked .

Snowbee also makes a set of shooting heads specifically for this rod . I`m going to order all three of the heads directly from Snowbee , as they seem to be all but impossible to find in NA .

[Panhandle]

Thanks alot everyone, I think I have some rods in mind to test drive. :)

[Steelie Mike]

I have a TFO 6wt 12"6' that works great with a Cutter 6/7/8. However it is still to large for trout and only ok with bulls. That combo has no problem rolling over big flies with tips and a compensator if the fly is not weighted to heavy and if you are using large enough tippet to get the fly to turn over.
I would go with the 11" 5wt TFO switch if I were you. Then again that MKS would be a great rod if I wanted to spend four times the money.

[pcknshvl]

Tailwalker:

I too have Torridge, which I use for Trout on the Yakima, and off the beaches here in Puget Sound. The Snowbee 44' floating head at 370gr works nice, as does a Guidelines intr. head (about 35' and 370 gr). Various polyleaders work well on both these heads. The CND 5/6 line totally rocks on it, too. Santa, are you listening?

Tom

[Hal Eckert]

Snowbee Torridge user here also. Check it out.

Mike at Red Shed will fix you up.

:thumb: :beer2:

BG

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v231/eckhal1/Torridgeinaction640x480.jpg?t=1163947682