Switch Rods

2480 Views 9 Replies 9 Participants Last post by golfman65, Jan 13, 2010

mdjm66

Discussion Starter · Jan 11, 2010

I am looking for a switch rod to fish bigger rivers for trout and possibly the salt for sea-runs.

Have heard great things about the Beulah, what else is out there, and how do match lines for a switch rod?
Thinking 5/6 is as big as I want to go, as I already have a 13'3" 7 wt spey.

Thanks

D

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??????

· #2 · Jan 11, 2010

Not sure if you build your own rods but there are some good deals floating around the internet on the rainshadow RX-7 switches in the 5-8 wt range. I ordered up a 7wt last week and currently waiting for it to show up. I have heard some great reviews on that series of switches. Beyond that I don't know much as this will be my first foray into switch rods. If you give All About the Fly (site sponser) a call they should be able to get you dialed in for lines and rod recommendations..and I am sure some of the more knowledgeable folk here on the board will pop in shortly.

Josh

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Porter

· #3 · Jan 11, 2010

Redington CPX's are receiving good reviews, and IMHO they have really stepped up recently in performance.

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miyawaki

· #4 · Jan 11, 2010

mdjm66 said:
I am looking for a switch rod to fish bigger rivers for trout and possibly the salt for sea-runs.

Have heard great things about the Beulah, what else is out there, and how do match lines for a switch rod?
Thinking 5/6 is as big as I want to go, as I already have a 13'3" 7 wt spey.

Thanks

D

Try the Orvis Helios 11 foot 6wt with a Rio Outbound Short for the beach. It's the only switch rod light enough to cast single-handed all day. The Beulah Elixer will be a good Scandi line.

Leland.

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Mumbles

· #5 · Jan 11, 2010

I have cast TFO Deer Creek, Orvis Helios and Sage Z Axis switch rods. I've heard great things about Beulah, Meiser and Echo switch rods too, but have not had a chance to try any. I've had fun with them on small rivers and from the beach. I fished with a switch rod from the beach almost all summer long. Fun times. Best of luck. Grain windows should dictate what lines should work. On most of mine I'm using single handed lines that fit the middle to upper end of the grain window. Shooting head types like Airflo 40+, Rio Outbounds, compact skagits and switch specific lines have performed well casting overhead or with my limited spey techniques. Best of luck.

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Annie Rutherford

· #6 · Jan 11, 2010

there have been a lot of questions about switch rods lately you might serch that topic on this sight, was wondering what type make and modle do you have Mumbles, i am also interested in a switch but cant aford it right now

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IveofIone

· #7 · Jan 11, 2010

Okay, I'll bite.....What the hell is a switch rod? Is it something like a Crossover SUV? A sex change operation? A lesbian that suddenly gets a boyfriend?

I thought I was switching rods when I put down my 4 wt and picked up my 6 wt. I'm confused and uninformed.

Ive

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BDD

· #8 · Jan 11, 2010

IveofIone said:
Okay, I'll bite.....What the hell is a switch rod? Is it something like a Crossover SUV? A sex change operation? A lesbian that suddenly gets a boyfriend?

I thought I was switching rods when I put down my 4 wt and picked up my 6 wt. I'm confused and uninformed.

Ive

:rofl: Good stuff Ive.

A switch rod fills a nich of in between a single rod and a two-hand Spey rod. The switch is generally shorter (11 foot range) than a traditional Spey that allows you to cast with a regular overhand stroke or to execute a variety of Spey casts with its longer foregrip and rod length. It allows you to switch from single hand to two hand casting and vice versa.

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SpeySpaz

· #9 · Jan 12, 2010

There's a lot of switcher options out there, it's the most rapidly expanding segment of the DH rod market. Consequently there's a lot of choice, a mind-boggling variety.
I've cast Meisers, Guidelines,TFO Deer Creeks, Echo SRs, and others. I own a Beulah 4/5 and a Z Axis 7110.
They are wonderful, versatile rods.

My ideal switcher for the salt would be a TFO 4wt Deer Creek. It's as powerful as most 5s and light as a feather. A Meiser System 2 would be a more expensive, but even better alternative.
I think the Echo SRs are a terrific bargain too, am thinking about the 6 wt myself. Screams with a 360 compact scandi.

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· #10 · Jan 13, 2010

SpeySpaz said:
There's a lot of switcher options out there, it's the most rapidly expanding segment of the DH rod market. Consequently there's a lot of choice, a mind-boggling variety.
I've cast Meisers, Guidelines,TFO Deer Creeks, Echo SRs, and others. I own a Beulah 4/5 and a Z Axis 7110.
They are wonderful, versatile rods.

My ideal switcher for the salt would be a TFO 4wt Deer Creek. It's as powerful as most 5s and light as a feather. A Meiser System 2 would be a more expensive, but even better alternative.
I think the Echo SRs are a terrific bargain too, am thinking about the 6 wt myself. Screams with a 360 compact scandi.

I just sold my deer creek 4wt and am waiting on one of bob's (meiser) 4wts for beach and trouting....I picked up one of his 11'7" 5/7 switch's last year...Used it for pinks, summer runs, trout, beach salmon fishing...I've got a few of his spey rods and love um but I really enjoy using the switch...I have been taking it out for winter steel my last few trips..kind of fishing it against all the rules, throwing a compact scandi head with fast sink polyleaders and smaller flies...Probably not the ideal set up but after fishing so much on the T. this fall/winter it's just too nice swinging a smaller stick...When I head into some back sloughs for cutties etc. I just switch my reels to my outbounds and go that route...a bit overkill for cutts but until I get the 4wt one it's fine...

Allot of guys will say it's a rod that does a couple things good but nothing great...I have to strongly disagree...I can bomb overhead casts from the beach better then I can a single hand..And with the compact scandi I can throw tight loops out to 80' pretty effortlessly...not the distance of the big guns for sure but with that rod it's more my lack of skill then the rods..and to be honest I would rather fish it in close and around structure then bomb it out there anyways...

Like all rods, there is good and bad, though most are pretty decent now..finding the right line combo is key and when you do they are little jewels to fish..IMHO

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