Switch rods seem to be topical at the moment so let me ask my question. I have been collecting the bits and pieces to build a switch rod but as yet that's all they are ( a collection of parts). Has anybody got any comments or advice about the following setup.
Dan Craft 10ft 4piece 5wt
Struble U24
Hardened single foot guides (currently thinking 11 plus tiptop plus a tamer)
10" full wells foregrip
4" custom shaped reargrip
Mastery XXD line (the other candidates were the Airflo 40+ and the Loop OptiStillwater)
I'm still working through some other issues (e.g. spine orientation, proper methods for reel seat mounting, and durability of different materials for the butt cap) which might or might not appear as my next question. At the moment, my biggest concern is the choice of blank. The rod will probably be mostly fished single handed but the tip action of the FT seems like it might not be the best choice as a two hander (it appears that most builders seem to want moderate to moderate fast blanks). The other question mark is the line choice. Is the longer bellied XXD a better choice than the more "shooting headlike" configuration of the other two?
Thoughts anyone?
Steve

Steven,
Look down the page about half way to the other switch rod post. Bob Meiser in the last post there passes out some good info, and is an excellent source to ensure you get in the ballpark. He's used the Dan Craft blanks for switch rods.

Steve,
I've build the FT1005-4 as a switch rod last year. Fantastic rod for streamer fishing ... unfortunately only fished/casted it for an our or two before I sold it.
I didn't feel it to be an extreme tip action rod, not as fast as the 9' FT's. It's perfect for double handed underhand casts.
Mine I've build with a fore grip slightly more than 10'' and a reargrip of 3.75''. On the 5wt I've made the grip as a long full wells but wouldn't do that again. I'm just finishing a 7wt FT switch rod and have made the fore grip more like a 10' cigar with a diameter little less than 1''. For double handed fishing the full wells style grip was o.k. but the cigar style grip is also fine for double handed casting and feels much better when casting the rod single handed.
The U-24 is a smaller seat and I'm not sure if the bore is big enough for the blank!? Mine had a U-8 and my Loop Traditionals fits perfect to the seat. With later rods I used a Forecast seat with carbon spacer RA7L2-GRWG-SG. It looks nice with the dark green spacer and I can use the rod for light saltwater fishing as well.
I make my rear grips from cork with a butt cap of rubberized cork and sand it into shape.
I'm a shooting head fan. I tried the 5wt switch rod with an older 32' 8wt Loop LCE and it works good but maybe could have been little heavier for underhand casting. Although I haven't tried it on the 5 wt I feel the Vision ACE shooting heads as the very best for river fishing underhand casting. For overhead casting into the wind on the coast I think a shooting head with a more parallel body like the old Loop heads is better as it has more mass in the front section with more wind resistance.
I was in contact with Bob Meiser for my switch rods a few times. He recommends the Airflo Delta (for single handed rods) for the switchers.
I believe the XXD as a perfect line for long overhead casts but not that good for spey/underhand casting as it has much mass in the front and less mass in the rear part of the body.
I can make some pictures from my grip system and send it to you this weekend.
Hope it helps.
Stefan

Steven,

I would contact Dan and find out what his recommended grain window is for his 5 wt FT and match the line accordingly.

If you are going to use the rod primarily for single hand double haul, or single hand spey deliveries <> Then I suggest any advanced grain weight forward tapered line, and for this the XXDs will be ideal....Grain it correctly to match the rod.

If you are going to use the rod for not only single hand deliveries, but two handed overhead and change-of-direction anchor point deliveries (spey) as well, then you will need a "pusher" tapered shooting head , or short belly spey taper as Stephan Scherf recommends.

We do now have our own short belly spey tapered floating lines available for our switch rods: The "River Extras" .

These work very well as full floaters, or with interchangeable poly tips of various sink rates.

We have designed these lines specifically for ALL switch rod deliveries, and cold water applications.

They are available from 150 to 580 grains.....On our grain windowed switch rods: Suitable for 3/4 wt to 9/10 wt.

We do also have interchanglable tip shooting heads designed specifically for these rods <> These are Skagit family shooting head tapers....On our grain windowed switch rods: Suitable for 5/6 wt to 10/11 wt.

The most important thing to do will be to determine the grain carrying capability of Dan's rod, then match the line grain, and correct grain distribution within the line's taper correctly.

...Again Dan should have this information for you if his blank is to be built as a single/two handed rod.

Spencer,

I do recommend Dan Craft 10' FT blanks for switch rod application, because I have found that they are among the few "single handed " blanks that have the inherent correct tapers, speed of recovery, and durability to meet both single and two handed applications, and I have reviewed them accordingly.

They are wonderful blanks for this application....

...But I do use all of my own proprietary blanks on RB Meiser Rods.