Page 5 of 5 FirstFirst 12345
Results 41 to 50 of 50

Thread: Single handers for swinging?

  1. #41
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Ben Lomond, Ca
    Posts
    180

    Default

    I'm certain I'm the least proficient and knowledgable angler to post on this subject. The question however was "what do you prefer?"

    I have fished a spey rod 2 days on the N Umpqua with a guide. Took me about an hour to be able to handle the rod at all and improvement continued for the whole 2 days. I thought the casting action was very cool...almost hypnotic with the rythm of the cast, swing, pickup and cast....etc etc...Frankly, the casting (mho) was really an enjoyable thing.

    I hooked 2 nice fish, landing 1...from the time I hooked up it felt like I could just overpower the fish....that with 12.5 feet of rod and a 3x tippet, unless the fish cut me off on the sharp rock, he didn't have a prayer...

    Most of my steeheading now is on the Trinity/Klamath, though I've been to the Skeena/Kitimat and fished coastal Ca and Ore more than a few times and fished a lot for silvers on the Tsiu in Ak...and I like the feel of a fish on a single hander better...and that's what I go for...

    just an uninformed 2 cents...-mike

  2. #42
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    PNW
    Posts
    2,934

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mikel View Post
    I'm certain I'm the least proficient and knowledgable angler to post on this subject. The question however was "what do you prefer?"

    I have fished a spey rod 2 days on the N Umpqua with a guide. Took me about an hour to be able to handle the rod at all and improvement continued for the whole 2 days. I thought the casting action was very cool...almost hypnotic with the rythm of the cast, swing, pickup and cast....etc etc...Frankly, the casting (mho) was really an enjoyable thing.

    I hooked 2 nice fish, landing 1...from the time I hooked up it felt like I could just overpower the fish....that with 12.5 feet of rod and a 3x tippet, unless the fish cut me off on the sharp rock, he didn't have a prayer...

    Most of my steeheading now is on the Trinity/Klamath, though I've been to the Skeena/Kitimat and fished coastal Ca and Ore more than a few times and fished a lot for silvers on the Tsiu in Ak...and I like the feel of a fish on a single hander better...and that's what I go for...

    just an uninformed 2 cents...-mike
    Good answer. I concur 100%

  3. #43
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sonoma/Lake Counties
    Posts
    1,329

    Default

    So Carl, let's go back to the beginning: This is what I said:

    The rod is rarely the limiting factor in how much pressure you can apply on a fish but rather your terminal tackle - ie tippet strength. I would think that one can normally apply pressure that would break the tippet. so not sure I buy the fact that one can fight a fish more effectively with a short rod

    This was your response:

    After you posted the above statement, you obviously didn't understand what I said, or perhaps I didn't explain it right. Let's say we both have 100 pound tippet. You have a 15 foot rod and I have a 5 foot rod, OK? Now we both are hooked into a tuna. Going on your theory we both can put the same pressure on that fish. I disagree with you 100%

    You took what I said out of context and started talking about 100# tippet and targeting tuna on a 2 wt.

    I never said you could not put more pressure on a fish with a short rod. I said it does not come into play when terminal tackle is the limiting factor which for steelhead in most cases it is. Sure you might be able to put more pressure on a fish with a shorter rod but if it exceeds the tippet strength it doesn't get you much!!! I am saying a short rod won't help you land a fish faster when you can apply the maximum pressure the tippet will bear with either rod.

  4. #44
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    PNW
    Posts
    2,934

    Default

    Boy this thread went from interesting to,, well... not.

  5. #45
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sonoma/Lake Counties
    Posts
    1,329

    Default

    JBird - you are right - sorry for the various rants - I will try to make this thread more interesting - I got some good video clips of Mike McCune casting this morning down at Watt and will try to post tomorrow - using skagit shorts on light 5 wt 12' spey rods and switch rods - it makes it look effortless which it is!! He now rarely uses anything heavier than the Sage 6126 z-axis even for winter steelhead up on the coastal Oregon rivers

  6. #46
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Highlands, Ca.
    Posts
    2,220

    Default

    Jay and Carl, thank you. This really had to stop.

    Aaron, you are the master.

    65 freakin posts on something that esoteric is really astounding.

    You identified a group of people,(steelheaders), who are pretty wiggy to start with, and pitted them against a sub-group of wiggy steelheaders,( speycasters).

    This thread took some truly weird twists and turns.

    It was like a car wreck on the freeway, you just have to look as you go by.

    I wonder how many other board members out there respect that kind of genious.

    When I grow up I want to be just like you.

    But better looking.

    Ed
    Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.

    Jake: Hit it.

  7. #47
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Behind the Potato Curtain
    Posts
    996

    Default

    Ed, I try. I just started the thread after helping pops get a single hander dialed in that was easy to throw gobs of line with. After words I was kind of curious to what the spey to single hand ratio was.

  8. #48
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sonoma/Lake Counties
    Posts
    1,329

    Default video clips of Mike M spey casting

    I apologize to everyone for ranting in this thread but thought I would post one more time and share some video clips of spey casting. Some folks here have stated that while they enjoy spey casting, they prefer fighting fish on a single hander. As short as 5 years ago, I bet the average 2-hander for steelheading was a 14' 8 or 9 wt and it took a considerable fish to make you know you had something worthwhile. But in the last 5 years there have been huge changes and there are more light speys out there and the newer switch rods (not much different than your single hander). What is maybe more important is the development of line systems that allow you to use these lighter rods and still throw heavy flies and sink tips and do it easily!!!

    Most recently is the introduction of short skagit lines on light rods and Mike McCune, one of the premiere skagit casters and a developer of theses lines was kind enough yesterday to put on a demonstration at the Watt Bridge.

    The typical skagit cast for river left, downstream wind is the snap T (or circle cast) demonstrated here:

    URL=http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a395/RickJ/?action=view&current=DSCN2743.flv][/URL]

    Another good cast for this situation is the perry poke:



    With an upstream wind, you want the set on your downstream shoulder - here is a truly easy cast that takes no effort at all -an off-shoulder vertical double spey that I saw for the first time yesterday



    And finally and off shoulder perry poke



    Look how little effort is being expended with these casts and think of the possibilities - it makes it possible for someone approaching 60 to continue fishing under winter conditions all day for several days and not beat myself up!!

    As my good friend Bruce Slightom pointed out, most of these guys doing this started out as single handed steelheaders but none have gone back to the single hander finding it much easier to use the 2-hand rods and they have pushed the limits so that now you can use a light 2-hander and not lose out on the fight of even smaller steelhead!!

  9. #49
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Mount Shasta
    Posts
    259

    Default Why Switch?

    Aaron:
    I have taken to using switch rods almost exclusively leaving the option to single hand or two hand cast whenever the mood moves me. If you haven't I'd recommend giving 'em a go. You may be pleasantly surprised. I've written a bit about their benefits in California Fly Fisher, and am doing some casting presentations at west coast shows this winter. You can check the articles out if you are interested. http://www.shastatrout.com/why-switch/ & http://www.shastatrout.com/switch-ro...s-and-tactics/ Let me know your thoughts.

  10. #50
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Sonoma
    Posts
    364

    Default

    Actually, the McCune Demo on the American has me thinking... I have a 10' 8wgt. I also have a 11 F shooting head that has the front taper chopped off it. I have some smaller home spun tips that will work in front of it. I'm thinking that I may have a set up that would approximate a skagit head for a smaller rod.

    I'll have to try this out on a casting pond to see if it would work but if it does... I've added another options to my game!
    Often wrong, seldom in doubt!

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •