[Rainforestspey]

I know its winter steelhead season, and I've got a brand Sage 8139-4 which is freaking sweet, but I cant help but dream of those warm days of summer, casting a dry line and tiny flies. I am going to be in the market for a summer steelhead spey rod, and I'm wondering what everyones opinions are/favorite summer rods. I'm looking for something in the 6-7 range, with enough touch and flex to make a 22" one salt summer fish dance, and enough backbone to effectively fish a river like the deschutes. Right now the rods under consideration are the Meiser S2H1367 which is just a 13' 6/7, the Echo 6/7, and the CND specialist. All these rods seem really reasonably priced, although the Echo is just plain cheap. Anyone have any experience with these rods, and have any insight into their abilitys/pitfalls. I asked about the Meiser before and people said they liked it, so its high on the list, but its also the most expensive. Any other rods I should consider?
Thanks in advance,
Will

 

[t_richerzhagen]

Try them

before you buy, because you are the final judge of what works best for you. Remember the Sandy Clave is coming up. If you can get to River Run Anglers in Carnation on a Saturday morning, Aaron has a good selection of Meiser try rods. I have several of the Meiser rods that I like very much. The 11' 7" for 5/6 would be great for trout and the size of steelhead you meet most of the time on the Deschutes, but on the lower river you can hit Clearwater fish that have pulled in for the cooler water and those can be big. Also, there is a lot of wind that can make the 6/7 less than ideal. The last thing is that there are places I fish on the Deschutes where you have to cast over 100' to get to where the fish are holding. If you can handle the wind and distance with the Meiser, you will love it. If you are going to spend a lot of time on the Deschutes, I think you would be happier with a little more rod. I fish the FES and 15' Highlander for 7/8/9. The latter is ideal for my fishing on the Deschutes, though in the wind, its big brother is even better.

 

[bconrad]

Sage 6126

My vote is for the Sage 6126. I've seen a few lightly used ones floating around in the $400 range.

 

[Rick J]

until last year I would have voted for the Scott 1287 but last year I got a custom Sage 6126 and like this more for summer as the fish I am targeting mostly on the Klamth are on the small side

 

[wiscokid]

i just finished a wraping a 11'6" beulah blank and it is a sweet little rod that i built for the exact purpose you are talking about. casts a wide range of flies and lines but i mainly use different shooting heads. They have a nice line of rods that are reasonably priced and cast well.

 

[M.J.Adams]

Try the "Favorite rods for mid summer fish" Thread, lots of good replys.

 

[Speybstrd]

6126 and Outbound11wgt

My choice is the sage6126 and a rio outbound 11wgt. This setup easily handles 5' of t-14, even 10', but I really like the sinking leaders from rio. Esp. for trout or clear/low water. I also fish 15' leaders on this setup with dries or soft hackles. It handles the wind well. The outbound line also very conveintly is a great over-head line for my 1409 T&T.
The downside you ask? The downside is that this rod is a very powerful 6wgt and will hammer any trout that you measure in inches not pounds.

 

[MikeT_PDX]

6126

Jon,
I recently bought a 6126 for exactly the reasons Rainforestspey described.
It's equipted with a 6/7/8 WC. I've only cast it on the grass so far, but my impression is it will be perfect for the Grande Ronde, Kalama, Clackamas summers.

I've heard a bit about the Outbound 11 on this rod. Can you tell me more about how you use that line (for example, do you overhead cast with it)? Also, you mentioned using some pretty heavy tips with it. Did you cut the Outbound back for using the t-14, or just use it as the factory made it?

BTW, there may be some good deals to be had on this (discontinued) rod right now. A local shop was eager to move the one I bought, and offered it for $500 new.

thanks in advance.....Mike

 

[Riveraddict]

Summer rod...

...if you plan on using a Skagithead system, then I would suggest sticking with a rod in that 12 1/2' to 13' length range. Sure, there are spots on the Deschutes that require very long casts, BUT, there are far more that require being able to cast "out from under the trees". The "tight" fishing spots are less "pressured" than the "wide open" ones, and over the course of a day's fishing, generally yield better fishing. It is also a common occurrence on many summer steelheading streams that as the river gets lower, the fish seek heavier and denser structure to hold in. This most often translates to boulder fields and ledgework areas located on the highbank sides of rivers, and usually under the overhanging canopies of riverbank trees that provide shade. Once again, the shorter rod lengths can be a huge advantage during these circumstances.

I don't have any experience with the other rods you mentioned, but I can assure you that that Meiser is a very capable and prime choice. As far as wind capabilities go, once again, with a Skagit system, that Meiser would have no problems punching the typical Deschutes sized flies through just about anything short of gale force winds. And yes, it does have the capability to go long if need be.

 

[mfa1967]

I have only tried 8-10 of rods in this category and have only been casting a doublehanded rod for a year and a half so I claim no expertise. I ultimately purchased a Meiser 12667 Highlander in 2006 that I am very happy with. The rod is beautiful, feels light in the hand, casts smoothly, and fishes effectively with a size 14 soft hackle or a streamer on a type 8 tip. Also, Meiser can provide you with helpful advice that may help you in a way that the big guys really cannot.

 

[penner]

I can't really make a recommendation on what you are looking for but can comment on the Echos. I own a Echo 9wt single hander and an Echo2 8 wt Scandi rod. Very reasonably priced, cast well and put together nicely. Not fancy, but great rods for the money I think. Certainly worth giving a test cast IMHO.

 

[Carl]

My idea of a summer rod is my Meiser 11'7" 5/6/7. Of course I fish smallies and carp more than summer run steelies here in Michigan, but that rod does all I want and is still a ball with decent trout.

 

[Big K1]

7125-3 Burkie.

 

[speyforsteel]

I fish the same rods all year a 14' 8 weight and a 16' 10weight .
the vast majority of my summer fish were dragged in :lildevl: on the 16.
I'm not a big fan of rods less than 13'6 but thats me.

 

[Speybstrd]

Jon,
I've heard a bit about the Outbound 11 on this rod. Can you tell me more about how you use that line (for example, do you overhead cast with it)? Also, you mentioned using some pretty heavy tips with it. Did you cut the Outbound back for using the t-14, or just use it as the factory made it?
....Mike

1.I do not overhead cast the outbound 11 on this rod, only on my T&T 1409 on the beaches here in MI for Salmon, Steel and lake run browns cruising the shore.
2.I fish the tips right off the outbound(OB) line. If I go to T-14, it's usually 5' but it can handle 10'. Sometimes as little T-14 as 2 feet, but when I do this, I put in a 3' cheater. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I really like the rio sinking leaders best. They help keep things truely effortless.
3.No, I did not cut back the OB for tips, I just loop them to the factory loop in the line.
4.Another option is a WC 9/10/11 body, all the sections removed and fish it as skagit setup with 5 or ten feet of T-14. If it's the 5', I put in a 5' cheater. This is how I first setup this rod, but I like the OB better. Some folks like the WC 10/11/12 body.

I only started to mess around with the OB line this summer. I bought it after reading a post (from GrampaSpey I believe) after he and Simon G. put the 6126 thru it's paces with different OB lines and found the 11 to be the ticket. Some others like the OB 12 better, but it's all personal preference. Maybe the real experts will chim in here. HINT HINT guys

The length of the belly of the OB is around a skagit/short belly setup in terms of length.
The only complaint I have is the running line really needs to be stretched out before your fishing session. Esp. in cold weather. I found this out the hard way this fall fishing the Barns in West Yellowstone. I was having problems with the running line coiling up and not shooting well. I had to step out of the river, go up to the truck and I loop it around the rearview mirror, pull it tight for a few moments and all was good, for the days fishing. Remembering to do this before every days fishing saves time and frustration, but is kind of a pain in the arse...esp. early in the morning when I am not quite awake yet to remember.

Of all of my spey rods( 3 ), the 6126 is by far my favorite. As a good friend of mine said after casting it "I wish all spey rods felt this good".

Here's the spec from the RIO site( http://www.rioproducts.com/product.php?recKey=33 ):

 

[MikeT_PDX]

Thanks, Jon.

Mike

 

[sinktip]

I agree that the Deshchutes trees can make a longer rod a hindrance at times. If I was fishing primarily the long open runs available there (e.g. - John's Ruffles) I would think the CND 15'2" Solstice a nice match as would the old classic - Sage 8150-4 . For the tighter under the trees fishing I would go with something shorter.

For most of my summer fishing on local rivers, I don't need a long rod and have been splitting time between the T&T 1206-3 and the 1307-3. The latter is also my choice for bigger rivers like the Snake and Bulkley.

 

[slimbo]

Agree with others to consider the 6126, however, if you are fishing small to middlin' sized streams, the 6126's little brother, the 5120 is a SWEEEET stick.
slim

 

[Rainforestspey]

thanks for the input guys. I need to give the rods a try. The trouble is I never want to waste a good fishing day at a casting clinic. I guess I'll just wait until the rivers close in May and head out to some days on the river and try them. The folks at ECHO seem to recommend an Airflow delta spey line, which (Maybe I'm mistaken) seems to have alot of the same properties as a Windcutter. Would still facilitate nice tight casts on the Deschutes.

 

[t_richerzhagen]

Time

is not wasted when it leads to a better choice, for you. You can save a lot of time and frustration by getting a rod and line that work well for you when you lay down the money. I have sold a couple of rods over the years that were not the best choice for me. And I have way too many lines that I purchased before I could try them. I do not do that any more.

You will like the AirFlo Delta. I have fished the Delta Longs for a number of years.