"Trout Spey" is coming fast........

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Read this article written by Ed Ward that I just found on the "2 Handed Trout" web site.

http://2handedtrout.com/?p=1934



Two-handed rods are getting shorter and lighter now with large Spey rod sale faiding away.

Long heavy #9 and 10 weight Spey rods sale are all but non-existant for us now.

Some are still used on the big Euorpean Atlantic Salmon rivers and for King Salmon in Alaska but an 8 weight now seems to be the "big gun" for Steelhead Spey.

.

[Grampa Spey]

http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/s...ds+versus+long

02-25-2006
Are we in the middle of a Paridigm Shift re two handed rods, lines & casting styles?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A paradigm is a model or exemplar. The paradigm case is the typical or archetypal case. A paradigm shift is the movement from one paradigm to another.

When I sneaked into the world of two handed casting 4 Mays ago. The common standards appeared to be big and long rods combined with the long lines that had entered the market and were coming out.

Our under 14' rods were woosie and wimpy. Rio's WC and Mid Spey lines were made for the beginning and geriatric wimps who secretely preferred the short and woosie/wimpy rods. The long lines were for the real Spey Fishers of the World, who used at least a 15' rod and a line with at least an 80' head.

The professional casters came on the stages with rods that often made a 15' rod look wimpy. The long lines they used had very long heads and filled up the biggest fly reels on the market. Big and longer were the mantras of the Spey gods and their worshipers.

So, in my second year into the Spey Kingdom, I shamefully hid my wimpy Sage 7136 and its WC 678 and MS 6/7 and 7/8 lines in my wimp rod closet. I bought a real stick, a Sage 10151 and had a custom Sage 7141 built for me. I, also, bought an ARC1409. Line wise, I bought an Accelerator, a Grand Spey and a Cannon to go with my big rod arsenal.

The Sage 10151 and Accelerator and I never got along , and my son has that combo as an early inheritance.

I did enjoy casting the ARC 1409 and on days when I felt masochistic , the 7141 was perfect. Even these two shorter rods than the 10151 were too much rod for the waters I live near and fish (N. California and SW Oregon). So they didn't get used much in late spring, summer and early fall with the lower water levels. When I used them I used the long lines.

Later that winter I realized that my virgin year with my woosie 7136 had been a very productive year fishing. The long rods and lines moved me more into casting versus fishing. The actual catching of fish was about non existent my second year with the "Real and non Woosie" Rods and lines.

Next, I sold my ARC 1409 and closeted my 7141, and in May I bought a Sage 6126-3 after a lot of reading, research and discussion. I dug out my old woosie/wimpy WC 678 and MS lines out of my Woosie closet. They worked great and with minimal casting effort. Suddenly, I was back to fishing, catching fish and enjoying the two handed rod adventure again.

I discovered that the "little" 6126-3 with my old WC 678 and MS 6/7 and 7/8 were all the rod and line that I needed for most of my fishing waters. Also, I was less fatigued and happier at the end of a day fishing than with the longer rods and lines. The one downside of the 6126-3 was that it over whelmed any fish 3 pounds or under. Also, it was a little too much rod for some of my rivers and streams during the low water months.

Last year I bought a Sage 5120 for the smaller streams, low water months, small fish and not to reinjure my recently torn bicep and bicep head. Also, last year the Skagit lines came out and fishing became even more fun and easier on an old Grampa. The Skagit 450 worked great with my 6126 and 5120. Chris Andersen of Sage suggested that I try a floating tip with the Skagit 450, and that worked very well with both the 6126 and 5120.

This year, thanks to Rick J, I tried the Rio Outbound 10wt Floater with my 5120, and the OB is easier for me to cast that my Skagit 450 with the 5120. It also works well with my Meiser 5/6 Switch rod as Bob Pauli and I found out this Thursday.

This past Thursday Bob Pauli and I spent the day on the Russian River north of Healdsburg. Bob and I cast my shorter.lighter rods in the afternoon. Even though the river was running about double the normal flows in May and triple the flows in summer, we were able to reach out and touch the other side with minimal wading. I didn't have my waders and wading boots on, a pair of Aqua socks and a pair of Crocs enabled me to wade out in 6 inch water and cover the river with the Meiser 5/6 Switch Rod and Sage 5120 and 6126-3 with a Skagit 450 or the OB 10 weight floating line. The 6126-3 handled a 12' type 8 sinking leader/tip, a couple of feet of tippertand a very big intruder fly with zero problems and miminal effort or large skating flies.

When you don't have to wade very much to fish, you are in less danger and strain through out the day. This makes for a happier Grampa at the end of the day with less wading. Less deep wading is an advantage of all long rods versus the shorter one handed rods.

When you use light rods to cover close water, the deep water in the middle to the water on the opposite shore with minimal effort in casting, you feel better at the end of the day.

This past Tuesday and Thursday, I spent at least 8+ hours per day casting these lighter rods with the Skagit and OB lines. The next days, I had minimal if any aches or sore spots.

This is not posted to throw rocks at long rods, lines and the classic casting styles. If I lived someplace where they could be used regularily like Scotland or the PNW, I would probably use them. However, I live and fish where they are not necessary and often are a nuisance or a huge disadvantage versus the shorter/lighter/smaller rods and lines. The Skagit lines may be heavier, but they require very little energy in casting them. That is a great combo: Casting an easy to cast Skagit with an easy to use and cast, short and light rod.

In closing, I doubt if I am the only one in a Paradigm Shift re the shorter and lighter two handed rods, Skagit/OB lines and casting styles.
__________________
Dave
Speyclave Contributor

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23 January 2012:

Since then I have moved more into the shorter lighter rods and somestimes more powerful rods.

Gary Anderson made a combo ZA7110 and 7136. The 7110 is my meat switch rod. The 7136 is my longest rod and has replaced the old Brownie 7136 and longer rods.

Gary wrapped a ZA 6126 which is my late spring/summer and early fall rod. It is a joy to cast and to catch fish with.

Two years ago I bought a TCX 7126 and had a very aggravating time with it until Steve Godshall made one of his custom Skandit lines for it. With the T-11 MOWs*, I can fish basically any river in our area and handle any fish in any water. It is a little more tiring than my ZA6126, 7110 or 7136, so I use it when those rods might be overpowered by wind, fast water and bigger fish.

* Re the MOWs: With the shorter rods, those of us who don't walk on the water, often do better with sinking tips shorter than the rods. My T8 MOWs enable me to cover basically any water, depth and current with my Death Star, ZA7111 and ZA7136. The MOWs make life easier as I now carry only the wallet of MOWs instead several wallets of Versi Tips, Standard tips and cut and diced T11/T14.

I think that we are beginning a Paradigm shift re the sinking tips with our shorter/lighter rods and varying water conditions. Ed Ward and his fellow PNW skunk workers will probably come out with a light rod set of Rio MOWs for the lighter two handed rods when we need to go deeper than the surface. Rio and Vision will create some very light and shorter poly/Versi floating leaders for when we need a floating line/leader.

Last but not least Jeff Putnam may have to clone himself to teach the masses how to Spey cast with one handed rods.

Read this article written by Ed Ward that I just found on the "2 Handed Trout" web site.

http://2handedtrout.com/?p=1934



Two-handed rods are getting shorter and lighter now with large Spey rod sale faiding away.

Long heavy #9 and 10 weight Spey rods sale are all but non-existant for us now.

Some are still used on the big Euorpean Atlantic Salmon rivers and for King Salmon in Alaska but an 8 weight now seems to be the "big gun" for Steelhead Spey.

.

[TaylerW]

off all of my rods, my favorite stick is my ACR 12'5" 5wt. fished it from the american, to the truckee, and on up to alaska. caught steelhead, stripers, rainbows, dolly varden, char and grayling on it

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

After you catch a bunch of fish on a rod it really means something to you.....memories.

[Waskocreek]

Hi Bill. Thanks for linking to the article. I was quite surprised by the response to this one. It seems that there are a lot of anglers who are interested in converting singlehanded rods into doublehanded ones. Further proof that light Spey applications are becoming more and more accepted worldwide.*

We have lots of interesting material coming in the upcoming months including articles on 2 handed bass, pike, yamame, bonefish and others that most have never heard of. Youd be surprised what people are chasing with 2 handers. Also lots of tips, techniques and gear reviews. Some game changing rods are coming out this year.

Thanks again and if you know some anglers who chase Shad with 2 handers, have them contact me.....

[Rick J]

here is a photo of 4 single handers I have had converted - three old fishers and one very old Fenwick HMG

[alpen glow]

http://tonysalpenglow.blogspot.com/2...-solstice.html

I,ve been swinging the Yuba with one of my Bamboo switch rods i built last year and use a 295 scandi. its really wild to have a 20 inch bow grab on a bamboo swing. its 10'3" and have no problem shooting the full head as well as 40 feet of the running line also. The only glitch is balancing the reel to the rod, i'm running an M4 and i added 2 ounces of 50/50 to the arbor.