I have a g loomis 11' 8wt switch rod with an abel super 8 reel and I purchased a SA sharkskin steelhead taper fly line 8wt and it does not load the rod enough what line would work best for that set up ? I have a friend that uses a z axis switch rod with a hatch reel and he uses a short skagit line and it loads nicely. Any other options ?
Fly line for switch rod
- Thread starter c2ck
- Start date
MoscaPescador
Well-known member
I prefer to cast with Skagit style lines on switch rods. They are so much easier to manage because of the shorter head lengths. I don't use Scandi style lines for my switch, but if I had a choice, I would choose the Beulah Elixir Switch line because of its shorter head length.
Many fly shops now have loaner lines that you can try out. If you have a shop with demo lines, you might want to try some out, so you can fine tune the line to your rod. Many Spey/switch lines are now made in shooting heads which make them very convenient when changing lines.
Skagit
Rio Skagit Short - 425 grains, 475 grains
Rio Skagit Flight - 450, 475, 500 (probably overkill)
Airflo Skagit Compact - 450, 480, 510 (probably overkill)
Beulah Tonic Switch - 450
Scandi
Beulah Elixir Switch - 420
Good luck with your search.
MP
Many fly shops now have loaner lines that you can try out. If you have a shop with demo lines, you might want to try some out, so you can fine tune the line to your rod. Many Spey/switch lines are now made in shooting heads which make them very convenient when changing lines.
Skagit
Rio Skagit Short - 425 grains, 475 grains
Rio Skagit Flight - 450, 475, 500 (probably overkill)
Airflo Skagit Compact - 450, 480, 510 (probably overkill)
Beulah Tonic Switch - 450
Scandi
Beulah Elixir Switch - 420
Good luck with your search.
MP
wt bash
Well-known member
I too fish Skagit on my switches. On my 7wt I run an Airflo compact skagit at 480 grs and use the MOW tips from RIo as my leaders. On my 5wt I run a home made Scandit made from an 8wt Rio wf taper and fish poly leaders on it with no problems. You might want to look into the Tactical Steelhead lines and the 40+ lines but if the rods is an 8wt go with a 10wt taper. What type of fishing will you be doing plays a role too if your fishin indy rigs ad nymphs the Tactical and 40+ will work great in that capacity and you can still overhead cast. The Skagit lines are best suited for swinging bigger streamers and heavier tips with limited casting room. The Scandi will do the same to a point but I feel like you need more room behind you to form a D-loop, same as the other lines.