Which Switch Line

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hey Lasse,
Interesting, what length rod do you use? I have read all the internet information regarding matching the correct line weight with the rod. I'm about to use an old 7 wt floater for the job. The line grain recommended for the 2wt Spey/switch is about 13.7 grams. However I am still not clear on the procedure. Are we saying that when testing the rid for the loading weight that the casting should be the conventional overhead style. When the rod loads well this is the weight to be used for Spey casting as well? Or are they referring to loading the rod while speycasting?
I will be doing more sort type casting than over head casting.

Hi Pierre

It's a 9 footer

And too bad, it's better to steer very clear of all that misinformation out there

The best advice there is about lineweights for rods, is a window rater than something so arbitray as 13,7 grams ( you'd be more than hard pressed to find a line that actually weighs that, industry has about a +/- 10% deviation, and extremly rarely hits on spot with the majority of lines..)

Most people will want slightly heavier or backend heavy lines (triangle taper type lines) for spey casts, quite naturally since it's a smaller portion of the line we accelerate and send of in our spey casts than in overhead.

Cheers
Lasse

[alp]

He he Actually I haven't gone down this road yet myself. I know that I should be into these fetishes but I'm saving that for when I'm old and ugly

Cheers, Paul

So Paul, welcome to the club. Well, "Forever Young & Beautiful" club already has a president ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezyd40kJFq0

... but we're stil looking for a king. King.. king... King.....? Yeah, Henry the Eighth! Henry the Eighth Mark II! Got any suggestions?

Cheears

Alp

[easterncaster]

...
Most people will want slightly heavier or backend heavy lines (triangle taper type lines) for spey casts, quite naturally since it's a smaller portion of the line we accelerate and send of in our spey casts than in overhead.

Cheers
Lasse

Yes - I second that motion !

[alp]

Hi Pieere,
For 5-weight SH blank take 5-weight Ambush TT. Plus 10 ft Salmon/Steelhead Poly Floating or Intermediate. If you go a little bit deeper Poly 10 ft Trout Extra Fast Sinking. You do not need anything else. What you need to know is that SH spey casting with hauling works better then TH casting with 9 foot 5-weight rod without hauling.
Cheers
Alp

[Paul Arden]

Given what you are looking at Pierre, if it was me I'd be looking at a long belly 7wt shooting head. Using a heavier line than this is overkill IMO. I use a 4wt DT on a 9ft single handed rod nowadays for the same applications. The take sensitivity between a 4 and 6wt is amazing. Off topic maybe I know!

Cheers Paul

[Paul Arden]

Henry VIII didn't have an orange beard, Sasha, no king has been so sexy.

[sushiyummy]

One possibility is the Rio's or Orvis's Steelhead/ Salmon Taper lines. Rio used to make the 5 weight, but the last time I checked they start only with the 6 weight.

It has a long rear taper to chuck nymph rigs, while having a fine but short taper to throw a bushy fly (although a little clunky) without getting clunky.

I remember using it all day as my only line when I had to nymph, dry fly, and streamer cast with one line. A McGyver generalist taper.

I have used this on my 5 weight rod that I converted to a switch rod used in these series of videos: http://www.awholenuthalevel.com/spey-two-handed-switch-rod.html

Also, I had custom cut some Scandi lines around 240 grains for this rod. So, the previous suggestions seem to be right on.

[alp]

Hi Pierre,

If you're still here, this is a very brief demo of casting Ambush TT properly balanced for a 4-weight SH rod. Single handed casting with hauling first and then, if you want, double handed in the switch rod style. But, as you can see, there is no practical purpose for doing that with light SH rod. Unfortunately my fishing friend did not want to waste any more time on filming more intresting casting tricks because “fish are waiting”, he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTbJEdoZo3M

Rod in this basic video is an oldtimer Loop Green Line 4-weight (9 feet 7 inches) with 4-weight Ambush line (190 grain), 10 feet Floating Salmon/Steelhead Poly, 8 feet 3X tippet and big dry fly. It will work equally well with Trout Sinking Poly, indicators and even with a piece of T-8 up to 7 feet in length and moderat size streamer in Skagit style. Very similar or even better performance you can expect with your 5-weight rod and 5-weight Ambush (215 grains). By the way, I fish 6-weight Ambush (235 grains) on my TCX #6 very often. This is the meanest fast stick which I can think of and 235 grains fits just right on it. I would never put that weight on a five weight SH rod.

But, compare this with Sushis video with 240 grain long line on a 5-weight rod and see what's looks better for you. Surely there are very different approaches to fly casting on the planet...

Cheers
Alp

[Pierre Wentzel]

Hi Alp,
Yip still here. Gathering all the information and having my 'computer' processing the necessary. I think I need some more memory!!!
The idea is to only spey cast. I will when needed, double/single hand overhead cast but primarily spey. The water that I'm targeting is large lakes, distance and ease of cast the primary consideration. With the emphasis on distance and presentation, hence the Scandi line preference (based on what I have read).
Over thec weekend I've loaded the extended 5wt (11') with a 7wt WF line and the overhead casting was OK. Now to spey cast the line and see what it does.
Thank you for the reply and the inforamtion shared.

[easterncaster]

Hi Pierre,

A Scandi head casts wonderfully off the water (Spey..), as it should, AND throws over head very, very nicely.
You want the easiest distance? Over head with a head.

Craig