matthill1216

This might be a good idea when the water is on the rise....

Here's some good info….. http://www.ginkandgasoline.com/steelhead/spey-casting-diagnostics-checklist/ http://www.ginkandgasoline.com/category/spey-casting-2/page/2/ The 2nd link has a lot of info on switch rod and lines

Wow that's a good price! I was gun shy on the heavier weight because the last 7wt I had broke on a simple roll cast. Then I went to the 8wt but not satisfied with it so exchanged back to 7. When I did my forward cast I didn't hold back. If it was gonna fail then it was better to find out the first time out then later. It all held up and responded well. My rod however is called the Black Watch Switch Rod from Bass Pro. It's a medium fast action tip.

See… that was my question when I called Red's. When I ordered the 485, I had the 8wt 11' switch. I thought the rod was a little heavy so I took it back and got the 7wt. So, I placed the order for my line and then decided to go down a size in rod. I called and emailed several times and that's when they said it really depends on the individuals casting stroke. They said that if it seemed too heavy then they'd replace it no questions asked. I used it the first time yesterday and it felt really good. I could feel it load the rod real well. Saying that, my cast style at the moment isn't fast. Once I set my anchor yesterday, my approach to form the D loop and forward cast was pretty slow and consistent. It sailed out there. I do however think the 425 is the way to go for the 7wt 11' switch. I may end up going down in grain weight once I determine my casting stroke or with this weight, my stroke may adjust to the way this one feels. For the money, it may not hurt for me to have both weights to compare. $30….. it's a great shooting head.

The complete Versi System comes with a ton of tips and a wallet for everything to go in it.

That's awesome!!!! TFO…. That's a really nice rod! I have the Elixir V2 Switch Scandi head in both the 450 and 500 grain but they don't compare to the Rio Scandi Short Versi. I was really shocked. You're gonna love it! I got mine at Red's Fly shop online. Look in the Clearance section. You can buy just the head with the floating tip for $30. Here's the link. http://www.redsflyfishing.com/Rio-Scandi-Short-Shooting-Head-ON-SALE-p/rio-scandi-short-clear-mp.htm

That's so cool!!! I have to laugh at myself… I get so excited, I'm like a giddy school kid about this stuff…. We'll have to plan a day where we meet up and plan a day out there. You'll love it.

Well, I went out this morning on the White. I was in the water by 9am. The water was low as I expected so I walked up stream just a little from where I parked. After a couple casts I landed one on an olive leech pattern. 2 more casts and I hooked another one. This one was real nice but I noticed that the water was on the rise and moving really fast. Needless to say I lost this one in the current. With the water now at my waist and still rising, I moved myself back about 10' and started again. 3 casts in and I hook another really nice fish. Needless to say to say with the water still rising and fast, he bolted toward the current then made a run straight at me, was in the air in a split second and spit the leech out of his mouth. After I pulled my line in and checked my streamer I had to move back even more and found myself right against the edge of the bank. I looked behind me and there is a big embankment a few feet back with trees, shrubs, etc…. literally no room at all and then I said to myself….. "WAIT A MINUTE!!! I HAVE A 2 HANDED ROD!!" So, I shrugged it off and went right back to fishing as if I had an empty 100' behind me. It was a great day. I spent a total of 6 hours in the water and loved every minute. The main reason I stayed that long was that I wanted to practice on my casts since I'm still new to the switch rod. I changed out my scandi head and went with Rio Scandi Short Versi System that I ordered from Red's Fly Shop. I have a 7wt and ordered a 485gr head. I was concerned it would be a little heavy so I called the guys at Red's and they assured me it would be ok and said it all really depends on the individuals casting stroke. Since I'm still developing mine I decided to give it a shot. All I can say is that I should have picked this up from the beginning. It has a 23' Skagit style head that is looped to a 10' floating tip. I then put about 12' of 6lb Spider Wire Flouro to see how it would do. I bombed a few casts here and there but overall in the day, the head worked amazing. The guys at Red's also said that when they use this, they take off the 10' floating tip and put on a sinking Mow tip with about 4' of 12lb line (remember, they're in Washington state) and it responds as a Skagit head. Put the 10' floating tip back on and it lays out with scandi finesse. Kind of having your cake and eating it too. Had a great day…. I learned a lot in my casting stroke, caught a few fish, lost a few that will always be "the big ones" to me and didn't freeze. I actually was quite comfortable. Just wanted to share what seems to work and pass on the info that was shared with me. Have a great weekend and happy fishing!

I watched a video with Jeff Putnam on switch rod casting and his rod screwed out at the bottom and slid down for the 2 hand switch and then he screwed it back in for single hand casting. Pretty nice.... I'm taking my 8wt back to bass pro and down sizing back to the 7wt I had originally. Felt better all the way around. They were actually pretty cool about me swapping back. They said they have the 7 wt set back with my name on it.

That's so cool!!!

That clarifies a lot. Thanks Nathan!

Thanks for the great info! Another question, when using a tip, is it already figured in for the grain weight or do you have to add it?

My rod is an 11' 8wt and I got it at bass pro. They offer both 7 & 8wt. Both 11' for $180. The reel needs to be about 2 sizes larger than the rod for adequate space for the head of the line you choose. Whether scandi or Skagit. My setup ran approximately $400 when I was done. There are however complete outfits on eBay for around $300. I chose to deal locally with my stuff in case of any problems.

Ok Nathan, I'm gonna pick your brain. I'm getting ready to order a mow tip. I don't want an all floating tip cause there are some deep spots on the White when the water is moving just like Taneycomo would be. Here's the options. A T-8 will sink at 6 ips. So, on a drift and swing, depending on the area, would it be best to have 2.5' of sinking tip or an even 5'. The tip is 10' long. The Scandi Short is 23'. To imagine the ratio on a drift and swing with good running water, the last 10' of your tip will drop either 2.5' @ 6isp or 5' @ 6isp. That's a fast drop no matter what length it is. Especially if you're use to floating line. I have a sink tip but it is about 2 or 3isp. Any thoughts? I'm thinking 5/5 ratio. Obviously the fish feed along the bottom the most. I may go both routes for when less units are running.

I have an 11' switch rod I picked up from Bass Pro in Springfield. I wanted to convert to a 2 handed rod because of 2 reason. I wanted to be able to cover more water and there are some great areas on White River that is impossible to fish due to not having room to back cast to get the fly out there on the drift. Being new to the world of 2 handed rods has been exciting and frustrating at the same time. I've only had my rod for about 3 weeks but I've been busy catching fish on it and have been able to effectively fish water that I would normally have to pass up. I even caught my first brown that measured 20" a couple weeks ago. My rod is an 8wt. I know. It seems a little beefy. I had a 7wt at first but the rod broke after I caught the brown. They say that the 7wt is the 30-06 of switch rods. I chose to move to the 8wt because I like to lake fish at times so I wanted to be able to handle whatever I encountered. I bought the Lamson Liquid 7-9wt reel and right now I'm using the Beulah Elixir V2 switch Scandi line 500gr. My running line is Rio Gripshooter. I like the versatility of being able to change heads for any fishing situation I encounter. I also have a separate reel that has Rio Switch line on it. I'm able to launch 70' casts with it and mend 40' of line. Its almost ridiculous when you think about it but so cool at the same time. The only other thing I know is that I plan to take the next step and pick up a 13' 7wt spey rod and reel set up. Might as well cover all the bases. If you're on the fence of getting a 2 hander, I would encourage you to do so. I'm pretty sure you'll be glad you did.