Swing for the Fences

New switch rig was just awesome on the Manistee last week. It's a Temple Fork Deer Creek Series switch rod in 11' 8-weight. Reel is a Ross Momentum V. Line is 475 grain Rio Skagit Short with a 5' cheater. For indicators, I'll switch to a Ross Momentum LT V with Rio Atlantic Salmon/Steelhead in 10 weight. But that's a story for another day.

Once I got some pointers from guide Russ, I was covering serious water with ease. I was belting out accurate casts over 75'. It was interesting to note the different stroke from a single-hand roll cast. With the switch rod, I needed to stop far higher on the forward cast. Once I made that change, it made a huge difference.

As the day progressed, I learned more about the effects of the bottom hand. A lot of the power comes from using the bottom hand properly, with the top hand as a pivot, on the forward cast. Once I added this to my stroke it became even easier to add distance.

Also, I learned that this line is designed for shooting, so a bit of the head needs to be back inside the guides. If you don't do this -- it's Thrash Fest. Later I found some online references that there's actually a marked sweet spot on my Rio Skagit Short line that needs to be near the upper hand for best casting. I'm eager to try that out.

Switch casting with a Skagit rig was everything I wanted it to be -- fun, low-effort, and accurate. Kudos to guide/gear guru Mike Schultz for helping me figure out the right line, cheater, and showing me how to make up my own sink tips. I could never have navigated the complexities of Skagit without his help. Now this rig's a rocket! Time to continue to improve my casts and catch some steelhead!

-Sean-