Help me pick a rod for SRC and Steelhead

[Chinookie]

Im only one season deep into fly fishing. I’m fishing primarily in-land on the North Oregon Coast for SRC. The season ends soon and I only have a 5wt rod. I’d like to get into steelheading. Spey looks like a lot of fun but feel like it might be overkill for where I’m wading.

Should I be looking at a 7 or an 8? It seems people swing smaller wet flies and streamers for SRC. Itd be nice to have a rod to handle that and a steelhead if needed.

 

[Rob Allen]

Sorry but a good rod for cutthroat will be a bad steelhead rod and vice versa. Continue to use your 5wt for cutthroat for now but buy a steelhead rod 12-14 feet depending on where you fish for a 7 or 8 weight.
Then maybe down the road get an 11 ft 4-6 wt for two handed cutty swinging..

 

[Matt B]

Im only one season deep into fly fishing. I’m fishing primarily in-land on the North Oregon Coast for SRC. The season ends soon and I only have a 5wt rod. I’d like to get into steelheading. Spey looks like a lot of fun but feel like it might be overkill for where I’m wading.

Should I be looking at a 7 or an 8? It seems people swing smaller wet flies and streamers for SRC. Itd be nice to have a rod to handle that and a steelhead if needed.

Echo OHS 6 weight. Maybe the 7.

 

[Chinookie]

Echo OHS 6 weight. Maybe the 7.

Is that considered a Switch? It’s a little out of my budget right now.

 

[Divad]

Do you want to swing up steelhead or nymph them? Personally I would go with a single hand 7wt so you can nymph and single hand spey. I do love two hand swinging but you’d have to have water conducive to the two hander and accept the inability to nymph on it.

Around my local water I can find a lot more single hand spots than two hand, while replacing a spool/reel yields me a nymph rod too.

 

[Chinookie]

Do you want to swing up steelhead or nymph them? Personally I would go with a single hand 7wt so you can nymph and single hand spey. I do love two hand swinging but you’d have to have water conducive to the two hander and accept the inability to nymph on it.

Around my local water I can find a lot more single hand spots than two hand, while replacing a spool/reel yields me a nymph rod too.

Swinging is more appealing to me but I’d nymph as well. Single hand 7wt could do both? How is casting nymphs on a 7?

 

[Matt B]

Is that considered a Switch? It’s a little out of my budget right now.

It consider it a true switch rod, not a small Spey rod. Yeah they don’t just give them away and I am not sure if I’ve seen one pop up used. You are still sorta figuring things out and the OHS is a sorta specialized deal. A 9-10 foot 7 or 8 weight would probably serve you well and be good for learning and figuring things out on. They nymph just fine, with the right line and leader setup.

 

[Shad]

Obviously, you need one of every tool mentioned so far (LOL), but:

If you just want to buy one, moderately-priced rod, a single-hand 6-wt. Will handle cutts and steelhead in smaller water. It's less power than is ideal for fighting most steelhead, but if you have a fairly stout 6, you can put the wood to 'em and get it done. I'd err on the side of lighter for small water. You're gonna catch a lot more cutts than steelhead (let's face it), so gear up for them and have a great time getting your butt kicked just a little when you hook a steelhead.

 

[Chinookie]

It consider it a true switch rod, not a small Spey rod. Yeah they don’t just give them away and I am not sure if I’ve seen one pop up used. You are still sorta figuring things out and the OHS is a sorta specialized deal. A 9-10 foot 7 or 8 weight would probably serve you well and be good for learning and figuring things out on. They nymph just fine, with the right line and leader setup.

Yeah I was considering something in the price range of a Echo Lift and a Lamson Liquid. I've got too many other hobbies I spend money on to justify a really expensive setup right now. Is a sinking tip line something I should be considering?

 

[Buzzy]

I agree with @Rob Allen and @Shad. My opinion: you don't want a 7 weight for SRC.

 

[Matt B]

Yeah I was considering something in the price range of an Echo Lift and a Lamson Liquid. I've got too many other hobbies I spend money on to justify a really expensive setup right now. Is a sinking tip line something I should be considering?

If you wanna swing, yes, get a sink tip.

 

[Chinookie]

I agree with @Rob Allen and @Shad. My opinion: you don't want a 7 weight for SRC.

Since I can't target SRC after the 31st, I guess I don't need the rod to do both. I'll still have my 5wt for them when I can.

 

[Chinookie]

If you wanna swing, yes, get a sink tip.

Forgive my ignorance. Is it appropriate to swing nymphs on a sinking tip? Or am I better off with a floating line for nymphing?

 

[Buzzy]

Since I can't target SRC after the 31st,

I guess you're talking about river fishing - the salt is open beyond Halloween Several years ago I was looking for a new rod for SRC - chasing them in the salt. I had it in my mind a 7 weight would work. I phoned the shop in Gig Harbor and they suggested a 7 weight was too much rod, I stopped by and bought an Echo Ion XL 690 and @Stonedfish's absolutely very favorite line: Rio's CoastalQuickshooter. I think it's a great beach rod and it works well for me dredging the depths of lakes. Good luck.

You may notice opinions vary widely. Your own experiences take time (and a collection of gear). /Pat

 

[Rob Allen]

Forgive my ignorance. Is it appropriate to swing nymphs on a sinking tip? Or am I better off with a floating line for nymphing?

You can do both. Cutthroat are usually aggressive enough for a floating line but nothing wrong with sink tips if you need to.
I have caught quite a few on the North Umpqua while swinging sink tips for winter steelhead, usually on very large flies.

 

[DerekWhipple]

I guess you're talking about river fishing - the salt is open beyond Halloween Several years ago I was looking for a new rod for SRC - chasing them in the salt. I had it in my mind a 7 weight would work. I phoned the shop in Gig Harbor and they suggested a 7 weight was too much rod, I stopped by and bought an Echo Ion XL 690 and @Stonedfish's absolutely very favorite line: Rio's CoastalQuickshooter. I think it's a great beach rod and it works well for me dredging the depths of lakes. Good luck.

You may notice opinions vary widely. Your own experiences take time (and a collection of gear). /Pat

Maybe I'm misinterpreting the OR regs, but I believe you can't target trout in salt or fresh after October 31st. OP is from Oregon.

My vote is get a separate steelhead stick.

 

[DimeBrite]

I used to just use a single hand 6 weight on streams and smaller rivers for cutts, steelhead and pinks/coho. Worked great unless I was going for big water winter steelhead.

 

[Buzzy]

Maybe I'm misinterpreting the OR regs, but I believe you can't target trout in salt or fresh after October 31st. OP is from Oregon.

My vote is get a separate steelhead stick.

Ah, Oregon regs, my bad for miscommunicating as I was referring to Washington regs. And maybe I don't know any better.

 

[Chinookie]

Maybe I'm misinterpreting the OR regs, but I believe you can't target trout in salt or fresh after October 31st. OP is from Oregon.

My vote is get a separate steelhead stick.

Any thoughts on what wt I should be looking at?

 

[Chinookie]

I used to just use a single hand 6 weight on streams and smaller rivers for cutts, steelhead and pinks/coho. Worked great unless I was going for big water winter steelhead.

What weight do you think I need for winter steelhead? I’ll mostly be in the smaller sections of rivers/streams. I don’t have a boat and bank access is hard/private on the bigger/open sections.