Yep, that's pretty much it. The D-loop is just one element of the Switch cast.

As another very general statement, the 8 and 9 wt two handed rods are the 5 and 6 wt's of the single hand world. They're the middle of pack in terms of size and can be easier sizes to learn to use than the lighter and heavier wt rods.

If you like a shorter lower handle, try casting one of the TFO Deer Creek rods. You might like it better.

Thanks, i will look into that. TFO warehouse is just few minutes drive from me.

This video focuses on casting a 20 ft Skagit head line and its pretty good. He is demonstrating a Double Spey cast. The Double Spey is the portion where he is lifting the line and dropping it on his left size. The second portion of a Double Spey is the portion that he calls "ripping" the line off the water. (This same motion is also used with a Circle C or a Snap T cast.)

Once he has the line moved back to his right side, he has transitioned into the Switch Cast portion of the cast. This is the portion where the rod is moved horizonally along his right side and then raised over head, then there is a pause to allow the D-loop to form and then you come forward with the cast.


In the video he mentions that there is no pause with Skagit heads, but the pause in a Spey cast is just like the pause with a single hand rod - the length of the pause has to be adjusted to match the cast. With two handed casting, the length of the head will determine how long the pause needs to be. Longer heads require a longer pause to allow a larger D-loop to form. The video has a 20 ft head, which just needs an extremely short pause because a very small D-loop is all that is needed for that short of a head.

The placement of the bottom of the D-loop is the key to a good Switch cast. Too far back and the anchor will slip out and you won't get a good cast, too far forward and it harder to lift the line and the cast's distance will suffer.

When you get one of these casts right, it will put a BIG ol' grin on your face.

I hope some of this information is helpful.

You might want to call them first. I do not know if they allow test casting at the warehouse or not. You might have to go through a fly shop such as Tailwaters to test cast the rods, but Tailwaters can arrange to have those rods available. Give the a call and they'll help set up a chance for you to demo the rods.

Yes, i called before, talked to Brandon, got invited any day during the week. Off course, if i did go, i would call first to let him know.

That's good, Brandon is a nice guy. Have fun trying out the rods.

Thank you Rex!

Not exactly on the subject of Spey lines, but another alternative is to find specialty lines to fit certain needs. Last week I fished a lake and river in far northern Maine for brook trout and landlocked salmon. As luck would have it, we had strong winds two of the three days we were there. My friends with standard weight forward lines were having difficulty with their casting. Fortunately, I'd also brought along an Orvis Bank Shot line that's actually designed for casting big streamers and has a 23 ft "quick loading head" that is two line sizes heavier than the line designation, so in my case a 6 wt line for my 6 wt rod with the weight of an 8 wt line, with an integrated running line. We were actually catching fish on dry-dry floating rigs, but the line worked fine to get the flies upstream into the wind far enough for a decent drift.

good post Mick; you can make some "heads" to use in those special fishing situations. I watch for specials and buy fly line to cut up and make heads for various situations. By putting a loop on each end you can attach to your fly line; it isn't the ideal solution but can save a trip. Examples include sinking heads if fish are deep; floating heads of say a 12 weight fly line to help combat the wind; and other such situations. It's not rocket science. Don Blanton's site has a lot of stuff aboutthis stuff-p-

pearow, can you post a link about making your own? I'd like to watch or read about that.

Thanks!

I assume you aren't referring to Rio Versileaders?

here's the link to Dan's site. There have been numerous discussions over the years about various ways to modify fly line for specific purposes. You can probably do a search. I would be more specific but can't right now.
http://www.danblanton.com/bulletin.php
There's a number of other sites that discuss these things but I can't find them at the present moment; I've got to go thru and delete some of my favorites so I can find things a little better-p-
http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/shootingheads/
http://oregonflyfishingblog.com/2012/12/08/fly-line-reviews-rio-airflo-shooting-heads-lines/

-P-, when Blanton fished with a couple of us on Texoma for striped bass a number of years ago, he fished entirely with shooting heads with Sage RPLX 9 and 10 wt fly rods.
He was surprised to find I was fishing the same fly rods with Teeny 200 and 300 integrated sinkers.
I switched to using more shooting heads and he started tying his flies on 60 degree jig hooks - we both learned valuable lessons..

I think this is the link you are looking for.
http://www.danblanton.com/mix_match_tips.html

George

I have a TFO BVK 8 weight, 9'. I have 8 weight wff line on the reel. I am using this set up to chase stripers, carps, buffalos, gars, lmb, smb, on Texoma from the bank. I want to replace the line with shooting heads to give me more distance. I need recommendations. Please help! Thanks.

Some great info from great guys that I respect a lot. Shooting heads and sink tip lines are not discussed nearly enough. They may not be the most popular or graceful way to cast, but if you try them, you'll like them. With a single back cast, shooting line into the back cast, you can reach eighty feet or more.

Fishing for black bass from a boat or a kayak utilizing a shooting head can change your mind about fly fishing altogether.

The Longview fly fishing club is a great bunch of guys. I dont believe you'll learn anything about shooting heads from anyone there. I was a member for a year & most everyone is focused on trout fishing. I'm not putting anyone down. I just don't think you'll find much help about advanced topics like shooting heads & running lines or Spey fishing in that group. You will find a bunch of fun guys, though.

JR