Switch rods were originally developed in my shop by the request of anglers that were searching for a
casting tool that would ease the pain of the repetative single hand double haul to acheive extreme distance
deliveries when using shooting head line systems.
Cast a 9'0" 9/10 weight single hand rod all day, targeting 90' plus deliveries with a 500 + grain shooting
head, and and it will generally define sore arms, wrists, and shoulders at the end of the day ...
... Especially if you are a "senior" member in the community.
Most of these guys that called my shop in those early days were searching for a tool that would acheive
extreme distances efficiently, but (most importantly) wanted a rod with a married line system that that
would do this without the physical burden of the single hand double haul delivery.
So enter the switch rod concept:
A rod and line marriage that these anglers could use to eliminate the physical burden of the single hand
double haul delivery for their consistent long distance deliveries.
... Use two hands to acheive the same distance goal with far less physical expended energy on the casting
delivery.
Rather then using only the only the forearms, wrists, and shoulders to acheive consistent 90' plus
deliveries: They were now using two hands; distributing this energy requirement of long distance deliveries
to the entire upper torso.
Which is the essence of the two handed cast ... Physcally a much easier pill to swallow.
Much easier physically, and much more efficiently delivered dynamically.
It's really all casting logic.
Most of our early clientel of switch rods were of this family of casters, but as time progressed ...
... These same casters matured in their delivery abilities, and they soon realized that they could not only
eliminate the single hand double haul deliveries with two hands, but could also do extremely efficient
anchor point spey deliveries as well with these same rods, if married to the right lines.
Again back to casting logic; Irregardless of the lenghth of the rod ...
... If married to the correct line system, the 10'6" to 11'6' rod will perform anchor point spey deliveries as
efficiently as will the 16'0" rod within it's given parameters.
Will the 10'6" to 11'6" rod efficiently deliver consistently 100' to 120' + with a long belly spey line
(utilizing anchor point deliveries) as well as the 16'0" rod ?
No they will not... Not even close.
But ... With two hands on the overhead; married to a short belly shooting head, they will easily acheive
targeted 90' to 100' distances if they need to ...
... And when using the same basic anchor point casting dynamics, with the very same proper line
management basics used with the 16'0" rod, will easily acheive 50' to 90' + deliveries when using
correctly balanced line systems.
The switch rod was was not named so because one could switch from single to two hand delivery ...
... It was named so because the caster could switch from anchor point to overhead deliveries with equal
ease.
In truth ... It was after comments made by one of my clients: A fellow by the name of Philip Paden.
He in conversation with me on a return from Nakia Lodge actually coined the term "switch rod" as he
explained to me how he had successfully "switched" from overhead deliveries to two handed anchor point
spey deliveries with the same main body section of a 10/11/12 WC and 15' type 8 sink tips ... This was
he first year that Rio introduced the Windcutter with tips.
He was the first angler that requested that we take our standard 10'3" 8/9 wt rod and add a lower 3" grip
assembly to convert this rod into both an overhead and two handed anchor point delivery spey rod ...
Utilizing the same interchangeable tip, 39.5' shooting head line system.
BOB MEISER TALKS ABOUT SWITCH RODS
AN EXCERPT FROM WASHINGTON FLY FISHING
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