Hello all. I recently came into possession of a 11.5' 8 wt. switch rod and am in the process of lining it out for two different applications, both of which I need assistance with. First off, I'll explain what I'll be doing with it, and second, I'll solicit feedback on the selections I've made based on my research.
I got the rod in order to fish two different scenarios. First, I hoped to swing streamers on large rivers (like the Kootenai, Missouri, Clark Fork, etc.) for plus-sized trout. For those of you who haven't seen these rivers, they can be well over 100 yards in places. While I might be a bit under-gunned in the rod department, I do own a drift boat and can cut the river down accordingly.
Second, I hoped to target lake trout on Flathead and Whitefish Lakes when they moved closer into shore during their fall spawn. In this scenario, I foresee needing to be able to fish in depths ranging from 10-40 feet, and (naturally) would be fishing without current and stripping the fly rather than swinging it.
To swing streamers in the current, I figured I'd buy the Rio Skagit Max Short and a handful of MOW tips to cover my bases. For the lake-fishing and stripping streamers, it appeared as if Rio's Outbound Short was my best bet.
Do these seem like reasonable choices? Am I correct in assuming I need two different lines to cover these scenarios, or can I accomplish them both with just one? I'm completely new to the switch/spey world, so any and all advice is welcomed and much appreciated!
I got the rod in order to fish two different scenarios. First, I hoped to swing streamers on large rivers (like the Kootenai, Missouri, Clark Fork, etc.) for plus-sized trout. For those of you who haven't seen these rivers, they can be well over 100 yards in places. While I might be a bit under-gunned in the rod department, I do own a drift boat and can cut the river down accordingly.
Second, I hoped to target lake trout on Flathead and Whitefish Lakes when they moved closer into shore during their fall spawn. In this scenario, I foresee needing to be able to fish in depths ranging from 10-40 feet, and (naturally) would be fishing without current and stripping the fly rather than swinging it.
To swing streamers in the current, I figured I'd buy the Rio Skagit Max Short and a handful of MOW tips to cover my bases. For the lake-fishing and stripping streamers, it appeared as if Rio's Outbound Short was my best bet.
Do these seem like reasonable choices? Am I correct in assuming I need two different lines to cover these scenarios, or can I accomplish them both with just one? I'm completely new to the switch/spey world, so any and all advice is welcomed and much appreciated!