Susquehanna switch/spey?

[Troutbum1994]

Any two-handed practitioners out there that have figured out fun applications for the Susquehanna or some of it's larger tributaries? I'm very new to the concept, but curious. I've been flipping big single hand rolls at trout on the other bank for years, but I'm looking for something fun and different and sized up. I have very little two handed casting experience, but I'm willing to try anything. Chasing the grab..

 

[Dave_W]

From time to time I'll take my 11' 7WT switch out for bass on the rivers. I find it a mixed bag. I have struggled to find a line that matches well with the rod and I think it has guides that are too small (I built it).

Anyway, it does some things well and is especially good for roll casting nymph rigs with big strike indicators, a technique I use a lot. The long handle and two-handed style also makes it comfortable to use for long periods of time.

For poppers and distance casting, I still prefer a conventional rod.

 

[ryc72]

i dont know the susquehanna at all so i cant comment on that. but i can tell you that two handed casting/fishing is tons of fun. there are a few moving parts to two handed casting with respect to style (sustained anchor/skagit vs touch and go/scandi) but both are awesome ways to cast and fish. the best part about it is you can fish all day and there is very little to no fatigue. very different than distance casting a single hander with a streamer all day. there are some that find swinging flies boring and i can see that. i personally find it a very nice way to slow down and be able to zone out and then get jolted back to the task at hand when there is a nice tug on the end of the line. there is also something very relaxing and satisfying of nailing a nice two handed cast that you just dont get from a single hander. there are several nice and somewhat reasonably priced rods out there that can be fished single or two handed. beulah platinum switch rods are a good example. their 5wt platinum switch is 10'0" and could probably handle anything in the susquehanna and can be fished single or double handed and you can find them used for ~ $250 or so. otherwise there are plenty of 11'0"+ rods out there that are highly regarded that are well priced as well.

 

[mote1977]

I have a Hydrogen 3wt trout spey that I use to swing soft hackles and small streamers on Pine Creek. It’s a blast and a joy to cast. I’m headed up that way in a few weeks to fish Pine.

 

[SteveG]

I have an OPST micro Skagit that I fool around with time to time. The biggest problem I've found though, is that hookup rates when swinging for bass is quite poor compared to trout. Trying to get a strip set with all that slack out is usually futile.

 

[carl]

I'm curious if you nymph with big indicators for Smallmouth?

How big an indicator and nymphs are you talking about?

 

[raftman]

Hey TroutBum,

I recently got a Spey rod and have taken it out only a handful of times on the Susky. We probably live near each other.... I'd be down for heading out sometime. My casting needs a lot of work... hahaha

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

You would probably find it most useful on the Susky when the fish are chasing minnows and crayfish. The ability to cover large swaths of water would be helpful-like throwing a spinnerbait with conventional gear. Generally, however, I tend to find that those fish don't chase in the way you expect them to. They seem to like a less-is-more approach, with more drifting and pausing than stripping. I would think that a great place to use a spey rod would be at the outflow of a tidal creek in a back bay in NJ on an outgoing tide right about now. Those schoolie stripers will absolutely chase down-and-across presentations under those conditions.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

I took my spey 7 wt 10' out on neshaminy creek a month ago and caught a couple of nice size bass throwing poppers and wooly buggers.

I bought it at Salmon river just to help out one of the locals who makes custom rods.

 

[afishinado]

SurfCowboyXX wrote:
You would probably find it most useful on the Susky when the fish are chasing minnows and crayfish. The ability to cover large swaths of water would be helpful-like throwing a spinnerbait with conventional gear. Generally, however, I tend to find that those fish don't chase in the way you expect them to. They seem to like a less-is-more approach, with more drifting and pausing than stripping. I would think that a great place to use a spey rod would be at the outflow of a tidal creek in a back bay in NJ on an outgoing tide right about now. Those schoolie stripers will absolutely chase down-and-across presentations under those conditions.

Agree with Surf ^

A 2H rod works for swinging flies, but most times the most effective way to fish the river is to target structure or current streams and accurately cast to them and drift-pause-strip, etc.

Also, as DaveW posted popper fishing is best done with a SH rod.

 

[Dave_W]

carl wrote:
I'm curious if you nymph with big indicators for Smallmouth?

How big an indicator and nymphs are you talking about?

I do.

For indicators I use split/peg bobbers sold at Wal-Mart for spin fishermen. These are oval and about an inch in length. For nymphs I like buggy patterns with rubber legs that drift hook upward and are about 1-2" long. I also use a lot of hellgrammite nymphs that are 2-3" long. Sometimes I'll drop a smaller nymph off above the big one (think a #12 hare' ear) but this is mostly when I'm targeting sunfish.

 

[Troutbum1994]

This is excellent feedback everybody. I'm soaking it all in. See you out there...

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Im going the other way than what has been posted.

When usung streamers and a switch rod i have had very good success on the Susquehanna. While swinging flies with that much line can cause missed hook-ups, i have often had the same fish chase and bite again or an entirely different fish take the streamer.
Yes the coverage of water and ease of casting saves a ton of fatigue.

Imo go with something vintage. My switch rod just takes a WF7 or 8 with a sink tip and casts like a champ. I like this because i can switch over to poppers by disconnecting the sink tip and cast single handed.


Food for thought.

 

[Troutbum1994]

This is what I'm after. I've stared at enough indicators over the last few years to float a truck. Just looking for the grab. Thanks.

 

[carl]

Thanks Dave, I'm going to have to try nymphing with the spey rod for SMB.