Building this rainshadow for my son , He lives in Oregon. He likes the switch rod because versality. Fishes all styles of line the Skagit, Scandi and conventional types. I want to keep the rod as light as possible but am concerned about the line hanging up using 6 ring guides as running guides. I know that he uses a loop to loop system. Will 6's do it or should I go to 7's ?

I'd go up a size, just to be safe. The weight difference will be so slight as not to really be of any practical importance.

...................

Generally speaking, the loops are outside the rod when casting with a Switch Rod, however if you really mean a ring guide and not a wire single foot, the #6 is ring is probably too small. A #6 wire would not be a problem.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2014 06:47PM by Phil Erickson.

I I love single foot guides on single hand rods but for switches and Spey I use snakes ( snake brand) because the do pass the bigger loops in those type of lines much easier.

I acutally fish with the same rod and I would say #6's will do just fine. A switch rod is just that. I wouldn't recommend fishing a Skagit or Scandi line on this rod and would go with a switch rod line. The swtich line isn't going to have all these loop to loop connections. The reason for this is it takes more weight to load a spey cast then it does an overhead cast. A Skagit/Scandi line is usually going to be 75-100 grains heavier then what the rated line of an overhead line is going to be. A switch line usually splits this difference and makes that rod handle both types of casting. I guess my point to all this is. If you want to do spey casting buy a spey rod, if you want to overhead cast buy a regular rod. If you want to to both buy a switch line to go along with the switch rod and a switch line isn't going to have all the loop to loop connections. I am currently using Rio's 4/5wt switch line on mine and it handles both overhead and spey type casting very well, but if I want to start playing with sinking depths while spey casting I just reach for a spey rod instead. As a side note consider making the rear grip removable like I did on mine. Loaded with a Rio Gold line it makes for a very nice float tube rod to get your line higher off the water for some longer casts.

I fish the same rod as well. There are short belly heads and shooting heads that can be used with this rod, so just to be safe a #7 running guide would handle any of the lines discussed. I just use DF snakes and a #3 in this style handles all the different lines.

However, I heartily agree that if you are intending to use skagit heads and sink tips, move up to a longer spey rod. You'll be much happier with the result.

Terry

My first question would be what is he fishing for? Trout or Steelhead? I line in the PNW and fish for both. Rainshadow line weight is different than almost all other mfg., they are in single hand weights. I built a 5wt and did not realize the size difference and it is a true 5wt single hand rod. If I would have cast them I would have built a 6wt and my intended purpose is for trout (the 5wt is lite for bigger streamers). If he is fishing for steelhead I would recommend at least the 7wt and probably the 8wt. They are nice rods. Gary Anderson help design the switch/spey rods for Batson. Steve Godshall designed the lines that they market for the switch rods and they are nice. I cast a Snowbee switch line on mine and it was a really nice line. A lot of folks use Wulff Ambush and like them as well. The switch handles they make for them are nice but I hate that bump in the middle for single hand casting.

I built this rod some years ago when they first came out. Almost went too small on the guide sizes but it worked out. Make sure your
guides will allow loop connections to pass especially under load. Short scandi/skagit heads are pretty darn fat so even factory loops
attached to running line are a bit bulky. The IF1085 tops out at 280 grains so it's more like other manufacturers 4 wt. switchers. But it's a great little
trout/smallie stick that underhand & even overhead casts very nice. I lined mine with a 7 wt. Ambush (265 grain integrated line w/short 20 ft. head) and a 275 grain Elixir scandi switch head both with 10 ft. poly leaders on the front.