Deer Creek vs Chromer vs St. Croix Imperial switch?

[Thumper36]

I have done tons and tons of research on these models and I'm more confused now, than when I began my research. This will be my first switch rod and I will be using it for King salmon, Silvers, and Steelhead up here in Alaska. Switching between the Kenai Peninsula Rivers and the rivers around Ketchikan and Prince of Wales Island. So I'm going with an 8wt of course. I just wanted to get some real world advice as to which rod to go with as I have only been fly fishing for 3 years. And I know there are some very knowledgeable people on the forum. Thank you in advance guys!

 

[flav]

It kind of depends on what sort of fishing you plan on doing, primarily nymphing, swinging, or a combination. I've fished some of those rivers and areas you've mentioned and I assume you'll be doing more nymphing than swinging, but maybe I'm wrong.

I've test cast the TFO on a river, made a few casts with a chromer on a river also, but I've only wiggled the St Croix although I have cast a friend's imperial spey. If you're going to nymph much the redington is the fastest of the three and is probably the best all around rod because of that. The TFO is a great caster, but it's probably not as good a nymphing rod because it's slower and more full flexing. The St Croix I handled was extremely slow, not what I'd like at all if I was nymphing. I've not liked any St Croix two hander I've wiggled or cast, and that's too bad, I grew up with their rods and do like some of their SH rods.
So my thoughts are pick the chromer if you'll be nymphing a lot of the time, or pick the deer creek if you're going to be swinging most of the time. Also, I don't know if an 8 is going to stop a king, that'd be great for silvers or steelhead, but a fresh king is an entirely different animal.

 

[ia_trouter]

For what it is worth I am a big St Croix fan and own many of their rods. Their spey rods get very little love on other forums so I passed. The Deer Creek is popular. I have Beulah's but they are out of your price range new.

 

[biker1usa]

The St Croix is real good with a 400-450 grain Skagit and a 380 grain Scandi. These lines are easy to cast and the rod is quite fast enough to cast them a good distance. The rod is much faster than my Ross Reach and just as good as the 6/7 Deer Creek. I don't know about the Chromer as I have never handled one.

 

[Ard]

I always like to see a post from someone who proof reads

I'm only familiar with one of those rods. I had a fellow with last year who had a new Redington Chromer 8 weight. It worked pretty well with a 475 grain line from one of my reels and I cast it a lot because I was helping him learn basic casts. The line was 475 and the head length was 37 feet with integrated vinyl running line so it was a full Spey style line albeit for shorter rods. The rod worked well and cast easily out to 60 feet or so, maybe a tad more............... So that's the Pro's the Con's are that the rod had very little in the way of a bottom cork, more like standard fighting butt on a 9 foot rod. That makes 2 handed casting awkward I think.

I come down that way now and then and for your little rivers like the A or creeks like DC I use 11'6" Hardy Swift rods. These are 7 weight rods with full corks top and bottom. There are many other rods to look at other than what you mentioned but I'm thinking you are looking to stay within a certain price range. You can Spey cast with a single hand rod design like that Redington but why not get a 11 1/2 or 12 foot rod and fish a little easier.

If you aren't scared of used rods then check the auction site for the Swift 7 weights. Those rods will put a line out to 80 feet or farther with ease and I mean a regular Spey line not some weighted 20 foot head with mono behind it. The guy who posted above me that likes St. Croix rods has seen the Hardys cast and knows I'm not exaggerating. I have 3 of them but have to keep them for others to use when needed. You should be able to pick one up around 200 these days because they have been out of production for about 10 years. Check the classifieds at Spey Pages also for one if curious.

This is the only picture I have of one, you can see that for an 11 1/2 foot rod they didn't skimp on the handles.

That ones mine, they will land big fish if that happens, I've caught quite a few kings and steelhead on that one.

Welcome to the forum,

Ard

 

[ia_trouter]

Yes the Hardy Swift Ard refers to is a fine rod. I cast it some, and he cast it better but I won't apologize for that. If you can get comfortable with the idea of a used rod, there are smoking deals on like new rods and lines. Guys buy a couple long rods figuring this out and sell good stuff. Some of them may be like me and they are mostly vacation rods. Don't want to steer you off this site but speypages.com is a good place to shop for used spey and switch rods.

Now backing up just a bit on your research. Ard fishes your water. He lives there and has been two handing there for 10 or so years. I have fished with him for quite a few days. Just enough to think I actually know something. I'll invite him to correct anything I say and learn with you.

Depending on what you will do most and where, a short spey may or may not be better than a switch. If you are going to drift a bobber the switch will probably do fine. If you want to cast a weighted streamer a little more length may be your friend. I have a 10-8 switch and a 12-6 spey. Same series rod in 7-8 WT. If I could only take one rod to AK the short spey is what I am bringing. It will throw a 550GR line if I need it to for heavy work. It will throw a 450G for lighter work. I do enjoy my switch rod, but I would struggle to justify it as my only two hander rod in AK on salmon water. I am trying right now to think of a good reason and coming up short.

If you are dead set on a switch, I just might know where there is a mint condition 10ft-8 7/8WT switch and a couple custom Steve Godshall lines for less money. I doubt you have heard of Godshall but he makes rods work properly. My switch will make a Redington or most other low end switches look and feel like junk. It's going to collect dust if I don't sell it eventually. I had a crazy idea it would be a great pike rod closer to home. It's out of it's element on that mission. But honestly I think you need a short spey rod with the few details I am aware of so far. That is where I would proceed first.

 

[bassclef]

Well, last year's Imperial switch rods are $186 in St. Croix's web store right now:
Imperial Fly Rod Series: St. Croix Fishing Rods - Spinning, Casting, Saltwater, Fly