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323 Posts
I'm recovering from abdominal surgery at the moment, so won't be on the water for a while. That means some time to tie flies, read fishing books, and drool over gear online.
I've been thinking about spey rods for a while now, and attending Aaron's "Day on the River" clinic really whetted my appetite. I'm considering options for spey rods/switch rods and could use some input.
A few things to note:
1) I plan to attend more of Aaron's clinics before I buy a rod, so this is not going to be something I purchase right away.
2) I'll most likely purchase from Aaron's shop, as I value the time he puts in offering his free clinics, and will likely get the chance to try out several different rods before I make a purchase.
As such, I'm mostly looking for some early suggestions on what types of rods to try out, rather than a "this is what you need" answer.
My current rod is a 6wt Redington 5-piece (1 hander). I use a 5/6 Okuma Helios reel and a 5/6 Arlbright Bugati reel with it. I also have an old 7wt Montague rod that's kind of a crappy fiberglass setup, but serves as a decent backup rod.
I figure that the 6wt rod will continue to be the main rod I use on stillwaters and creeks, so what I'm looking for in a new rod is something for use fishing for salmon and steelhead, particularly on larger waters. Potentially I may want something I can use in salt water as well.
My original inclination was to go for a switch rod, so that I could use it in a variety of different situations. From what I've read, the benefits to a switch rod are that you can do long spey casts with it, but also easily do some short casts with it, as well as easily feed line out for a downstream drift. However, I've also read they aren't the best choice for a beginner to spey, as they sacrifice some of the benefits of a dedicated spey setup.
Any thoughts on that?
If I do go with a dedicated spey setup, a Skagit rod (compared to a Scandinavian or Traditional) setup seems like a good choice for steelhead/salmon on local rivers. Not that the other choices would be bad either, but the flexibility of the Skagit rod appeals to me.
What do you suggest as far as size/weight? I'm a beginner, but a fast learner, and don't want to have to "upgrade" in a year if I can help it.
Also, since the majority of what's on your spool is running line, do you need to match the reel weight? If I'm using, say, an 8-wt setup, can I put it on a 5/6 reel, or am I better off with an 8wt reel to match?
I'm aiming to keep my cost under $200. Is that realistic, or am I better off putting the money away for now, and saving up for a rod in several months?
Thanks,
--Tracy
(PS, If any of the above doesn't make sense or is unclear, please ask. I'm on pain medication after my surgery and might not be as articulate at the moment as I could be.)
I've been thinking about spey rods for a while now, and attending Aaron's "Day on the River" clinic really whetted my appetite. I'm considering options for spey rods/switch rods and could use some input.
A few things to note:
1) I plan to attend more of Aaron's clinics before I buy a rod, so this is not going to be something I purchase right away.
2) I'll most likely purchase from Aaron's shop, as I value the time he puts in offering his free clinics, and will likely get the chance to try out several different rods before I make a purchase.
As such, I'm mostly looking for some early suggestions on what types of rods to try out, rather than a "this is what you need" answer.
My current rod is a 6wt Redington 5-piece (1 hander). I use a 5/6 Okuma Helios reel and a 5/6 Arlbright Bugati reel with it. I also have an old 7wt Montague rod that's kind of a crappy fiberglass setup, but serves as a decent backup rod.
I figure that the 6wt rod will continue to be the main rod I use on stillwaters and creeks, so what I'm looking for in a new rod is something for use fishing for salmon and steelhead, particularly on larger waters. Potentially I may want something I can use in salt water as well.
My original inclination was to go for a switch rod, so that I could use it in a variety of different situations. From what I've read, the benefits to a switch rod are that you can do long spey casts with it, but also easily do some short casts with it, as well as easily feed line out for a downstream drift. However, I've also read they aren't the best choice for a beginner to spey, as they sacrifice some of the benefits of a dedicated spey setup.
Any thoughts on that?
If I do go with a dedicated spey setup, a Skagit rod (compared to a Scandinavian or Traditional) setup seems like a good choice for steelhead/salmon on local rivers. Not that the other choices would be bad either, but the flexibility of the Skagit rod appeals to me.
What do you suggest as far as size/weight? I'm a beginner, but a fast learner, and don't want to have to "upgrade" in a year if I can help it.
Also, since the majority of what's on your spool is running line, do you need to match the reel weight? If I'm using, say, an 8-wt setup, can I put it on a 5/6 reel, or am I better off with an 8wt reel to match?
I'm aiming to keep my cost under $200. Is that realistic, or am I better off putting the money away for now, and saving up for a rod in several months?
Thanks,
--Tracy
(PS, If any of the above doesn't make sense or is unclear, please ask. I'm on pain medication after my surgery and might not be as articulate at the moment as I could be.)