Landing technique with switch or spey rod

[Ole]

Just starting to fish with an 11' switch for steelhead. Landing a fish on a river bank seems like it would be a bit more troublesome than with a 9' rod because the line is further from ones free arm and harder to reach. I can't find any U Tube videos that show switch or spey rodders actually landing a fish. Maybe I'm making too much out of this.

[whatfly]

Principle is the same, and with a switch rod at least, it is not that much harder than a 9'. I'll let someone with a proper two-hander speak to that technique, but I pretty much land fish the same way as I would with a standard rod. A decent net can definitely help with larger fish, and there are some decent affordable ones out there such as the one from Frabill: http://www.frabill.com/nets-accessor...ed-handle.html.

[gerri]

I have no experience with trying to net a fish dangling and wiggling on an 11ft rod but I would think that it might be easier or more efficiently accomplished to utilize a guide or boat net that has a longer handle.

[sagefisher]

Ole,

Practice, practice, practice. Now then, if only you can make the steelhead cooperate and give you some hookups.

The only time I run into any real problems with landing a fish on any size rod, including my 11 footers, is when the leader is more than two feet longer than the rod. With your arm you can raise the tip up enough to net the fish if the leader isn't too long.

Good luck practicing.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[randyflycaster]

I make sure I have several feet of line off the reel. (The longer the spey rod the more line off the reel.) When the fish is close, I swing the rod upwards, allowing slack line to go through my hands. (This will keep prevent excessive line tension from breaking the rod tip.) Then, when the spey rod is pointing almost vertically, I reach out and grab the line.
Randy

[Ole]

Thanks for the tips. Hope some fish help out with learning about landing.

[Whitewolf]

Velly intraresting subject. Thank you for posting the question. I have heard it is much more difficult the longer the rod. I am contemplating having a two hander built.....that is NOT a true spey rod...but a true CCS's 5wt rod built to handle a single handed 5 wt fly line.....uh....sorta
thus have same curisoity....
jim