I got into Spey Rods a year ago in the late spring of 2001.
At age 62, I had/have the usual crummy shoulders that most males have at that age. Then I was riding my mountain bike into our driveway and hit the lip of the driveway at the edge of the street.
I didn't fall, but I lunged forward and stopped my fall with a rather strong grip on the handle bars. The weight of my body slammed into my shoulders, and my right shoulder felt like Mike Tyson hit it and bit it at the same time. I'm right handed and could only cast halfway decent with my right hand, arm/shoulder before this accident.
I limped around for a couple of weeks and started physical therapy. After a couple of weeks, I still could not cast with my right arm/shoulder.
A friend suggested that before I gave up fly fishing to try a Spey Rod. He recommended the Sage 7136 traditional. I bought one and could do some simple casts and really lob an indicator with a nymph and tungsten indicator. Then, I took it to the lower Yuba and could do a fair double spey and a down stream cast to skate a fly. My first day on the Yuba, I caught over 12 nice big rainbows, and I became addicted.
I found out later that winter/spring that the 7136 was fine with a Mid Spey 6/7. However, with fast flows as per Gov. Grayout Davis to to keep the lights on below each dam in Kali, I could not cast the Windcutter 6/7/8 with the shooting heads. Later during the Shad season with the Grayout Davis super high flows, I could not cast the 7136 with sinking tips.
The local Sage Rep suggested that I buy the 7141 Euro. I had one made, and it is a ripper and works in most situations. I have also bought the Sage 10151 Euro for Salmon and heavy waters, and I'm becoming fairly proficient with it.
However, with Shad fishing and some steelhead fishing in N. Kali approaching combat fishing, you just can't use a long Spey Rod without causing problems. Also, my son has new boat to fish for stripers in the Ca. Delta, and you can't use a spey rod to fish for stripers off a boat in the Delta.
On a recommendation, I contacted Bob Meiser in S. Oregon. Bob makes two handed rods, that are shorter than the Spey Rods but old crips like me might be able to use them.
I made arrangements with Bob to try out his S2H106-7/8 and the 9/10 models.
They were tried on the Rogue and Chetco on a recent trip. They are superb rods. The 7/8 does a fair job of casting the WC 678 without the second section. It booms out the Orvis Slick Steelhead/Salmon 8 weight. The Delta 8 weight multi tip was superb. That rod will become my rod for Putal Creek, the Garcia, other small steelhead waters. Also, it will become my Shad fishing rod for the American, Yuba, lower Sac and the Russian River. It, will never with me, boom the Spey line out, however, my Sage 7141 will do that where I can use a Spey rod.
Bob's 9/10 worked great with a Rio Versa Tip 10 weight and a Redington 9/10 large arbor. I used it on the Chetco on the South bank at the Jetty with the sinking tips in a 20 to 30 mile upstream wind and with a roll cast and the two hand overhead cast, I was casting 60 to 70' out. I stood on a rock about 2-3 feet above the water like on the deck of my son's boat, and had no problem of casting that distance. It is more tiring and takes longer time per for each cast as you are stripping line in. However with the wind and down river left, I could not cast my 10151 that day.
So, Bob's two great little two handers will join the two bigger Sage Euro's. On most trips, Bob's 7/8 will go with my Sage 7141, and his 9/10 with my Sage 10151 except on my son's Striper boat, and only Bob's 9/10 will go.
Both of Bob's rods worked well casting into the wind into the ocean last week in the Brookings area. I can't do that with either spey rod. Tomorrow, I will contact Bob and send him a check for these two great little two handed rods.
At age 62, I had/have the usual crummy shoulders that most males have at that age. Then I was riding my mountain bike into our driveway and hit the lip of the driveway at the edge of the street.
I didn't fall, but I lunged forward and stopped my fall with a rather strong grip on the handle bars. The weight of my body slammed into my shoulders, and my right shoulder felt like Mike Tyson hit it and bit it at the same time. I'm right handed and could only cast halfway decent with my right hand, arm/shoulder before this accident.
I limped around for a couple of weeks and started physical therapy. After a couple of weeks, I still could not cast with my right arm/shoulder.
A friend suggested that before I gave up fly fishing to try a Spey Rod. He recommended the Sage 7136 traditional. I bought one and could do some simple casts and really lob an indicator with a nymph and tungsten indicator. Then, I took it to the lower Yuba and could do a fair double spey and a down stream cast to skate a fly. My first day on the Yuba, I caught over 12 nice big rainbows, and I became addicted.
I found out later that winter/spring that the 7136 was fine with a Mid Spey 6/7. However, with fast flows as per Gov. Grayout Davis to to keep the lights on below each dam in Kali, I could not cast the Windcutter 6/7/8 with the shooting heads. Later during the Shad season with the Grayout Davis super high flows, I could not cast the 7136 with sinking tips.
The local Sage Rep suggested that I buy the 7141 Euro. I had one made, and it is a ripper and works in most situations. I have also bought the Sage 10151 Euro for Salmon and heavy waters, and I'm becoming fairly proficient with it.
However, with Shad fishing and some steelhead fishing in N. Kali approaching combat fishing, you just can't use a long Spey Rod without causing problems. Also, my son has new boat to fish for stripers in the Ca. Delta, and you can't use a spey rod to fish for stripers off a boat in the Delta.
On a recommendation, I contacted Bob Meiser in S. Oregon. Bob makes two handed rods, that are shorter than the Spey Rods but old crips like me might be able to use them.
I made arrangements with Bob to try out his S2H106-7/8 and the 9/10 models.
They were tried on the Rogue and Chetco on a recent trip. They are superb rods. The 7/8 does a fair job of casting the WC 678 without the second section. It booms out the Orvis Slick Steelhead/Salmon 8 weight. The Delta 8 weight multi tip was superb. That rod will become my rod for Putal Creek, the Garcia, other small steelhead waters. Also, it will become my Shad fishing rod for the American, Yuba, lower Sac and the Russian River. It, will never with me, boom the Spey line out, however, my Sage 7141 will do that where I can use a Spey rod.
Bob's 9/10 worked great with a Rio Versa Tip 10 weight and a Redington 9/10 large arbor. I used it on the Chetco on the South bank at the Jetty with the sinking tips in a 20 to 30 mile upstream wind and with a roll cast and the two hand overhead cast, I was casting 60 to 70' out. I stood on a rock about 2-3 feet above the water like on the deck of my son's boat, and had no problem of casting that distance. It is more tiring and takes longer time per for each cast as you are stripping line in. However with the wind and down river left, I could not cast my 10151 that day.
So, Bob's two great little two handers will join the two bigger Sage Euro's. On most trips, Bob's 7/8 will go with my Sage 7141, and his 9/10 with my Sage 10151 except on my son's Striper boat, and only Bob's 9/10 will go.
Both of Bob's rods worked well casting into the wind into the ocean last week in the Brookings area. I can't do that with either spey rod. Tomorrow, I will contact Bob and send him a check for these two great little two handed rods.