[Seabird]

I bought this switch rod mainly for overhead casting to salmon off the beach, tossing sparse streamers in sizes 4 to 8, often in windy conditions.
Thanks in advance for any experienced line suggestions.

 

[Altronulis]

I like the a Scandi 480 or even better for wind... The airflo rage 480. That rod is super fun. Very light yet powerful for a price point rod. The rod is technically my girlfriends, but I use it just as much.
This is for spey style casting, for overhead I would tend to think of a similar taper, but maybe lighter.

 

[Seabird]

Thanks very much for your help. By coincidence, the only line that I have that's in the ballpark (I think) is an Airflo Compact Scandi 480 gr. I agree that it could be a bit lighter for overhead casting. I tried it in the park yesterday, tipped with an Airflo 10' clear intermediate polyleader. It was firing out there (70-80'), but dumping the polyleader. Most likely, that was because of my wanting distance, but being inexperienced with two handed rods. My excuse is that my quarry is usually well out there, so distance is very important.

By the way, the type of cast that I think I'll be using is demonstrated by Andrew Moy in his video, "Two Handed Rods in the Salt":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho7ZqGS8saI
He's using an Airflo "Beach Line".

 

[whereswaldo]

I also lurk around the beaches on the central island. I prefer to use a full length line, just not a fan of heads for thoh.
Take a look at an Ambush line, and maybe go see Courtney @ Nile Creek to check out the snowbee switch lines. He'll probably have you you can try out.

Craig

 

[Seabird]

Thanks for your advice, Craig. I also prefer full length lines. I have a full length Rio AFS Outbound 4/5, that I love on my 5wt. Echo switch, so I'd like to try one on this 8wt. This line's head is thickest at the rear, and tapers down continuously to the tip. I believe the Ambush is similar, though I've never seen one.

A couple of buds like the Snowbee switch line, and I like the Orvis Access switch line, which is available locally (Coast Sportfish). I may end up with one of those two switch lines, if either of them can turn over a 10' intermediate polyleader at distance. I need that polyleader to keep coho flies down on typical fast retrieves.

 

[MarkyZ]

The RIO Switch Chucker is the line for you. For overhand on my 7wt SR I use an Airflo 40+ for dry line and the Chucker for heavy flies and sink tips.

The Outbound is good, but it's similar to the Airflo 40+ in that it isn't the best for turning over long heavy tips.

Thanks for your advice, Craig. I also prefer full length lines. I have a full length Rio AFS Outbound 4/5, that I love on my 5wt. Echo switch, so I'd like to try one on this 8wt. This line's head is thickest at the rear, and tapers down continuously to the tip. I believe the Ambush is similar, though I've never seen one.

A couple of buds like the Snowbee switch line, and I like the Orvis Access switch line, which is available locally (Coast Sportfish). I may end up with one of those two switch lines, if either of them can turn over a 10' intermediate polyleader at distance. I need that polyleader to keep coho flies down on typical fast retrieves.

 

[Bignap]

Scandi short body

I wanted to try this line so I picked one up, a Rio Scandi int body 400 grain that will throw all Polys and some t-8, t-11 tips in 10ft lengths. I really like this line on the SR

 

[Seabird]

The RIO Switch Chucker is the line for you. For overhand on my 7wt SR I use an Airflo 40+ for dry line and the Chucker for heavy flies and sink tips.

The Outbound is good, but it's similar to the Airflo 40+ in that it isn't the best for turning over long heavy tips.

Mark, thanks for your advice. I don't use heavy flies or sink tips for this fishery. A typical fly is a sparse #6, at the end of a 10' clear intermediate polyleader, or a plain fluorocarbon leader. So from your advice, it seems an Airflo 40+ would be best, rather than the Switch Chucker. Would you agree?

 

[Seabird]

I wanted to try this line so I picked one up, a Rio Scandi int body 400 grain that will throw all Polys and some t-8, t-11 tips in 10ft lengths. I really like this line on the SR

Sounds good, Bignap. I wonder if the Rio Scandi Short VersiTip would offer about the same performance as your Scandi int. body, but with already matched tips? And with its fast sink tips, it could double as a river line for salmon and steelhead. But I won't consider it, unless it can also cast good distances overhand, because that's my main consideration for beach fishing. Has anyone tried this line system?
http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/spey/scandinavian/scandi-short-versitip/

 

[Bignap]

Same line

Hey Seabird It's the exact same line just without the tips, it's also available in floating, intermediate, & S-5 . I fished a huge open area of the Niagra river "whirlpool" and was also over handing once in a while the line jacks.

 

[topwater]

for overhead casting from the beaches you might want to look at a shooting head like an outbound short (rio recommends the 10wt for the echo 8wt switch).

rio also makes the outbound short in a shooting head version so you can choose a running line you like and have multiple sink rates (floating, intermediate, type 3, type 6). the nice thing about this system is you can easily throw on a skagit or scandi head and use your rod in the rivers without needing another reel.

-chris

 

[Seabird]

Bignap, thanks for the extra info. Appreciated. I'm liking the sounds of that line.

Topwater, thanks also for the suggestion on the Outbound. Those definitely fly. One thing I forgot to mention, sometimes we need to roll cast to a close fish, and those front-weighted heads don't do that very well. So for the versatility to both roll cast and fire out some distance, I'm concentrating on a line with more of a back- or mid-weighted head, like an AFS Outbound, Snowbee Switch, or a Scandi.

 

[Seabird]

Update for anyone else with this rod:

Today, I tried my Airflo Compact Scandi 480 gr., tipped with a 10' intermediate polyleader (30 gr.), as well as a Rio AFS Outbound 7/8 (460 gr.) integrated line, kindly supplied by two expert buddies. (Thanks, F & H!). But, I forgot to put a polyleader on the AFS, to make it set up equally to the Scandi. Oops!

We all thought the 480 Scandi was a good line for this rod, and that the AFS was a tad light. Maybe if I had the polyleader's extra 30 grains on that AFS, it might have been okay. I'll keep that in mind, if I ever want to go with an integrated line. I do like that line; a lighter version performs well on my lighter switch rod (5 wt. Echo), both overhand and roll casting.

Thanks again for everyone's help, as I inch up the learning curve.

 

[steeliepep]

When I am not using the Rio switch chucker on my SR71010 I use the 40+ as a dry line. For my 7wt I use a 9wt 40+. Casts really well over hand and spey casts.

 

[Seabird]

Thanks very much, Steeliepep. That makes sense, because I found that line is a tad light on my SR81010. What type and size of fish do you use that 7wt. for? I'm just trying to get a feel for the uses of the various weights of Echo SR rods. I also have an SR5108, which is great for small salmon (pinks). I got the 8wt. for larger salmon and steelhead.