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Carrying two rods

7K views 54 replies 37 participants last post by  CreekScrambler 
#1 ·
I often find myself in positions while wade fishing that I would prefer to carry two rods. If I’m salmon/steel fishing I want a streamer/swing rod with associated line, and also find myself wanting a nymph or bead set up. If I’m trout fishing I may want a streamer rod, dry fly rod (sometimes this can also be used for smaller streamers), and I may want a nymph or euro rod depending on system and conditions. I usually just pick one rod/ tactics and go with it, but it burns me to pass over fishy looking water that is better served by another method. I’ve tried carrying a second rod in a tube lashed to my pack, but I often still pass over the water due to the time it would take to unpack and rig the rod. Not to mention transporting and dealing with a place to put the second rod once I’ve got it rigged up. Occasionally I’ll fish down (or up) stream with one method, break down that rod, rig the other, and fish back out with a new tactic. This is about the best method I’ve found, but surely someone out there does this better than I do. How do you do it? Or, do you not bother, and stick with one method? Maybe, you pick one rod and line that can do a few things ok, but nothing great?
 
#37 ·
I sometimes fish 2 rods while walkin' and wading, but only if I know where I'm fishing. There's a few runs that are worth covering with 2 different setups, and I can set my second rod in a visible location from wherever I'm fishing.

Other than that I think it's a PITA carrying a 2nd stick.
 
#38 ·
I never carry a second rod unless I'm in a boat of some kind then I'll carry 4 or 5 if needed. Most small creeks that are very brushy, I never carry more than a single rod and a floating line, I wouldn't feel right about even fishing a nymph, let alone a sink tip or carrying a second rod. On larger rivers walking and wading, I used to carry two rods but usually it was a fly rod and a gear rod. Anymore that got to be too big a hassle and now I pick in advance how I will fish that day and be done with it. Sometimes I win, sometimes the fish wins. I can live with that.
 
#39 ·
Many fly competition angles carry the second rod tucked in the waders on the non-dominant hand side (see picture). Once you are in the river it is a good option (although it takes some time to get used to it), but it sucks for getting to the river if you have to go through some vegetation cover...

Water Water resources Lake Watercourse Baseball cap
 
#40 ·
Here’s what works for me....

One rod is a trout spey. Just take the shooting head off and replace with a long euro leader attached to your shooting line (I use lazar line) and it’s a REALLY easy switch between Spey and Euro. Fish the Spey by stepping down a run and you nymph the other direction. Piece of cake and you just stuff the unused head/euro leader in your sink tip wallet or wader pocket etc. the trout Spey works really well as a euro rod

second rod is your dry fly rod. In a pinch you can add a short sink tip if you want to strip streamers.

I leave the unused rod fully assembled and tucked into the large back pocket in my vest. It’ll stick about 2 feet of the rod in it and the whole thing leans to my off hand side (leans to my left as a cast right handed) and stays out of the way.

Now with two rods you can handle the following:

dry
Dry dropper
Strip streamers

euro nymph
Swing streamers.
 
#41 · (Edited)
Obviously it wouldn't work for every scenario, especially if this is the majority of your fishing. However, for MT & salt fishing it works great for me. It's never interfered with my casting.



I went to Alaska in September and bushwhacked with two fully rigged rods, while trying to juggle bear spray and keep my balance. Just took my time & slowly navigated my way though. It was the pain in the ass but it was a better alternative then rigging up a new rod every time.

View attachment 269083
I have this system and it works well. I use it to carry a second rod to beaches that require a 10 minute hike or more, in case I break one. I've used it on rivers as well though I have found hiking through underbrush is not ideal. You can break the rod in two, hold it together with gear ties and still use the system though.

My wife randomly found this online and bought it for me for x-mas this year. I have not used it but it also looks promising and versatile.

 
#45 ·
I do my best to take as little stuff with me as possible. I already take too much gear. Taking more than one rod is a non-starter.

I actually can't think of any circumstance in which I need an extra rod; with fairly small changes, I can do euro nymphing, fish dries, swing wets, throw streamers or fish with an indicator. I wonder if the OP actually needs more versatile gear, or some rigging tricks, instead.
 
#48 · (Edited)
I prefer to have more specialized setups pre-strung.....for example I carry an 11 foot euro. I love the mono rig for high sticking.....hate it for throwing dries, or running an indo. When I'm fishing the lower D, which I often do, I will typically euro in close, indo out farther, swing meat on a sink tip.......any one of those may be left at the rig for a dry rod....it's all based on what I'm expecting/time of season, etc.....and many spots I fish I will typically use all three...n
 
#46 ·
Many fly competition angles carry the second rod tucked in the waders on the non-dominant hand side (see picture). Once you are in the river it is a good option (although it takes some time to get used to it), but it sucks for getting to the river if you have to go through some vegetation cover...

View attachment 269473
Looks awesome and I know we all fish different places and ways, but that rod would have caught the overhead brush I couldn't hold on to when I fell in and laid me right on my back if it didn't tangle. I don't know better or worse I'm just re-assessing things.
 
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#47 · (Edited)
I only bring one rod when wading. I really have no reason to ever nymph. I can usually tell by conditions if I'm going to fish dries or streamers.

So I will either use a dry fly rod or a streamer rod. If I'm that unsure, I'll fish a 6 weight (I have them from 7' to 9' 6") and I know with a 6 weight I can fish anything from midges to size 6 streamers (size 4 in a pinch if there's no rabbit on them).

So my suggestion is to get a 6 weight. With a 9' 6wt, I can fish 2# maxima tippet with tiny midges if I want, or size 6 streamers with 6# or even 8# MAXIMA.

If you like nymphing a 6 weight is good for that too.

If I know I'll only be fishing streamers, then I bring a 7 weight. Generally, streamers are going to fish like shit when the water is Low, especially when the sun is out. And when the water is ripping and off Color, streamers are going to fish better than dries.

If I bring the wrong rod I'll know pretty quickly and I'll suck it up and walk back to my car. I cover water way to quickly to leave a rod on the bank and keep walking back to get it. And you look like a nerd carrying two rods.

On a drift boat, all bets are off and my boat usually has 9-10 rigs on it. Probably 4-6 dry fly rods (usually 6 wts), 3 streamer rods (7 or 8 wts), and 1 or 2 9'6 scott arc 6wts with bobbers that I never use but usually someone else will fish them. The only reason I bring the nymph rigs is because I really like the rods.

Scott ARCs are bad ass rods, imo the best steelhead rods ever made. I have single handers in 6 through 9 and the 1287.
 
#49 ·
Side question....

For those of you who are adamant about only carrying one rod.....how many rods do you own?

I ask, because I would assume if you want a tool that will do it all, you wouldn't need a lot of rods.....I'm a rod junkie....not so much spendy rods, cuz I'd rather have 3 Echos than one Thomas and Thomas.
 
#54 · (Edited)
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#55 ·
7’6” 3 wt creek rod. Line is loaded on a spare spool for my 5wt. The 3wt WF/Fand 5wt WF/F will never need to be used at the same time.

2x 9’ 5wt trout rods. If I’m fishing with my GF I’ll rig one for all purpose fishing and the other with my sink tip line for streamers. Fishing on my own, I might take both reels and swap if the opportunity is too good for a deep streamer swing.

13’ 7wt for steelhead. I have a Skagit and a Scandi line for it but I generally only carry the one that’s rigged plus the appropriate sink tips or leaders. Swapping heads is easy if needed.

I’m looking at picking up a 9’ or 9’6” 7wt setup later this year for coho, bass, summer steelhead, and trout streamers.

The goal is to carry less stuff while fishing and store less stuff when I’m not fishing. I currently stand at three rods plus a backup 5wt. That 7wt will need some research.
 
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