Switch Rods

[ginkyhackle]

Switch Rods seem to growing in popularity. These are essentially spey rods on a diet in most cases. They give you the ability to gain leverage for two-handed casting and could certainly chuck a spey line to great effect. I have family in Ireland and Scotland who have been using short spey and spey style rods as long as I can remember for loch (or lough) fishing.

In this country two-handed rods for general use in rivers and lakes seems to have declined at the turn of the 20th century. Before that you can see all kinds of examples of two-handed deliveries being the norm.

Perhaps things started to change when Sam Phillippe created his absolutely beautiful (one handed?) split bamboo rod:

http://www.explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=3430

My question is:

Has anyone used a switch rod for anything other than steelheading? For example: targeting smallies in rivers or stalking largemeouth, pike or pickerel in big lakes.

I know switch fishing has become very popular of late.

Ginky

 

[sandfly]

I've used a spey for years on the beach and in the Delaware for bass and stripers..15' 10 wt..

 

Ginky:
Here, on the Oregon coast, we use two-handers for everything from Sea Run 'Cutts, to Steelhead,plus our Chinook and Silvers. Because of the vast size and width of so many of our western coastal rivers.............. the two handers are almost "a need" in many places if one wants to really cover a lot of water in a semi reasonable time, and to, of course, handle the spey flies we tie and use, as well.
Although very popular, many still prefer to use the actual "spey cast" , with a single handed rod..........usually 9.5 to 10 foot 10wt to 12wt. Because; almost all of our rivers seem to always want to trick us into something "different", water/current wise.... many also build their own, custom, spey lines.

 

[OhioOutdoorsman]

The yough aches for a spey or switch rod......

Switch Rods, BTW, are the invention of Bob Mieser:

http://www.meiserflyrods.com/s2h106-switch.html

They are meant to be used both with overhead single handed casting as well as the traditional swing....

 

[ginkyhackle]

Bob Mieser is a genuine artist. I've been lusting after his spey and switch rods for a number of years. I'm considering going further into debt to snag one of his cork and graphite masterpieces!