Done to death switch question, but come on help a newbie :)

[Maverick]

Howdy folks. Reading all your posts on squaretailing, big river fishing, spey casts, ect has got me kinda jeolous, but most importantly sparked my debit machine fingers. they JUST KEEP RECREATING MY PIN NUMBER! what im saying is i might finally be about ready to snag me some switch gear, atleast within the next two months. Im hoping to have it for pink season so as to get tons of practice in when i want to hit the big boys.

heres my questions, theyve all been asked before but itd be nice to here everyones latest and greatest thoughts

A large part of me leans towards beulah, or snowbee cause a certain member has pretty high confidence in the product. what weight and model rod would i go with if i want a rod thats incredibly versatile for smallish fish 16 to 18 inchers, but as well maybe a little under powered but still managable to small steelhead or the fish i chase 3 to 6 lb average rainbows. I have reason to believe a 5 would suite me well but let me know what weight and model you believe

secondly i dont understand how the line systems work, i know theres different grain heads ect but im looking to get two lines i suppose, one good for spey, and one good for single and two hand over head. versatility

thirdly whats a great starting large arbour reel to get going on, i thought of the greys, theyre pretty wicked and i know patches likes them

Im figuring if i could be relativly set up for 600 to 1000 bucks. i really appreciate the help everyone thank you much.

[SalaR]

Hi Maverick....

Never a dumb question...either of your rod choices are excellent... Although the reel is in question,they have a new reel out this year that I would consider...I have a few Vision reels on Sale at the store that would fill your "BILL"... Rod weight as you mentioned would likely be a #5 through #7
,not because you will always need it but when you do it is there. We had a private Spey casting clinic on today here on the Island with 9 participants...busy time but rewarding for all. Lines were identified by all as key ingredients to successful casting and fishing..then of course individual likes regarding rod actions. You are a big fellow...so,I would lean towards the #7...just my thoughts..
C

Howdy folks. Reading all your posts on squaretailing, big river fishing, spey casts, ect has got me kinda jeolous, but most importantly sparked my debit machine fingers. they JUST KEEP RECREATING MY PIN NUMBER! what im saying is i might finally be about ready to snag me some switch gear, atleast within the next two months. Im hoping to have it for pink season so as to get tons of practice in when i want to hit the big boys.

heres my questions, theyve all been asked before but itd be nice to here everyones latest and greatest thoughts

A large part of me leans towards beulah, or snowbee cause a certain member has pretty high confidence in the product. what weight and model rod would i go with if i want a rod thats incredibly versatile for smallish fish 16 to 18 inchers, but as well maybe a little under powered but still managable to small steelhead or the fish i chase 3 to 6 lb average rainbows. I have reason to believe a 5 would suite me well but let me know what weight and model you believe

secondly i dont understand how the line systems work, i know theres different grain heads ect but im looking to get two lines i suppose, one good for spey, and one good for single and two hand over head. versatility

thirdly whats a great starting large arbour reel to get going on, i thought of the greys, theyre pretty wicked and i know patches likes them

Im figuring if i could be relativly set up for 600 to 1000 bucks. i really appreciate the help everyone thank you much.

[Maverick]

thanks so much c, i promise you once i do go that route i will be heading to Nile Cr.

[BC Mosaic]

thanks so much c, i promise you once i do go that route i will be heading to Nile Cr.

Wise move.
Cheers

[TieFlier]

A five should be fine for what you want to do. I have a 5 wt sage z-axis switch and my girlfriend just got a 5wt st.croix imperial switch. They are both nice sticks, I was able to get 85 ft with one back cast (casting overhead) with the st.croix. i can puch close to 100ft with a shooting head set-up on my z-axis. The brands I have listed are just the ones that are close to me in my local fly shop, and I am more loyal to the shop than the brands. There are many awesome switch rods available. A five weight switch is close to a seven weight in terms of a single hander, so keep that in mind when you size it up to your intended quarry.

I have two switch rods and have no regrets in purchasing them. I am not a fan of spey rods due to (in my opinion) their excessive length. I can't imagine landing a 8 pound fish with a 13 foot rod on my own, heck I have trouble doing this with a 9ft single hander. I do admit spey rods are fun to cast, as they allow for excessive casting distance. If your main focus is casting then by all means get a full spey. For steelhead, where you sometimes do go for long periods without a strike, a spey would be nice as casting long distances or big flies can be pleasurable between fish. I often tell people that two handed casters have become addicted to casting. For pinks, you will be hooking fish with a bit more consistency and I feel a shorter rod will work fine for this task. If you need to cast under 100ft on a river then you are not under gunned with a switch I am able to cast close to 100ft with both my switches after only doing skagit and scandi style casting for under 4 months.

This is just my opinion, there are many others out there and I am sure you will here a lot of them here. But if I were you (and had the money) I would get a 5wt switch and not look back. Do your research and find whats right for you. If you can give a rod a try then by all means. There are lots of options out there.

[Maverick]

thanks much tieflier, your post was much appreciated.

[btree]

For pinks, I wouldn't even bother with a two hander. Just use a cheap trout rod and rinse your gear. If the fish are out more than 100ft from shore, then I'd get a cheap form of flotation, like an inflatable raft or a coleman canoe Probably save you $$$ over getting a whole new setup. But if you really enjoy casting, you'll love a two hander. The previous poster is quite correct about getting addicted to casting.

You've probably read through some thread I've posted regarding just your question, and I've been advised to arrive at this conclusion: The 5/6 beulah is an attractive option for fish under 10lb. The 6/7 might be more appropriate for someone who also wants to branch off into steelhead & coho, or large flies, or combating strong winds.

As for reels, the snowbee XSD780 is great value and salt water worthy, though perhaps not as classy looking as say the Geo790...

[Chumley]

Sage Z-Axis.

[professori]

I have an Amundson 1106 Wind Warrior that I absolutely love. Matched up nicely with a Rio Outbound and the Amundson Trend 5/7 reel. I have also thrown a line with the Z-Axis and a St.Crois (1105-4 I think) and would have no problem recommending either of those as well. Unfortunately I don't own a shop, nor do I ceaselessly promote my rods on this site, so recommending anything other than Beulah or Snowbee always seems like a waste of time.

[SalaR]

I have an Amundson 1106 Wind Warrior that I absolutely love. Matched up nicely with a Rio Outbound and the Amundson Trend 5/7 reel. I have also thrown a line with the Z-Axis and a St.Crois (1105-4 I think) and would have no problem recommending either of those as well. Unfortunately I don't own a shop, nor do I ceaselessly promote my rods on this site, so recommending anything other than Beulah or Snowbee always seems like a waste of time.

don't forget Vision
C