I have an 11" Amundson 3/4 wt switch rod. I intend to use it for trout and perhaps landlocked salmon in the state of Maine. I do not know how to fish with it yet. I only intend to use it from a boat sitting on a lake. It balances at different places on the forward grip. I will use it as a single had casting rod with two hands sort of. I am not going to learn all the spey casts with it. Just fish with it. It could be balanced like a spey rod at the most forward grip…or down at the spot where casting it like a single had fly rod…or just split the difference and balance it in the exact middle point…between the other two spots.
At what place would one balance the rod with the correct weighted reel equipped with fly line to use the setup the way I intend to use it?
Hmmmm…a new thought. Perhaps I should balance it for where it will be a majority of the time…held level with the water, or pointing at the fly…while fishing and stripping in the fly……
Maybe that would be a good balance for the rod. To be least tiring while fishing with it.
Sooooo…………I will attempt to find a reel that will hold the line and balance the rod where I will be holding it while the fly is in the water.
Should have been “where to balance” the rod for a title…not what reel. Unabler to edit the title of the thread……
I can find a reel once I know what weight I want it to be.
I fish with two different 11’ rods, (both 6 wt). One is a single hand rod and the other in theory is a switch rod that I only fish and cast single handed. I love the 11’ rods for their casting ability, mending ability and the ability of the rod to absorb the shock and fight of a fish. As for the reel? Well I simply want a reel that is large enough (I really prefer the large arbor reels) to hold my line and some backing. I usually go one size up from what the rod is (6 wt so I go with a 7/8 size reel). As for balance, I never have really worried about that. My thinking is if I ‘balance’ a rod/reel when I am holding it level to the ground, sounds good, but as soon as I start casting the line, there is a lot of weight removed from the reel and placed outside the rod which causes a whole lot of pull in the rod. The balance aspect just went out the door. So, I only worry about the reel being large enough to hold my line and backing. I am sure there are a lot of casting experts that are shuddering with my logic, but that is how I fish.
Thank you Sagefisher. I understand. I had gotten away from the practical side of it…going down the deep hole of it all. I do take into consideration the line…when I balance my rod I have the rod strung up with the line…no reel…but the line hanging out the end sort of down to projected water leve. I do not seek exactness here…or perfection. Just a ballpark thing where I will be content with it. I allow for some give or take either over weighted with too big a reel or underweighted. But…if I am going to fish all day…I do not wish to be holding the tip of a 11-12 foot rod up with my wrist while fishing…all day long because the tip end of the rod is so much heavier than the reel end. And vice versa. And when walking a long way I hope the rod to be somewhat balanced while walking along. I do not know what to do about most things. So I just plug along. I have a 12’ 5/6 two handed rod that balances rather nicely with about 7.2.7.9 ounces of reel and line. I have the exact same weight rod from the same manafacturer…5/6 spey rod…that would require 38 ounces to balance at the fulcrum or pivot point. ONE POUND TWELVE ounces! oh well…anywhooo…thank you Mr. Sagefisher for your input. As always your input…information is great information.
jim
ps…I am probably wasting my time…perhaps just “go fish”