Single-handed & Switch rods for Summer Salmon: It’s the time of the year! Drought and heatwaves have conspired against fish and anglers across continental Europe and the Nordics. A lot of trout streams are virtually unfishable during the month of August. They are simply too hot. If you happen to live in an area where the temperatures exceed a fishable level that will allow fish to recover, please be reasonable and pick some other targets. Barbel, carp and chub are hearty and cope with the heat much better than Trout and Salmon.

Salmon anglers in the nordics might not suffer so much from unbearable temperatures but certainly a lack of water. When magnificent salmon rivers shrink down to the size of a trout stream or simple require a more gentle approach. That is, if the water temperature is cool enough to fish. When this is the case, it’s time to pick up your single-handed and switch rods.
Switch Rods
While the concept of a switch rod is nothing new, I have to say that no other rod category has experienced more miss-matched lines in fishing lodges than these. Why? Because their line classification is not so straightforward and it can be quite confusing. Also, you hardly ever see switch rods used as both, a single-handed rod and a double-handed rod (that’s what they were originally designed for). Most Switch rods are used like spey rods these days.

My Kit
My low-water salmon and sea trout kit consists of a variety of rods. This includes a 9,6ft/10ft 6weight rod for hitching in small waters. It also includes 7weight in 9,6ft for nearly every single-handed salmon situation. This is also my to-go rod in Argentina. Lastly, I have as well as a 5weight in 11,6ft switch rod and my standard 7weight in 12,2ft Spey rod. I will get into the grits and gears of the other kit later, but now I want to focus on the 5weight 11,6ft switch. One piece of equipment that has had a significant impact on my catch-rates over the last two years. Why? Because it has served a specialised purpose better than the other setup.

How I Rig It
I have rigged my switch rod up with a Rio InTouch Trout Spey, an integrated 7meter shooting head and 10-12ft tips. I have no intentions to suffer through heavy flies and light rods, I would much rather pick up a proper rod if the situation calls for it. A switch rod is a rod that I pick up when I have to fish skinny swing water with a lot of structure. The integrated head will allow me to fish the line all the way into the leader if I have to. I do not have to deal with a connection that rips through the guides. Plus, I need to be able to Switch-, Underhand- and Speycast this rig like a single and double-handed rod (something that is infinitely more pleasant with a full line).
I have matched my 5weight rod with a 4weight line (305 grain) and I match the line with poly tips to bring it up to the 5weight rod match. For a straight dry line fishing, I just add a 12-14ft mono leader to it and I get to enjoy a slightly lighter line that I can accelerate a bit more precisely with my line hand.
As you can see, the 305grain 4weight line match of a switch rod, is much closer to a standardized 10- 11weight single-handed rod according to AFTMA, where a 4weight is defined as 114-126 grains – an average of 120grains. AFTMA classifications are a can of worms I don’t want to open here, but the line casts comfortably on a 7-8 weight single handed rod. I am definitely not a fan of 2weight-monster-fish hero-stories – that’s why I need to point out that a 5weight switch is the longer version of your classic 7/8weight single-handed rods in terms of casting weight.

A Delicate Tool
This rig has seen several countries, a lot of guiding guests as well as fish of various dimensions. Of course, it’s not an early season monster salmon setup. Instead, it’s a delicate tool to manoeuvre and swing hitches and smaller flies across challenging water. In extra tight situations, I use my line hand to support my presentation. In open water, I can use it like a spey rod. Rigged with poly tips, I will get a delicate presentation out of it. And, the soft and longer action will allow me to keep the small summer salmon flies on fairly light leaders in the fish till it’s in the net.
To read more from Stephan, check out his other articles.