[Charlie Buchan]

I have just bought my first switch rod a greys 11'6 #8/9 ,
just wandered if there is any advice on lines etc , I see there are actual switch lines what are the benefits of these oppose to normal lines ??
Also I have a 15 ft bruce and walker #10 what would be the best buy ? multitips or a selection of lines i.e, floating intermediate ,sink tip etc I am a blank canvas so to speak please help thanks

[Rob Brownfield]

Here is my take on things. (Switch)

I use my 7 weight Switch a fair bit and it would be fair to say that I have tried one or two lines

I now use two lines pretty much all the time and they serve me well.

First is a Skagit that comes out when I want to chuck large weighted streamers. Its a specialist line and not the nicest to fish all day.

My second line is one of Mikes Switch lines (6/7). I use this perhaps 95% of the time now, and that is probably because it does everything I could ask it to do. Last night I was swinging small doubles for Sea Trout with it, using a snake roll or circle C cast.
I then put on a Sunray Shadow for Salmon and used a circle C to cast at 90 degrees to my position and stripped the fly back.
I later headed to the Don where I used it to swing various streamers on a sinking Polyleader setup using a double spey. As the wind dropped and the big Brownies came out, I did something I thought I would never do with it and that was over head cast a LARGE weighted streamer!!

I was asked twice last night what line I was using because it was going out "sweet". I am not a great caster but Mikes line has definitely helped me control my casts better and I am now fishing much more effectively.

I also have a 5 weight switch and I use a Beaulah Switch line on that. It wont over head cast at all, horrible and heavy. It will, however,  roll out nymph rigs and indicators as well as small streamers and tiny doubles. I will be changing this line to one of Mikes soon

I have used shooting heads, both integral and separate head/running line, and they work, but they are not as versatile and tend to be a little "heavy" on landing.

So, in conclusion, a dedicated Switch line should allow you to do pretty much most things a Switch rod is good at. With a specialist line "Skagit" you can add to your repertoire such as digging out heavy tubes/flies.

If I had to go for one line only, it would be a dedicated Switch, and it would be another one of Mikes.

As for your heavier outfit, I used a Guideline RTG Multitip system for a while and it was great but I now have various lines to meet all conditions, from Skagit to fine tipped full lines. I would say my Rio AFS setup is used the most with various polyleaders to give me the depth if required.

However, I am no expert Salmon angler, there are others on here that are far better qualified to advise on that.

[Hamish Young]

I think you need to consider what a 'Switch' rod really is, if you consider it to be a small double-hander (like I do) then you'll see the line weight rating has not much to do with 'normal' WF or DT trout lines but has more in common with their bigger cousins the Salmon lines.
Immediately it should make sense to match a 'Switch' rod to a 'Switch' line rather than make do with something else, I'd be looking at the Barrio range of Switch lines without question and I see that Rob has touched on that.

Which Bruce & Walker 15' did you buy and where do you intend to fish it

Personally, and I am just a geek, I would have a shooting head set or similar set up, a 'Spey' line and probably a Skagit too. Each offers me something different to the other and gives me greater fishing versatility.
So let's start with where you plan on fishing and budget and go from there Chay 

H

[Charlie Buchan]

my switch is for sea trout / grilse medium rivers were i know my bruce and walker 15ft [powerlite delux] is overkill as it will be mainly smallish waters [west coast ]
the B and W is 10 wgt for spey ,tey dev ,don ,dee etc and general fun to fling rod as it casts like a dream and that was with an old mill end factory second line  !!!!!
so final thoughts pls my 8/9 switch gets which line from mike ????? { he kindly gave me a floating 5wgt for my new job which is on my hardy demon rod and not blowing smoke up the mans butt here but it transformed my casting instantly !!!] so with the reports im reading the switches should be as good !!

i like the idea of multi tip system but am old fashioned and would need persuading to go from carrying spools of floating , inter , s/sink . sink tip etc to a multitip as for budget !! well im just divorced so no wife means no budget !! and she said it was cos i spent to much time and money on hunting  and fishing that she was going so i would hate to make her out a liar !! look at me as a newbie with the big rod were do i go first line wise ?

[Euan Innes]

Chay,
Does this makes you smile?



 

[Rob Brownfield]

so final thoughts pls my 8/9 switch gets which line from mike ?????

How about the 8/9 Switch

As for multi-tips, yes, my RTG guideline was good but using Poly/Versileaders pretty much achieves the same thing, if not more choice.

The only versi/polyleader I don't use is a full floater as I prefer a 12-15' stiff butted tapered mono leader for that, mainly because I will be skating flies or wanting to present small doubles delicately just under the surface and the mono does this better.

[Hamish Young]

I think Rob nailed it on the switch line there 

As far as the 'big boy' goes then a good line with a selection of tips is a winner for me. You don't have to buy a multi-tip line though......  ??? Confused Well if you go for one of Mikes ISS or Mid-Spey lines they do not come with polyleaders. You can nip off and buy your preferred brand and chose which densities you want to fish with or buy a pack. Choice is yours but, if I were to give advice as you suggest to "a newbie with the big rod" then I would recommend Mikes ISS line as confidence inspiring and easy to cast/get to grips with. There is no point in skimping on quality and that line will serve you well but also.... please... go see an instructor to get the most from the rod and line quickly.

H

[Malcolm Copland]

What is a "switch" rod ?

[Hamish Young]

What is a "switch" rod ?

Now that is such a tough one to answer.

For me, in a nutshell, a 'Switch' rod is a short (sub 12') one and a half handed/two handed rod that fills the 'gap' between double handed rods and single handers - where a double-hander is too big and single hander just a smidgen too little the 'Switch' is meant to fill that gap. Or at least that's how I think I am supposed to see them, sort of a jack of all trades that you didn't know you needed until someone invented it.

Undeniably there are limits of what you can do with a single hander and there are times when even a small double hander can sometimes be too much for a certain fishing situation. That's where the Switch rod comes in but for me if I can't achieve what I need to with a small double hander then I'll move to a single hander where making the right line choice makes all the difference.

I really like Switch rods to play with, most I've picked up are a treat to cast and a pleasure to fish with. But for me at least it's something I don't necessarily need in my armoury.

H

[Malcolm Copland]

To me that's still just a light double handed rod. Getting old, I still prefer cane for single handed rods, but I only fish rivers and natural (non stocked lochs) very occasionally.

[Rob Brownfield]

To me that's still just a light double handed rod. Getting old, I still prefer cane for single handed rods, but I only fish rivers and natural (non stocked lochs) very occasionally.

So much more to me. A double hander conjures up Salmon and maybe Sea Trout on a swung fly and not much else.

A Switch, for me at any rate, allows me to effectively fish streamers and nymph rigs for river trout. I also swing wet flies sometimes for fun. I have even fished Czech Nymphs on my 5 weight when conditions dictated.

I can fish lures on still waters using it as a single hander with a lighter WF line. It makes casting distances very easy. (Depends on the rod...my Helios (Tip action) likes overhead, my Batson (softer) does not).

For Sea Trout it has made fishing into the dark a doddle as I just "spey cast" my way down the pool without tangles and hooking trees behind me. I can use sunk lines and big "lures" through to tiny doubles as well as surface flies.

For Salmon I have fished mine predominantly with sunray shadows and hitched flies for some exciting "surface chases". I have also used doubles and even small copper tubes on it on smaller rivers.

For Pike it had allowed me to fish single handed for a laugh, with shooting heads this time.


I do not believe in the concept of "switching" between over head and spey casts, however, with the right single handed line, they can be cast miles overhead.

Having said that  , I was "switching" the other night through necessity with one of Mikes Switch lines and although a little heavy for single handed casting, I was able to cast 60-70 feet upstream with a large weighted streamer and strip it back along the far bank using a down stream mend with ease. I would have struggled with my more normal 9 foot streamer setup.

[Colin Sunley]

Just happens I have one for sale cheeky high jack. Oppps
For me it's a short double hander, have never tried single overhead but am sure with its flex tip could throw a line in overhead cast for a fair distance .

[Charlie Buchan]

so final thoughts pls my 8/9 switch gets which line from mike ?????HA HA HA HA  i meant so my my final thoughts - as like a statement u would say to yourself ooops sound like a clown ... but yea i mean i will order the 8/9 line thats my final thot