6/7 Beulah Switch - Line questions

[FishDragon 0]

Hi everyone.

 

I am looking into ordering a 6/7 Beulah switch this spring/summer and I will be using it for trout and atlantic salmon. I am new to the switch/spey side of flyfishing and have some questions about lines and their types, like scandi, and skagit. Also curious about MOW tips.

 

I am thinking of getting a line that I am able to use with MOW tips so I have some options when fishing different depths of water and I am not sure of what I should be looking at?

 

Also was looking at getting a Nautalis FWX reel for the setup but I am curious as to what other reels would be good for the same price of $300. Does the weight of the reel affect casting as the FWX is very light and won't help balance the rod very well. 7/8 Reel with line and backing is still 2 ounces lighter than the rod.

 

Dave

[Piker20 0]

Hi everyone.

 

I am looking into ordering a 6/7 Beulah switch this spring/summer and I will be using it for trout and atlantic salmon. I am new to the switch/spey side of flyfishing and have some questions about lines and their types, like scandi, and skagit. Also curious about MOW tips.

 

I am thinking of getting a line that I am able to use with MOW tips so I have some options when fishing different depths of water and I am not sure of what I should be looking at?

 

Also was looking at getting a Nautalis FWX reel for the setup but I am curious as to what other reels would be good for the same price of $300. Does the weight of the reel affect casting as the FWX is very light and won't help balance the rod very well. 7/8 Reel with line and backing is still 2 ounces lighter than the rod.

 

Dave

 

There will definately be people better qualified to answer this than me but IMO you don't want to be looking at Skagit or scandi lines with a switch rod. The idea with switch is that you are getting a single handed rod in ease of use with the benefit of the extra handle length to give you spey cast options you just can't get with a single handed. I use my 10ft salt rod to deliver this type cast a lot as it delivers the full line where a roll cast simply can't. I use a 'normal' WF line with a longer than norm head length. This helps provide the anchor point in the water to load the rod for the spey but still allows 'normal' single hand casting too. I use polyleaders with my lines in Intermediate, slow and fast sink to use a lighter fly for mobility and achieve the depth. I think these help with loading the rod too. If you fish a full sink fly line then you will find loading the rod on the switch easier. If you are only going to be using the switch rod to spey fish then a skagit line will work perfectly as a shooting head, but my question would be buy a 12ft spey rod 8weight spey rod?

Can't help on the reel bit, I tend to just fish with whats to hand and I know this affects my casting but I can't afford reels that would only be used twice a season, so my reels cover a range of fishing.

[Rocco 0]

I have that rod in the same weight. The shop I bought it from sells a bunch of them and suggested a lamson Guru 3.5. It balances the rod nicely and I love the sealed drag o it.

 

Rocco

[iFly 0]

Im not much help cause im like you, but id also like to get into spey casting....from my limited knowlege on this....skagit lines (not sure about scandi) are shooting heads that you attach to a running line for spey casting. See? I dont know much. (haha) I am fascinated though by the spey casting techniques and would love to learn more so hopefully someone that knows their stuff will come along.....

[Piker20 0]

Im not much help cause im like you, but id also like to get into spey casting....from my limited knowlege on this....skagit lines (not sure about scandi) are shooting heads that you attach to a running line for spey casting. See? I dont know much. (haha) I am fascinated though by the spey casting techniques and would love to learn more so hopefully someone that knows their stuff will come along.....

 

Yeah the skagit is a heavy shooting head that shoots the running line. If you are using a switch rod I was under the impression that it retains the benefits of a single hand rod ie over head casting but gives some scope for spey like casts. I think skagit line would limit the rod to just that style. You might as well buy a rod designed for that fishing.

[Jaydub 0]

I would imagine you have already seen this, but Beulah recommends the following for their 6/7 switch.

"FLY LINE RECOMMENDATIONS:

Scandinavian: Beulah Elixir 325 for 6/7 Switch.

Skagit: Beulah Tonic 350 for 6/7 Switch.

Overhead: Cortland Precision Platinum Salmon 9 wt. , SA Mastery Steelhead 9wt"

[FishDragon 0]

Had a conversation with Bob Meiser and he cleared up quite a few things regarding rods and lines.

[Rocco 0]

Fishdragon,

 

If you could, please share that info from Meiser.

 

Every bit of good advice helps.

 

Rocco

[FishDragon 0]

One thing I learned about Spey fishing is that the lines and rods are designed for a certain type of fishing, casting, and conditions.

 

That being said for me I am planning on fishing for small steelies, brookies, grilse, and small salmon. Most of my fishing would be done on medium to small rivers and I would be swinging wets, nymphing, streamer fishing, as well as different forms of salmon fishing with flys ranging from size 4 and smaller.

 

He was familiar with the area I fish and he suggested a switch rod no shorter than 11' and up to 11'6" with a scandi line. I mentioned several rods and I am leaning towards a 6wt TFO DeerCreek Switch rod for my needs. Bob mentioned they would be able to handle 15lb fish no problem. The TFO being a little longer will be easier to cast than the 10'6" Beulah switch and it is a progressive flex opposed to Beulah's tipflex. The shorter the spey/switch the harder to cast especially when you are new to the art of spey casting. He designed both of these rods and from what I understand he is the fellow who first started producing switches.

 

The line I am going to get custom made by his shop http://www.meiserflyrods.com/speyshop.php, well actually Steve Godshall will make the line but he does work for Bob Meiser's shop. The difference of a trad. spey line, a skagit line, and a scandi line are numerous. Too numerous to explain and I don't know alot about all the types of lines but he recommended the scandi type line for me as it is an all around line that can do everything I need and want to do. Also for beginners it should be easier to cast and learn with. He said 80' should be pretty easy to achieve.

 

Next up is grain weight. The weight of the line needed to properly load the rod. For the Deercreek he mentioned that it could handle between 400-600 but I should try to get line somewhere between 375-425. Confused yet? I am. I mentioned I had seen quite a few fisherman with 7/8 wt Beulahs with 8wt line on for single handed dry casting that is all wrong. The line isn't nearly heavy enough to load the rod to get the proper action. (Ex. Deercreek 6wt Switch has a overhead casting line of a 10wt Rio Outbound line suggested to properly load it).

 

Now I asked him about reels and balancing your rod and he mentioned with the belly of the line in the water the rod should balance on the last 4 inch's of the cork and never up on the graphite. Als he said to get a reel you can palm. Myself I think I will get his 7/9 reel or his 8/10 reel to be able to fit the larger lines and backing.

 

The best advice I can give is to contact him through his webpage and give him a call. Explain what you are fishing for and the type of rod you are thinking of using. He will go through everything with you and explains his suggestions. Great guy to talk to.

 

Here is his webpage again

http://www.meiserflyrods.com/speyshop.php

[Rocco 0]

Fishdragon,

 

Wow! Really good input data.

 

It turns out I have both a 6-7 Beulah and a 5/6 TFO switch rods! I am right in the zone you are talking about.

 

By the way, Beulah markets their own switch lines under the Elixir label. The line they recommend for my Beulah switch rod is 350 gr. with a short steep rear taper and a long gradual front taper for casting from tight tree-obstructed spots and into stiff winds.

 

Thanks.

 

Rocco

[FishDragon 0]

I am really wanting to dive into this spey thing right away and order everything I need but I just bought a house and have a new family member about to make a debut so I am holding off for a few months. Maybe by the middle/end of June I will be setup properly to become a spey nerd!

 

He gave lots more ood advice as well but I can't remember it all. Spey fishing is feeling like when I first started fly fishing/fly tying , lots of choices and so much info you can be overwhelmed.

[Steeldrifter 0]

The best advice I can give is to contact him through his webpage and give him a call. Explain what you are fishing for and the type of rod you are thinking of using. He will go through everything with you and explains his suggestions. Great guy to talk to.

 

 

I'll 2nd that as well. I've built a number of Switch/Spey rods for customers using Bob Meiser's blanks and have called Bob a few times and talked at length with him about setting up the rods and Bob is a really nice guy that is very helpful & friendly.

 

Steve

[Piker20 0]

Next up is grain weight. The weight of the line needed to properly load the rod. For the Deercreek he mentioned that it could handle between 400-600 but I should try to get line somewhere between 375-425. Confused yet? I am

 

Remember that in the spey cast or double spey, depending which way you are facing in relation to the flow, the rod is being loaded against the weight of line and the drag in the water + fly if your using big heavy tubes. The rod isn't relying on the fly line like a 'normal' overhead cast would to load and cast so if you choose a lower than expected grain weight you will load the rod just fine when spey casting. A 'normal' line weight will turn out too heavy.

 

For fishing the big rivers like the Ness, Tweed and Dee you will see mostly 16ft and 15ft rods rated #10-11 or 720-760 grains. These are needed to lift the lengths of line being used and the often heavy tube flies to achieve depth. The longer the rod the greater the lever you have so the rod will work with your power better. On my local rivers which are more intimate but often deep, 12ft-14ft rods rated

#8-#10 are often used because while the casts are short the flies can still be heavy and the lighter weight rods just can't pull them up and cast properly.

I often use my 9ft salt water 10# rod to fish these as it will cast a copper tube or a tungsten cone on plastic tube. I might lose some casting distance and some pegs are more awkward to cast in but the rods easier to handle in most other ways.

[FishDragon 0]

Thankyou Piker20

 

That clears up a point I was to sure on.

[heavynets 0]

He mentioned that a longer switch rod is easier to cast. That is true if he is talking about two hand casting. However, when only using one hand, the longer the rod the more awkward and tiring it becomes. What is too long depends a lot on your size and strength and the frequently and duration you will be single hand casting.