Here in the Great Lakes region, switch rods are slowly becoming more popular and I have been wanting to get in the game, but can't bring myself to lay out the cash just yet. I get a couple of days of steelhead fishing in each spring and a couple more in the fall for salmon, so its hard to justify the expense.
Enter what I refer to as "Hillbilly Spey" No offense to actual Hillbillies.
To be a true Hillbilly spey one needs the following.
1. Large arbor Flyreel, backed, and loaded with ebay or clearance flyline. Weight will vary based on the rod so maybe buy a couple to try different weights.
2. 11' crappie jigging rod with lower handle cut down to a reasonable length. Try the Bass Pro Crappie Maxx. The Lower handle is usually about a foot long, so bust out the hack saw and shorten it up to about 4-5". We are only talking about a $40 rod here, so it's not really too painful.
3. Appropriate leader/ tippet for water and species.
Now grab them Hodgemans and lets get after it!
I'm sure the accomplished spey caster will get a chuckle out of this lack of reverence for the art, but here in the Great Lakes area we fish alot of smaller rivers where throwing a 100' snap-t will put your fly on someones back porch. Yah. it's not perfect,but its a heck of a lot cheaper than the divorce you will have to pay for after springing for that Sage One you've been drooling over. It'll nymph like a champ, throw a decent single spey or roll cast, and cost you next to nothing if you already have a good enough reel.
However, you do look like a Hillbilly.
Which is fine with me cuz the fish don't care.
tight lines
Enter what I refer to as "Hillbilly Spey" No offense to actual Hillbillies.
To be a true Hillbilly spey one needs the following.
1. Large arbor Flyreel, backed, and loaded with ebay or clearance flyline. Weight will vary based on the rod so maybe buy a couple to try different weights.
2. 11' crappie jigging rod with lower handle cut down to a reasonable length. Try the Bass Pro Crappie Maxx. The Lower handle is usually about a foot long, so bust out the hack saw and shorten it up to about 4-5". We are only talking about a $40 rod here, so it's not really too painful.
3. Appropriate leader/ tippet for water and species.
Now grab them Hodgemans and lets get after it!
I'm sure the accomplished spey caster will get a chuckle out of this lack of reverence for the art, but here in the Great Lakes area we fish alot of smaller rivers where throwing a 100' snap-t will put your fly on someones back porch. Yah. it's not perfect,but its a heck of a lot cheaper than the divorce you will have to pay for after springing for that Sage One you've been drooling over. It'll nymph like a champ, throw a decent single spey or roll cast, and cost you next to nothing if you already have a good enough reel.
However, you do look like a Hillbilly.
Which is fine with me cuz the fish don't care.
tight lines