Skagit Line For Beulah 7/8 Switch Rod

[rcr]

I am looking for a Skagit line for my new Beulah 7/8 switch rod. I’ve been doing a lot of research and can’t quite make sense of what I should get. A guide at the shop I bought it from says he uses the same rod and a 450 grain compact Skagit is what he likes. Other people I’ve talked with say that would be far too heavy and 380 would be about right. Another guide has the 8/9 and loves a 420 compact Skagit. This makes me wonder if the first guide was talking about an 8/9 and not a 7/8. I looked at a web site that said the tonic line for this rod is 485 grains while another said it was 380 grains. I know that line weight preferences are subjective and based on personal tastes and casting style, but I don’t want to spend a small fortune figuring out what will get me in the game. I’m very confused now. Help!!!

[Jasonh]

I fish and guide with this rod quite a bit and for skagit style lines the Airflo Compact Skagits and Beulah Tonics fish the best on this rod. The Tonic for the 7/8 switch is 410 grains. It is a little light for my liking but is very smooth and easy to cast. If you are looking to throw t-14 and big flies than I would recommend an Airflo Compact 450. If you like a lighter load or throw more off the tip than the 420 might suit you better. Anything over 450 is really going to bog down this rod quite a bit. Hope this helps.

Jason Hartwick

[trinity]

I have that rod and love it. I have only used it with the elixer, but I want a skagit for it too. All the info I have gathered is the 450 compact. You can probably test drive some lines for it to really get a feel for it, and help you take the guesswork out of it. Jason Hartwick is on Beulah's pro deal and fishes their rods primarily. He is definitely the guy to ask, and he is at the shop a lot.

[Rick J]

as Jason points out, alot depends on what you want to use it for. I do not know the rod but would expect as Jason suggests that you need to go heavier if your main use is for winter steelheading where you will likely be using heavy tips and flies but if your main use is a summer/fall steelhead use where you might even be using a floating tip along with sink tips but maybe smaller flies you might want lighter.

The option might be to get a skagit for winter and a scandi for summer/fall though I normally just use skagits all the time but may vary which one I use

Ed Ward has a number of threads on the Spey Pages where he talks about how wide a range of line weights you can use on rods depending on what you want to throw on them.

[chapmag]

Last year I was frustrated by the catch-22 of lining a switch rod. I read all that I could and it became apparent that there is no one correct line for a rod. Everyone had a line that worked best for them.

But I couldn't find any where to borrow sample lines that I could take to the water and try out.

Three suggestions...

First, buy the Beulah recommended line for your primary style of casting/fishing. I'd go to the high end of the recommended grains so you can feel the rod load. Then spend some time casting and fishing with that line. At worst the performance will be acceptable. I did this with my Meiser switch rod -- I took Bob Meiser's advice. Now after a year of casting and fishing it I feel pretty good about this line/rod combination.

Second, try a local spey clave. For example the upcoming SF Spey-O-Rama is a great place to try lines. The rod builders and Rio and Airflo guys that attend have a huge assortment of lines that you can try with your rod. And you might also get expert casters to cast your rod and learn the possibilities of the system.

Third, try a local casting instructor. They might have an assortment of spey lines and reels that you can try during a casting lesson on the river.

Happy fishing!

[Jeff Putnam]

I like the 7/8 Beluah Switch Line with floating and sinking poly leaders 8'-14'. Use a short skagit head if you need to cast heavier tips and bigger bugs.
I provide many different switch and spey rods/actions and various lines to use during casting lessons. You can try and learn before you purchase. It's very popular this time of year so a 2 week notice is needed. www.jpflyfishing.com