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Line recommendation for a cheap rod

1K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  scifidelity 
#1 ·
Hi looking for some line advice as I have been gifted a cheap Maxcatch V switch if anyone has heard of it in an 11ft #6 by a non fly fishing buddy who received it as a gift himself. I'm pretty new to two handers and my experience is with a 13'6 #8 Spey so I'm hoping I can call on some forum experience.
What I can find out about the rod is :

11ft #6 IM10 /30T+36T
Rod weight: 187 grams
Medium-fast action

I have a Rio outbound short which should do the job for overhead but would like to pick up a line for swinging sink tips and heavy-ish flies for Bull trout up here. I have been looking into the OPST commando heads and they seem promising but the short head length worries me as a newish Spey caster also on my radar is the airflo skagit scout and the skagit switch.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Eoin
 
#2 ·
The tricky question here is: is that 6-weight rating based on single handed or spey/switch weight standards? If you own or can borrow a #6 line, try it and see how it casts. I built a cheap 11 foot, 5 weight into my first switch rod. It spey cast ok with a WF6F line; lightish, like a scandi line. A WF7f/s casts like a Skagit line on that rod. Again, that was for a "5-weight" rod blank.
 
#3 ·
Hey thanks for the reply. I took the rod out this weekend and tried it with the 8 weight Rio outbound and it handled it pretty easily if anything it probably could have taken the 9 weight outbound. So on that basis I'm guessing that it is rated as a #6 switch. I'm trying to decide between an airflo Skagit scout or a opst commando and also what grain weight to go for.
 
#4 ·
I haven't tried the Scout, but I do recommend the commando. I find them super easy to cast, and so does my gf who fishes a lot less than I do. The weight is so condensed, I find you can blow the anchor and still get a reasonable cast often enough. And an 11' rod is relatively short, so it should be fine.
 
#10 ·
+1 on the commando. I use a 300 gr. On a single handed 10' 7 wt. and it does amazing things with it. Once you get the hang of things a little bit, go to a clave and try out some of theNextcast lines. I understand that Jack Mitchell of the Evening hatch is going to have a clave on the Klickitat late summer in Klickitat and the Nextcast gang will be there.
 
#5 ·
Have you found that their grain weight recommendations are pretty good as in 275/300 for a #6 switch where the recommendation for the scout is 390/450 for a #6 switch with only foot in the difference in length I'm wondering why the big difference in grain weight.
 
#7 ·
I have the scout and the recommendation that you have for it is likely a Spey rating, since it is for a switch rod and not a single handed rod. I would go down to the 275/300 grain weight in the scout. If you want to be sure, call a reputable dealer and they can further inform you.
 
#11 ·
This went straight over my head. Are you saying casting techniques vary greatly between the two.

Commando is working out great so far. Tosses cone head bulkley specials with 10ft or t11 with ease. Very impressed. Gotta get a floating tip next to tease some bull trout that are on the fry
 
#13 ·
Sorry I'm on the same page as you now. Nope definitely still on the 8wt when in Steelhead water. The 6 switch is purely for bullys and perhaps some summer steelhead if I can find some water to chase them this year. Not too much of that in the lower mainland of BC.
 
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