With some of the recent posts on 2 handed rods and my recent entry into it, I was wondering how many here use 2 handed rods (switch rods included)?
My wife, VEE, and I both use two handed rods.
I use two handed rods. One is a 14’ Sage graphite II the other is a 10’ 6" bamboo overhead rod that does a pretty good spey cast for it’s short size. I am working on a a 13’ 6" bamboo spey rod that should be finished in May( if the bluegills don’t go crazy biting).
The older I get the more I like the two handed rods in the larger sizes. Lets the whole body get into the act.
fishbum
I use a two-handed rod when I fish in NYC parks. Often I have limited room for back casts, so the two-handed rod allows me to fish where before I couldn’t. (Though there are spots where I can fish a one-handed rod but not a two-handed one. And one handed-rods are better for making short casts and for retrieving my fly almost all the way to my rod tip.)
Also, casting a spey rod is less tiring.
I just wish the videos and articles I read would have explained the differences in spey lines, and how to match them to rods and to fishing situations.
Randy
Randy, I too am confused by all of it. I am planning to go to the Spey-O-Rama in San Francisco (the event is April 17, 18 and 19) to learn more. I plan to take advantage of the ‘brain trust’ that will be attending by asking a lot of questions.
I do know that if you contact R.B. Meiser or Gary Anderson, both make custom spey rods, they are more than happy to give you an education on the subject. Also Poppy, the owner of the Red Shed Fly Shop loves to talk spey. You can either call or email him at the shop or he can be found on another bb on SpeyPages.
Yes, I use a two hander for the Tongariro river and am starting to try it out in the salt water. On the river I can cover water that no one else can reach (almost no-one in NZ uses a two hander) with ease and I love the action of a spey cast.
I do not understand the differance with all the types of spey lines but the line I use on the river works just fine, the salt water I am finding out is an entire new story and needs a whole new approach.
I sure wish we had Speyclaves here in NZ it would save me a couple of years of learning on my own.
All the best.
Mike
I do. I picked up my first 2 handed rod, I think, in the spring of 1992 to fish steelhead on the Skagit River. Got to meet and fish with many of the early Skaigt style casting/line pioneers. At one time I owned 12 to 14 rods. Now I think I am down to 7 or 8.
Please click one of the Quick Reply icons in the posts above to activate Quick Reply.
Count me in.
I heard the DVD, Speycasting A to Z is supposed to be excellent, but it costs fifty bucks.
I got into casting trouble because I thought I could use the Mackenzie-style cast with my
short-belly Scandi line, but I kept blowing my anchors.
(The Mackenzie cast uses a short lift, to 9:30, and an almost horizontal back cast. This
creates a long casting stroke which is great for long-belly lines. With a Scandi line I want
to keep my stroke short, so I now I lift to 10:30 and don’t sweep the rod back too fast.)
I guess I couldn’t leave well-enough - the basic underhand cast - alone.
BTW, if you want to see the Mackenzie cast in action, go to youtube and search for
Gordon Armstrong.
Randy
I also use 2 handed rods. I have a Meiser and a Sage
Orthoman,
Those Meiser rods are beautiful. Almost too much so to want to cast. lol
I have a Meiser and Gary Anderson rod.
Buy Spey to Z …worth the $$$ ( Simon’s 3 disc set is also good)
Good morning Double people and those poor souls that have not made the discovery, yet !
I use a Double and now only have one single handed rod, a Talon Graphite 2w 7’ 6" XF model.
The Doubles, you don’t really want the list 
From a Talon Graphite Midgar 15ft 10/11w Overhead casting rod and all in between to my Talon RA 12Ft 5/6w Trout Spey.
I also use my Doubles in both the fresh and saltwater, on a daily basis.
I also teach casting with a Double, for free, which just seems to upset some people, why I cannot understand, because to me its a part of sharing the adventure. This idea not charging a caster to learn or to help deepen their enjoyment has caused all sorts of dark clouds to cover me from some of the nicest people ! …but thats another story, not for here.
OK.
Can I help anyone here, to …
make things a little clearer
or to be able to understand the ‘ways’ of Doubles a little easier
be it the cast
or the concepts behind loading
or the difference between rods
?
Ask and if I can explain I will or I will try to.
My first Rule when teaching Doubles is to lock away or forget what you know about fly casting as this will only confuse you and lead to silly mistakes when casting.
Doubles should be classed as another for of casting, like with spin or overhead gear, and from there start with no locked in ideas…but sadly most single handed fly casters do.
AND a bonus if you Double cast
is your single handed casting improves beautifully.
Then when you face a situation thats suitable for a Snake Roll type of cast or some other Spey type cast, then its all possible with a little single handed rod, including even a 2w.
This then allows you to fish from and to almost any place be it the lake, the ocean or wee stream.
Kindest regards,
UB
ps, Mike T,
“I sure wish we had Speyclaves here in NZ it would save me a couple of years of learning on my own.”
We just might have to arrange one then
If you would like direct help, please feel free to email me and we can sort out most problems.
pps, I have also designed a couple of Doubles, and that is not just ‘stick the bits on’, the blank kind of thing.
Got mine. A Redington 15 foot 10 wt. I have a few casts figured out and hope to learn from someone who really knows as soon as I can slip the surely bonds of being employed.
Gary
ps, Mike T,
“I sure wish we had Speyclaves here in NZ it would save me a couple of years of learning on my own.”
We just might have to arrange one then
If you would like direct help, please feel free to email me and we can sort out most problems.
pps, I have also designed a couple of Doubles, and that is not just ‘stick the bits on’, the blank kind of thing.[/quote]
Hey Uncle Barry, if I ever make it over to Queensland I will drag Gringo with me and take you up on the offer of a speyclave! If you ever feel like a trip over to NZ let me know and I will arange a few days on the Tongariro with you. As I am a member of the TALTAC club accomodation is very cheep.
All the best.
Mike.
Hey, I would be up for a spey gathering in NZ. Wonder how many frequent flyer miles I got stored up? Oh, and honeydo points. Mmmmmm, that last one may be tough to get past.
Good morning MT.
“if I ever make it over to Queensland I will drag Gringo with me and take you up on the offer of a speyclave! If you ever feel like a trip over to NZ let me know and I will arange a few days on the Tongariro with you. As I am a member of the TALTAC club accomodation is very cheep.”
Hey, maybe thats going a bit far, draging along that one Gringo, also know as the Wolfman. Here in Queensland that kind of person, that type of Gringo would be stopped at the boarder gates and returned to where he came from.
Someone from NZ over here, why not, 99.9% of NZ is already here !
Me over there, I will look into it.
Helping with casting, just ask, as I’ve don’t all the silly things and learnt the hard way 
Which now allows me to help others from my mistakes.
Kind regards,
UB