how many of you use spey rods on Vancouver Island??

[wonderfulremark]

Hello folks, I've been thinking about getting a switch rod for awhile, however, I've had a few people tell me "why not go for a real double hander?" And my answer was "because I don't fish very big rivers".

My main go to river are; quinsam, campbell and oyster. And occasionally I go to Gold.

Other than the Campbell, both quinsam and oyster river are smaller rivers.
And at the campbell all pools that I fish are not really too far away from the shore where I can't fish with my single hander.

This urge to get into spey/switch fishing is more of a want thing rather than a need thing.

So, is getting a spey rod rather than switch rod a wrong move? because the rivers I fish are smaller?

I'd use this rod to chase pinks and steelheads


Thank you for reading..

Jeff

[Coastrider]

join the club man, ive been tossing around the switch or upgrade the single hander for a few months now. Like you say its a want more than a need for the most part. I think a good single handed rod would do me for the most part but the thought of easy distance and sweet roll casts is an urge that is hard to deny. Due to finances, im probably gonna go with a sweet single handed rod so i can keep my reels for the meantime and save the cash. As you know, kids absorb alot of the cashflow and finding $$$ for optional equipment is a thing of the past P.S. the cheaper option is easier to get by the wife too

[andy.larkin]

A 6-7wt switch rod will be fine for chasing pinks and steel. I was originally looking at the Beulah Switch's (they are very nice!), however after seeing the Echo Switch's, had changed my mind. They are really nice (and well priced). Line'd with the airflo short head skagit lines out there, they can punch line a mile if needed.

I'll be picking up their 4wt switch for swinging soft hackles and skating dries, as well as some nymphing and cannot wait to fish it.

[wonderfulremark]

currently, I am looking to get a 11ft 5/6 or 6/7 Meiser with my daughter's name on it.(she was born less than 2wks ago.) And/or I am looking to get a 13'4" 5/6 spey rod...
But I am keep thinking, the 13'4" might be too long of a rod for the rivers i fish..

[btree]

For your small rivers - quinsam, oyster, even the campbell - just learn how to do switch casts with your single hander. You can get a skagit or skandi line and do all the same casts and acheive the same results with a single hander. I've been doing that since I've moved to the island. Made a 22ft 275 grain skagit line out of an old windcutter line, and also use a 9wt snowbee two tone line which has a total head weight of around 335 grains and a head length of about 40ft. I probably use ~35ft of the head outside the rod tip, so probably right around 280-300 grains. Both lines work well with my 9'6" 8wt to get out about 75-80ft under good conditions. I've heard that the elixer and AFS lines are really sweet for this sort of work with a single hander, plus they handle poly tips much better than a single hander line.

Now all that being said...I do enjoy my two hander (12'6" 7/8) and am looking at another one - that 11ft Meiser in either the 5/6 or the 6/7. Their blanks are cheaper than any comparables I've seen so far, though a built rod is quite pricey...

I find the 12'6" is nice on rivers about the size of the Stamp. It would just not be appropriate on either of the qualicum rivers however. I wouldn't think to use a 13ft rod on the quinsam!!! Even an 11ft rod would seem silly I think, though for the campbell and the gold, you'd likely enjoy the experience.

The reason why I'm looking at building a switch rod is that casting an ~300 grain head, like that of a standard 8 or 9wt single handed line, can be tiring, especially if your standard day of fishing involves 8-10 hours of steady casting to distances beyond 70ft, or anything with a sink tip or a weighted intruder...

[BCBound]

This is somthing that has been definately on my mind as well. I really want to get into spey because it just looks soooo enjoyable. Right now I'm living on the mainland and could fish it easily on the rivers around here, Squamish, Vedder, Check and Mamquam. However I do spend a lot of time visiting the Island, and fishing the Qualicum rivers, the Englishmen, and eventually the Cowi.

I've been told that learning to spey cast on a switch is very hard, and encouraged by some to go for a shorter spey rod, like in the 12-13 foot range. I was under the impression initially that might be too much rod for some of those rivers on the Island that I mentioned, but now the more I read the more confused I get :P

Definately a good topic. Might help some of us not in the know make a good sound purchase decission. Looking forward to reading more.

[btree]

Well, consider the size of the water you plan on fishing. If you only need to make a 50-60ft cast to cover the far bank and into the trees, then a spey rod would lack usefulness. Like I said, I pity the fool who takes a spey rod to the Quinsam, the Qualicums or most of the Englishman. Even a switch rod is a bit much for these streams, but to each their own.

If you learn to double haul a switch or spey cast with a single hander, you should be able match nearly any switch rod distance and presentation wise, though perhaps with more work...but it takes quite a while to achieve effortless spey casts.

If you are thinking about getting into spey casting, I suggest finding a buddy who has a backup rod and borrow it for a few months of casting on an open riverbank. Give it a shot for a while without busting the bank for a new rod, reel & line.

For decent sized rivers where spey rods are proven effective tools, a 14ft rod might be easier for most people to begin with compared with a switch rod, or even a short 12ft spey.

[wonderfulremark]

yeah, other than the campbell and gold, all rivers I regularly fish are pretty small to medium.. I'll probably go with Meiser 5/6...

[btree]

You gonna build it from the blank on up, or buy one? I'm very jealous by the way

[TieFlier]

I've been told that learning to spey cast on a switch is very hard, and encouraged by some to go for a shorter spey rod, like in the 12-13 foot range. I was under the impression initially that might be too much rod for some of those rivers on the Island that I mentioned, but now the more I read the more confused I get :P

I have also heard that starting with a switch would be more difficult, but I don't think the people who are saying this started with swich rods. I started off by playing around with a single hander and then went to a switch rod. I haven't had the supposed difficulties in learning to cast that I had read about, and I'm fairly confident you wouldn't either. My suggestion to you is to keep reseaching and get the set-up that you think will be the best for you and learn to use that. If you can see if you can try out a couple set-ups and see what you like. I know its hard to know what you like without knowing how to cast properly but you can get hints from what you like in a single hander. If you like a softer single hander then chances are you might enjoy a softer two hander. Not true 100% of the time but it might help guide you!