Backup Steelhead Rod

[troutstalker]

I am planning a fall Steel trip too the Skeena area. The last trip I did to the Skeena I picked up an 8wt spey for the trip, thinking I might be in the market for a Beulah Switch 7/8wt or the TFO Deer Creek Switch.

 

'Cause I already have a spey I was thinking of just going with a single hander, but I'm worried that when I get there I'll find out that the spey is best, and end up breaking it I'll be steamin' the rest of the trip cause I'm stuck with the wrong tool for the job. That being said I'm wondering if the single hander is in fact the right stick.

 

Any thoughts? Switch or single hander?

 

 

[Guest Jeremie]

If you got a 9 wt tfo deer creek you would definitely not be breaking it on any fish. I doubt you'll have much trouble with your 8. I would go for a cheaper end switch as a back up rather then a single handed rod.

[troutstalker]

If you got a 9 wt tfo deer creek you would definitely not be breaking it on any fish. I doubt you'll have much trouble with your 8. I would go for a cheaper end switch as a back up rather then a single handed rod.

 

I don't know if I'm looking in the wrong places but the TFO & Beulah seem to be the cheapest switch rods I've found. Are there others that are worth looking at for a bit cheaper?

 

[lethfisher]

The Redington CPX switch is around that same price point as well at $349 on their website. I think that extra length with an 8wt switch would just make you want to double hand it all day. I have a 7wt switch and it is do-able with one hand for awhile, but all day? Not so much. I think most people end up using their switches with 2 hands anyways but it's all personal preference I suppose.

[Guest Jeremie]

Sorry i meant the tfo and the beulah (cheaper end switches)

[Jayhad]

The Redington CPX switch is around that same price point as well at $349 on their website. I think that extra length with an 8wt switch would just make you want to double hand it all day. I have a 7wt switch and it is do-able with one hand for awhile, but all day? Not so much. I think most people end up using their switches with 2 hands anyways but it's all personal preference I suppose.

 

 

The CPXs are rad sticks, Redington has benefitted from the relationship with Sage and I think the CPXs are a direct result of that. Lifetime warranty and they cast really well. I have a 6wt CPX Spey, & 9wt CPX and I've fished the 8wt 13'6" and I found it to be pretty nice as well. Probably going to get a 5 & 6 wt 10' as well this season.

[pokerfish]

Dont forget the Amundson WW 1134 - some consider it a switch, altough I think it is more of a full spey. and its price point at Wholesale is about $250.

 

And I really like it, throwing a AF 300 gr compact scandi.

[pokerfish]

Ooops, didnt read the thread title - the WW 1134 is probably not a steelhead rod. My bad

 

[BBBrownie]

Single hand rods can be nice for swinging dries for steel, and although it is definately possible to fish single hand for steel in the Skeena area (I did my first couple of years), I would 100% go with another spey rod, or possibly a switch. On a big river like the Bulkley or Skeena a single hand rod just doesn't cover as much water as I would like it to. On many of the smaller rivers you have no backcast room so would be relegated to single hand spey casts, etc. I found the biggest factor for me was that a week or two of throwing heavy tips and big weighted flies was just inefficient, hard on the shoulder, so I switched over to two hands ALMOST exclusively. I really enjoy fishing something in the 12-13 foot range and 7 -8 weight, dependent on what rivers you are fishing. There are a few rivers where a 7 is undergunned - Babine, Kispiox, Skeena mainstem...For Bulkley system a 7 or 8 weight 12-14 foot rod is suitable.

[Ricinus]

I use 9 ft and a 91/2ft single handed rods in the 8 and 9 wt sizes mainly because of the heavy flies and distances cast. A 7 wt is a little light. I use shooting heads and running lines to get the distance and though a Spey rod would be best, I get by. I have to admit as I'm getting older the Spey rod is looking more and more appealing.

 

Regards Mike

[pkk]

As Riley said a single handed can be nice for dry fly, not so nice with tips, and only on runs where you have room to cast. To me a switch rod is kind of stupid, not the best for Spey casting and also not so great for single hand casting. Companies trying to find one rod that matches two different purposes. To me as useless as a mono board (not skis, and not a snowboard). What is your main steelhead Spey, maybe you want to compliment it with another slightly different one. It's nice to have one set up for dry fly and another set up for sink tips.

PK

[troutstalker]

As Riley said a single handed can be nice for dry fly, not so nice with tips, and only on runs where you have room to cast. To me a switch rod is kind of stupid, not the best for Spey casting and also not so great for single hand casting. Companies trying to find one rod that matches two different purposes. To me as useless as a mono board (not skis, and not a snowboard). What is your main steelhead Spey, maybe you want to compliment it with another slightly different one. It's nice to have one set up for dry fly and another set up for sink tips.

PK

 

The spey I have now is a cheap 8wt 13'6" blank from Mudhole that my uncle built. It seems to be a a tad on the noodley side. If I go with another Spey, I'd like to go with something a little quicker, and a little more back bone.

[headscan]

The spey I have now is a cheap 8wt 13'6" blank from Mudhole that my uncle built. It seems to be a a tad on the noodley side. If I go with another Spey, I'd like to go with something a little quicker, and a little more back bone.

Lots of those out there. How soon do you need it? I think Fish Tales is doing another Spey demo this spring. Otherwise I think glshooter had a 7wt Spey for sale in the trading post.

 

Edit: My mistake. Glshooter is selling a 9wt. Bhurt is selling a 13' 7wt.