Single handers for swinging?

[aaron]

Sooo as the spey revolution takes over I was wondering how many of you still prefer a Single hander to swing with? Had the funny idea that as spey becomes the mainstream some people will rebel and go back to single handers. Just my random thought after dialing in a New sage Flight 7100 with an Airflow 40+. Crazy good combo.

[wjorg]

I love spey casting, and fishing with a 2 handed rod. However, there are particular places I prefer a single hand to swing. Maybe its because I cant cast like Simon Gawesworth but there are places where the quiet harmony of a few guys singlehand swinging is disrupted by the bright yellow 1/3 inch diameter cord somebody shows up with and puts a flogging to the water.......

Sure there are plenty of casters who can slap the water with just about anything, but what I am saying is sometimes the spey rod just isnt appropriate to the water/situation........use it as a tool, not a crutch. Dont get me wrong, a man/woman can fish with whatever they want....but thats my two cents.

On the other hand, I had a real good time putting a tell-tale indicator on a skagit setup on some nice orvis spey rod and picking off two steelhead under a ledge on the other side of the river(120 ft), with sweet stack mends.... I couldnt do that singlehanded.......

But is it a revolution or a fad......dont learn guitar.....learn the bass....

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I have over 40 years of memories with the old single handed fly rods but I am excited about getting more fish on a two hander.

[bigtj]

I caught thousands of pacific salmon on the swing in Alaksa before I started using a 2-hander. It was a blast. Swinging floating lines on cane rods is something I'll try to do once I build my first 7/8 cane rod, that would be a blast on the Trinity.

In a lot of places you don't need a 2-hander, lower Klamath comes to mind, and having a lighter single hander is a lot of fun.

[huntindog]

I almost always use traditional steelhead methods, though I sometimes switch to indicator type fishing if it is slow...and I always use a 9 or 9 1/2 foot single hander. The spey thing has never even remotely interested me.

[Fats]

I've been part of that line up at Cassini Ranch on the Russian... it's one of the reasons I don't really like fishing the Russian anymore. I spent enough time fighting crowds during Salmon and Steelhead season in Michigan. I'll trade the best slots in a river for less crowded "marginal" water any day of the week... but I'm digressing from the purpose of the post.

I've done just about all my steelhead and salmon fishing with Single handed rods. I'm a newbie to the two handed thing so right now... it's my focus. I doubt I'll ever walk away from the single handed rods however... there is simple joy to casting any fly rod!

[Mike R]

As of a few years ago, a spey rod was 14' and a single hand was 9 maybe 10'. Now, the line between a single and a double is getting pretty blurred. With the rise of the switch rod (it's not called a switch rod for nuthin'), there really isn't a line. Now you have single rods that are 11' and switch spey rods that are 10'6". You can spey cast or OH a double handed rod. You can OH or spey cast a single hand (A few of us were doing this before we knew what spey casting was. It was a great way to make long casts with big "cator rigs on the Valley rivers). So, to me, it seems like it is getting harder and harder to delineate one technique from the other.

As to the knuckleheads walking into the line-ups with the big rods, there are other uses for those ski ropes. ("Do you think the 600gr Skagit could hold him to the tree? Or should I go with a 650?")

See ya, Mike

[jbird]

Tho i own a couple switchrods, I prefer a single hand. I much prefer the feeling of a good fish on a light one hander. I also dont like the "skirope" aspect of speyfishing.
Casting doesnt really excite me, I am more concered about presenting my fly to the fish and inticing a strike. I think many guys who have become "speyfools" have become preoccupied with casting mechanics and have somewhat forgotten the simple methods of "problem solving fishing" and actually catching fish.
There was a thread on another forum that asked "if there was no fish in a particular stream, would you still fish it?". I was really amazed to see how many people would. So many flyfisherman are so brainwashed by the mechanics of this sport, they forget about the fish. In my observation, the spey movement really represents this mentality.

Obviously, there is a small percentage that has put it all together and are actually using spey gear as an effective fishing tool. Everyone else is just casting and lucking into a fish here and there.

[trinity]

I like swinging a spey rod for a lot of different reasons, but mostly because it is fun as well as advantageous on most of the rivers I like to fish. If I was fishing a smaller stream, I wouldn't do it, no need. I think a spey rod is really fun, fun bombing casts, great for controlling lots of line on the water, effortless power, etc. Sure it can be tough to learn, and you can look like a dummy, but that is just the learning curve. I've seen quite a few guys look like idiots fishing other ways too. Also, having good etiquette when you are a beginner is most important, so that you don't disrupt others, just the same as any other method. Guys with bad etequette are what is usually an issue with me, not style of fishing.

[Rick J]

I love two handers and switches. Maybe 8 years ago three of us headed up to BC to fish the Bulkley and Skeena - we were about the only ones I saw using single handers. Up to then I never thought I would get interested in them but I was wrong.

It was just a whole new ball game and challenge and I love pushing myself when it comes to fishing (yard work and honey do stuff - not so much!!). I really enjoy the casting much more than with a single handed rod on a river and the control I have with the longer sticks is significant - you can do alot with a 2-hander you can't do with a single hander.

But as others have stated - there is a place for each and I certainly would not walk into a line up - it sucks enough when everyone in a line up is using shooting heads and someone comes in with a floater!!