Make your own Switch rods.....?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

One of my fishing buddies, Rick Jorgensen, had lots of old 10' single-hand fly rods he used for Steelhead for the past ~20 years.

Rick has taken a few of them into local rod builder Dave Hendricks (Buff) down the street from our fly shop and had ~6 inch butts installed on them so he can cast them two-handed.

So now they are 10'6" and are now a Switch rod.

You can do it too and we can help you with two-hand line choices after you get it converted.

**If you want to get excited about two-handed casting get down to just below Watt Avenue Bridge almost any morning to see our local Spey community in action.

If you can get down to the river and fish near Jeff C (Jeff Ching) you will see how effective the Switch rods are on a large stream like the Lower American River.

[Ed Wahl]

Don't convert people. It's a cult.

They lure you in with the promise of spending tons of money.

They even added weird Canadian names to their lines, or whatever they are, all just to beguile you into joining the cult.

They've invented all sorts of "special" flies just for the elite few. Regular fly fishers are just not worthy of such flies, or so they'd have us believe.

They even came up with special reels to balance out these ungodly outfits.

They speak in tongues indecipherable to the likes of us.

Resist I say!

Do not bow down to these false idols.

When the battle comes, and it surely will, we must retreat, as their rods are much bigger than ours.

HeHe.

Ed

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Well done Ed.......only Oregon Salmon could rival that post.

[Woodman]

Bill,

Is that Buff as in the barber shop on fulton?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Yes it is............

[Woodman]

Took my TFO 10 foot 6 weight in to Buff today for the surgery. I'm hoping it will be that much better of a nymphing rig when it comes back.

Any line recommendations for casting it two-handed. I have an 8 weight Rio versi-tip that I think would work at least okay.

JW

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I would try the 8 weight first.....

[Rick J]

I converted 3 rods - all old Fischer blanks I built in the late 70s early 80s - 10' 7 wt; 10' 8wt and a 10.5' 8/9 wt - these were my go-to rods on the North Umpqua.

For lines I have a custom Vision ACE scandi line for the 7 wt cut back to around 26' and 362 grains - it also does well with a AIRFLO Compact Skagit 360 grain. Wonderful rod for the Klamath and a rod I use alot in my trips to the Grand Ronde

The 8 I don't use alot though I have a custom Vision ACE cut back to around 26' -380 grain.
Also does well with the Rio short 375 skagit.

The 8/9 is a great winter switch rod and will throw big bugs and heavy tips with a 475 Rio Short skagit - for lighter wrok it does nicely with the 425 short skagit

Buff did a great job on all of them and has also made similar rods for my friends Don Rotsma and Brett Jensen

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Dave Hendrickson (Buff) has a barber shop where he does rod work too.

His shop is about a quarter mile north of our fly shop on Fulton Avenue on the right hand side of the street.

He is open Tuesday through Friday now.

916/482-9281

[Woodman]

Can't wait to take it out. Looks like Nimbus releases are down to 16K.