Saltwater Fly Fishing with Double Hand Rod

This is my third consecutive year flats fishing in Maldives with Switch rod using Spey techniques. I must say I have really grown fond of Spey style fly fishing in the salt and probably would not be going back to using single hand rod any time soon ;-)

Switch rod is really a wonderful invention and development in fly fishing. Paired with modern short head Spey line, it is just an amazingly efficient fishing and fly delivery tool. Pre Switch rod and mini Spey era, I would be ripping my arm off, hauling and battling wind and crazy projectile like  Clousers, trying to reach the distance. Doing that whole day for eight consecutive days can really put serious strain on arms and shoulders. With Switch rod, this problem melts away.

From the perspective of battling fish, Switch rod truly excel in my opinion. The 11+ feet length of the rod makes fighting smallish fish sensational as it amplifies every tug and struggle, giving the fish leverage advantage. On the other hand when hooked onto a monster, the butt strength of the Switch rod kicks in, complemented with high fore grip, provide superb efficiency for the battle.

During this trip, I used my trusty Sage ONE 4wt switch throughout. This rod never fail to amaze me with its versatility. Paired with Lamson Speedster 3.5 and the Wulff Ambush clear head 350 grain, It handled everything from spunky Spangled Emperor to Giant Trevally with aplomb.

There was a single day that I did switched over to my brand new Sage ONE Switch 6 wt but that rod broke while casting... big disappointment. Paired with 400 grain SA Skagit Extreme, it was performing really well earlier in the day but somehow folded near the butt in the afternoon while casting. Fortunately I could continue fishing with my buddy's Sage ONE Switch 5wt and that is another  jewel of a rod. Paired with Wulff Ambush 400 grain, the setup zips through wind with ease and was a real pleasure to cast.

This year was a great year in Maldives for clocking up mileage for my Sage ONE 4116 and Lamson Speedster 3.5. Lots of good size Trevally were caught this year including a 22 lb GT. The 4wt setup performed flawlessly each time and this gave me great confidence and satisfaction.

I have not given my Lamson Speedster reel much of a review but this reel deserves more than a passing  mention. It is extremely light for a super large arbor reel and balance nicely with the ONE 4wt. The sealed drag is easy to maintain and is consistently smooth with no start-up whatsoever. This year, the Speedster's drag was put to a real test when it was squeezed tight to stop the charge of a 22lb GT. I am  really impressed that it managed to put the brakes on the GT without palming. I am sure the smoothness of the drag also plays a crucial role in preventing the break off of the 16lb leader. Kudos to Lamson!

Note: You can access all my blog post on saltwater spey by clicking on the "Saltwater Spey" link located on the right hand side under Labels.

SAGE ONE 4wt Switch Rod Review

Saltwater Spey casting in Maldives

After some quality time with my new SAGE ONE 4116-4 and fishing with it extensively in my recent saltwater fly fishing trip, I think it is time I write a mini review on this rod. From the onset, I really like how this rod zing out the 350 grain Wulff Ambush line but that did not quite prepare me on how well this mini Spey rod perform in Maldives. For this trip, I matched the rod to a light weight Lamson Speedster reel and a 350 grain Wulff Ambush clear intermediate sink head.

We had 8 solid days of flats fishing in Maldives and I used the SAGE ONE 4 wt everyday except for day 3 when I decided to switched over to my trusty TFO Deer Creek (6wt Switch rod) casting the same 350 grain Ambush on Lamson Speedster. After just a few hours however, I began to feel weighed down and started yearning for the ONE. It also made me wish for a stiffer tip on my Deer Creek after noticing how much better the SAGE ONE 4116 turn over the fly with the final kick of the tip.

Anyhow, I switched back to SAGE ONE the very next day (and thereafter) and was happily feeling light again. Throughout the 8 days, this rod performed flawlessly in all kinds of condition. I know some may consider a 4 wt switch rod  too light for saltwater but in the case of ONE 4116, I think it is a champ for flats fishing.

I met condition where storm wind was so strong that it made it impossible to cast directly upwind but tightening up the loop with ONE 4116 was easy and that made it possible to cast quartering up-wind.

There were also situations where strong cross wind  from right/left shoulder made it impossible to set the anchor for the poke. In such cases, I found the Double Spey to be godsend. Just send the fly down wind, set the anchor upwind, sweep and go.

I casted Charlies, Clousers, crab fly, baitfish pattern throughout the trip and the ONE 4116 handles it all with aplomb. For heavier flies, I just have to remember to bring the anchor further in when doing the Speed Poke. That gave me a deep enough D-Loop / power to lift the heavy fly.

The ONE 4116 is light, fast recovery and yet regressive enough to feel the rod load. When a fish is on, I like how the rod bends well down giving a great feel. In short, the rod not only cast well but it also fish well. Overall, the SAGE ONE 4116-4 Switch is a winner.

Note: You can access all my blog post on saltwater spey by clicking on the "Saltwater Spey" link located on the right hand side under Labels.

Landing Bonefish with Sage ONE 4wt Switch rod

**Jul 2015 update:
Here is a review done by Simon Gawesworth on the Sage ONE 4116 switch rod.
<http://www.speyborn.com/gear-reviews.html>

Spey casting in Saltwater

In a month's time, I will be heading to Maldives again. Maldives has become my annual pilgrimage destination for saltwater fly fishing. Last year I started  using Switch rod / Spey technique exclusively in saltwater with excellent result and this year I plan to do more of the same. Coming with me this year will be my new Sage ONE 4 wt Switch rod. Although a 4 wt may seem a little light for saltwater but the power level of Sage ONE is impressive. After proving itself on big freshwater catfish and carp in Thailand, I have no doubt the Sage ONE 4116 will perform well in Maldives. This rod will be loads of fun on Bonefish.

For those who have interest in venturing into saltwater Spey, here are some advice/guideline:

1. Get yourself a good Switch rod. Any Switch rod that cast well with 350 grain to 400 grain Skagit line is ideal in my opinion. 400 grain will handle the wind much better. Typically a 6wt Switch rod will handle this grain window well.
2. Get yourself a good Skagit line. My preference goes to Wulff Ambush clear intermediate line (350 grain - 400 grain). You can also opt for the floating Ambush line paired with with 15ft clear intermediate versileader/sinktip. A full intermediate Ambush line will however be more versatile in covering various depth.
3. Stripping basket - this is a must for saltwater flats fishing as the waves/rocks/corals will wreak havoc on your fly line. The Orvis stripping basket is a favorite or you can DIY but make sure there are enough cones or "fingers" protruding upwards to prevent tangling.
4. Learn to do the Speed poke. Of all the Spey technique, this is the one I find most effective in handling big heavy Clousers. Dumbell Clousers tend to sink fast and cause "stuck anchor" if not manage properly. The Speed Poke gives little time for the Clouser to sink thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the cast. Speed poke is also a godsend for intermediate sink line for the same reason.

Note: You can access all my blog post on saltwater spey by clicking on the "Saltwater Spey" link located on the right hand side under Labels.

I have recently updated my video to show the Speed Poke in slow motion as I have included in this post.

Saltwater Spey Casting - Maldives

Just got back form my 2012 Maldives fishing trip and am very please with my success in using Spey techniques exclusively in the salt. We were doing wade fishing on the flats and ten continuous days of casting can be murder to arms and shoulders but with my double hander, fatigue was minimal to non existent.

Am I glad I took time brushing up on my cack-hand cast before the trip because I ended up doing lots of it with the wind coming from my right shoulder. This foray into saltwater Spey is truly a great experience I learned a lot from it. I will summarize some important lessons below:

1) Due to possibility of strong wind from either shoulder, it is important to learn how to cast well cack handed (if not left handed).
2) Double Spey proves to be surprisingly effective in the salt especially with strong wind coming off shoulder. This is because the off shoulder wind complements the sweep and really helps energize the D-loop.
3) The "Speed Poke", a faster version of the Perry Poke, is a great way to cast with fast sinking  Clousers. It minimizes the sinking of the heavy fly that would have otherwise caused stuck anchor.
4)  The Wiggle Roll Cast (WRC) proved indispensable in surfacing the intermediate line and heavy fly prior to to the poke.The alternative would be to do roll cast twice but the WRC is more elegant IMHO.
5) For thin water and spooky fish, the WRC works like a champ in delivering the fly 60-70 ft with minimal ripping of water.
6) When casting against wind, placing the anchor further back or even slightly to the rear deepens the D-loop and really tightens up the forward loop for good wind penetration.
7) When the wind is from behind, you really need to access whether it is from behind right or behind left and make the adjustment to cast either cack hand or right hand. Otherwise the line is going to wrap you.
8) Sometimes the wind is so strong from the left or right that it can throws your anchor placement off side by a wide margin. In those cases, I resorted to doing multiple wiggle to get the anchor into position and it works well.

I was using my 6wt TFO Deer Creek Switch predominantly with either the 350grain Wulff Ambush line or the 400grain SA Skagit Extreme Intermediate. My preference goes to the Skagit Extreme Intermediate for better wind penetration. On days that I was using the Ambush line with 15ft clear sink tip, I did not notice any drop in catch rate so either line work well in the flats.

I did get a chance to fish one day with the TFO TiCR-X 5wt fitted with the double hand kit. While it cast the 350 grain like a champ, I felt the top section was a bit too soft compared to the butt and did not quite enjoy fighting fish on it. The rod fared better when fitted with the TiCr-X 6wt but it needed the 400grain line to load well. Overall, my preference still goes to the TFO Deer Creek Switch rod for its action and forgiving grain window.

After this experience, I would have no reservation doing salt Spey all over again with a Switch rod. Never once did I feel the need to resort to overhead casting. Distance was easily achieved regardless of back room or cross wind. The only draw back is in thin water when you have to be more selective and sight cast to target instead of blind bombing the water with the thick spey line.

Note: You can access all my blog post on saltwater spey by clicking on the "Saltwater Spey" link located on the right hand side under Labels.

Double Hander in the Salt

Here are some good videos I found on casting double hand in the salt. Double hand rods are especially suited for blind casting as it greatly reduces fatigue when you have to fire off cast after cast whole day long. Double hander can also handle wind and distance better. With the advance of Switch rods and modern Spey shooting heads, we no longer have to contend with heavy 15 foot rods that used to dominate the double hand scene not so long ago. 

Switches in the 10' - 11' range is especially suited for light saltwater estuary work whereas those handling big surf may opt for rods in the 12' - 13' range. Advancement in graphite rod making technology has also made double hander a lot lighter than it used to.

In this first video, the caster is using a T&T 10 footer 6wt employing snap-C, snake roll and switch cast with good effect.

In this 2nd video, Andrew Moy demonstrate the technique of double hand overhead casting in the salt. 

Here is another good video on using Switch rod in the shorline surf and estuary by Jeff Putnam with useful tips on how to time your cast in the surf. For some reason I am not able to embed the video here but you can follow this link to youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAamuCaUZOQ&list=UUZISfHZinEMnFPHYMdPMQog&index=9&feature=plcp

Note: You can access all my blog post on saltwater spey by clicking on the "Saltwater Spey" link located on the right hand side under Labels.