I’m not what you’d call an early adopter of new technology or products, so forgive me for singing the praises of my switch rod now.
Switch rods have been used by a lot of people for years, while I continued to use my single-handed, 10-foot 7 weight for my favorite fishery, summer-run steelhead.
I got an 11-foot 7 weight Winston switch rod maybe four years ago, but I used it sparingly with a regular 7 weight line for a couple years and the only thing I liked about it was how well the longer rod mended line after the cast.
For the last two years, I’ve been using the rod with a 360 grain Scandi line from AirFlo and it’s been wonderful.
A mediocre caster at best, I’ve been able to use the rod effective on streams like the Methow, where I can cast from bank to bank nearly everywhere and do it quickly and efficiently.
It’s also perfect for rivers closer to my home like the North Fork of the Stillaguamish.
Last weekend, I got to cast a little with an 11-foot, 6 weight Temple Fork model designed by Mike Kinney and found that to be a good rod as well.
I’m not sure of the weight line that was on the Temple Fork rod. It was too light for me, but I liked the rod and the way it would have cast (for me) with a heavier line.
If you’re wondering whether a switch rod is for you, I’d definitely go to your fly shop and ask to cast one, visit a casting clinic, or borrow one from a buddy. They are just so easy to cast with, I don’t know why I waited.
Attached is a short clip of me using the Winston on the Methow last weekend. A friend of mine was just fooling around with his camera, so this isn’t intended as an instructional video, but it will show you how quick and easy it is to cast a switch rod.
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