nevis
Active Member
Posts: 40
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Post by nevis on Oct 15, 2012 19:44:35 GMT
Hi does anyone know where I can get one of these rods in uk or recommend another switch rod .tried someone's 11/3 bloke switch rod on lochy last week and was impressed .this type of rod would be ideal for the wee river Nevis that I fish Cheers John
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dunkeld
Active Member
Tay Springer April 2010
Posts: 2,946
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Post by dunkeld on Oct 16, 2012 9:30:20 GMT
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2012 14:39:15 GMT
You might want to consider the Vision GT4 Catapult 11ft 6". I find them excellent to use with a lightweight 26g or 30g Rio AFS Shooting Head. The 26g works with 10ft tips and the 30g with 6ft ones.
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nevis
Active Member
Posts: 40
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Post by nevis on Oct 16, 2012 20:22:25 GMT
Cheers guys will check them out
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salmo
Advisory Board
Posts: 1,814
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Post by salmo on Oct 18, 2012 20:36:54 GMT
Trout and Salmon ran a comparison test of switch rods in August this year. Mostly 7wt. Their conclusion was that the Bloke XL50 11ft3" alongside Vision and Orvis were really just small double handers but the Bloke came out as good value for money.Their top rated model was the Loop Cross 1 closely followed by the Mackenzie G2.
I am always a bit skeptical on the absolute value of any rod comparison tests. Sometimes brilliant models that a year or more old are excluded so you do not always get the best picture. However, they did have some good advice about difficulties matching lines and making sure you had a good reason to buy one rather than getting a small double hander.
Switch rods are great for smaller rivers or for restricted areas and should give the flexibility to fish with one or two hands. The trouble is that there is quite a difference in traditional line ratings for overhead casts and spey casts. Some of the models that are being sold as switch rods have handles that are really just a bit too long. It does not make them bad rods but just more like short 2 handers.
I have a Guideline LPXe 11ft 8/9. It is a switch rod in function but it arrived on the scene before the name become popular. I bought it for grilse, sea-trout and for teaching my boys. That was 7 yrs ago it cost around £295 in GAC. Now that the switch is in vogue the same type of rod cost an extra £100 ;D ;D The newer models have an extendable handle which is a nice feature.
If you can locate the TS review it would be worth a read. Hope my rambling notes has helped.
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Post by lordoftheflies on Oct 18, 2012 21:03:31 GMT
Interesting me are these switch rods, they do seem fine and dandy for the small rivers, but a 7wt seems a bit light for playing salmon. I know my 11,3 rod ain't a proper switch rod but I'm getting the urge to try a s/h type Line.
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Post by tweed ghillie on Oct 19, 2012 17:44:34 GMT
be a bit cautious lotf. they are inclined to break rather regulary. Saw two go this year on the same morning..
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fredo
Active Member
Posts: 1,095
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Post by fredo on Oct 19, 2012 17:53:38 GMT
My mate got a switch rod this year. He seems to take an age now to play a fish which is not very clever if you are planning on returning the fish. I always thought one of the advantages of a longer rod was the greater control you get when fishing a fly. To me "switch " rods are just another fad aimed at parting people from their money. So I shall stick with my 13ft rod in even small streams and happily remain ignorant of the great advantages of a smaller rod!
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Post by lordoftheflies on Oct 19, 2012 18:26:10 GMT
be a bit cautious lotf. they are inclined to break rather regulary. Saw two go this year on the same morning.. Mel, i have no intentions of buying one,i would tend to agree with Fredo's comment above....still i would like to try a shooting head system on my 11'3 ..probably a 7/8 #.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2012 19:28:36 GMT
Taking 'ages' to play a fish is not necessarily down to the rod. It is down to poor angling practice. The first fish I landed with my switch rod gave me the real heebie jeebies as I didn't expect it to perform for me. My second and third were an absolute breeze and I have no less faith in the ability of my 11ft 6" 7 weight as I have in my 14ft or 15ft full salmon rods. Where my switch rod really pays dividends is if I am going fishing mid week after work then I can fish it early evening for salmon I then find it provides good sport for night time sea trout fishing. Fishing with it in the pitch dark is very easy using a 26g Rio AFS shooting head. When retrieving the line there is a distinctive 'ping' as the loop to loop connection between the head and running line touches the front rod ring. Wiggle the rod and you are more or less set up to make a spey cast without a great deal of mither trying to establish where the head is in relation to the rod. Spey casts with a single handed rod are all well and good if there are trees and bushes behind you. Spey casting with a shortish lightweight double hander far better suits me and the beats that I fish. I don't feel that switch rods are a fad. They are highly suited to certain situations and manifestly unsuited for others. It is merely a case of working out your own water and tooling up accordingly
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nevis
Active Member
Posts: 40
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Post by nevis on Oct 19, 2012 20:32:15 GMT
Thanks for all the replys.The river Nevis is overgrown and hard to fish certain pools .The trees are tight agains your back and over hanging above me and at times find my 13 ft awn catching the trees so thought the switch rod would be a better choice .The one thing that could be a problem with the small rod as when the rivers in spate it has a very fast flow wich can be hard to land fish on the 13 ft rod so mybe the switch rod could struggle .I will think it over again and see if its worth spending money on another rod
Cheers john
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salmo
Advisory Board
Posts: 1,814
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Post by salmo on Oct 20, 2012 10:10:17 GMT
Thanks for all the replys.The river Nevis is overgrown and hard to fish certain pools .The trees are tight agains your back and over hanging above me and at times find my 13 ft awn catching the trees so thought the switch rod would be a better choice .The one thing that could be a problem with the small rod as when the rivers in spate it has a very fast flow wich can be hard to land fish on the 13 ft rod so mybe the switch rod could struggle .I will think it over again and see if its worth spending money on another rod Cheers john I think you hit the nail on the head about fishing in higher water flows. Apart from playing and landing a fish when it is getting extra help from the water flow the key part is fly presentation. The fish tend to be holding in a quiet zone either on bottom or at the sides. You need to control the speed of the fly so that points to sinking lines or sinking heads and a stiffer rod so that you can hold it out at an angle if necessary to slow the swing.
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Post by bankwheel on Oct 20, 2012 18:56:48 GMT
I use an 11'6" Loop rod rated a 9 weight, this is not a switch rod but the advantages of a short double hander are high, good for small rivers and also windy conditions where you can keep the line low. I've landed salmon to 15lbs this year with no problem. My biggest salmon of 21lbs was landed on a 7 weight single hander trout rod, its down to the angler to get the fish in not the rod
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2012 11:01:46 GMT
Thanks for all the replys.The river Nevis is overgrown and hard to fish certain pools .The trees are tight agains your back and over hanging above me and at times find my 13 ft awn catching the trees so thought the switch rod would be a better choice .The one thing that could be a problem with the small rod as when the rivers in spate it has a very fast flow wich can be hard to land fish on the 13 ft rod so mybe the switch rod could struggle .I will think it over again and see if its worth spending money on another rod Cheers john If you wish to stick with your 13ft rod but have concerns about fishing 'tight lies' then you might want to have a look at the Rio Short Skandi range of lines. They go up to 9 weight which I think is the maximum rating that is specified for most 13ft rods. They have a very short head indeed and come with 4 tips. I borrowed my mates 9 weight line yesterday and stuck it on my Loomis NRX 13ft 32g 8/9 weight rod. I deliberately jumped into the most awkward inaccessible jungle pools that I could find on the beat and the line coped well enough. for my own part I am not coping very well with nettle stings and almost drowning myself falling over sunken tree trunks
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