thanks Ben,
I might take you up on that offer of a wee play.
the switch rod idea was sparked by an old feature (by Ben D) in Fly Fishing & Fly Tying that I re-read - but thinking about it, what I think i'm looking for is a shorter, lighter-rated but double-handed rod for casting/control/reach - hadn't really planned on using it for overhead casting, which i guess is the way the switch rods are marketed. hmmmm. good. re think time
I do view mine as short double / mini double handers and do not think of them at all for single handed use but many do
My thoughts on the "switch" concept are as follows....
The whole thing came from the states, they fish for different fish (in some cases) and they certainly fish different methods, long drifts with nymphs & indicators, dead drift dries for salmon at quite some range or dead drifting / rolling stuff along the bottom for pacific salmon. When there are no steelhead about you can switch to swinging streamers for trout on the same set up. You can supposedly fish them single or double handed either overhead or with Speys but, IMHO, the lines that make them work well two handed are far too heavy to cast single handed on an 11' rod for anything other than a short time. There is simply too much leverage on the arm / wrist to be comfortable once you hit 7wt and above
My experience is mainly with the Orvis range and more recently MacKenzie protos for 2012. These both have the upper grip contoured to be held in different positions, near the reel for single handed use and near the top for DH use. If for some reason I want to use them single handed I will line them as a single hander with a line about half to one size heavier (using the standard AFTMA scale for single handed rods), that way they work fine as long single handers and would be fine, if a little brutal for loch style boat fishing if required. For two handed use on the river I line them with a suitable line in salmon weights so a #7 rod would be used with a head between 25 & 30 grams.
The switch concept does work due to the build & fittings of the rods but the switch thing, to me, means i can do more or less anything with the rod
but i I have to switch lines. It has little if anything to do with switching between species although I have thought about a light switch for trout streamer fishing. I simply do not buy the one line for one and two hand casting concept on any rod.
Some guys are using them to good effect in the salt with lines such as the 40+, going one to two sizes up from the rating of the rod and two hand overhead casting. Most non casting geeks or non haulers will manage to lob something like that further than they will be able to throw a single hander, also helps with keeping backcast above surf when wade fishing.
There are time I would not want to be without a switch rod, places where a 12 or 13' DH rod is too cumbersome but where I cannot cast the gear I need on a single hander.
Cheers
Ben