The Gear You Need to Swing
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The Gear You Need to Swing Choosing Equipment for Fishing on Great Lakes Tributaries By Jason Swingen f you do a search for the perfect swinging rod or swinging gear Iyou’ll most likely find a bunch of information about fishing big West Coast rivers. A rod that works out there can work in the Great Lakes area, but it may not be the best solution. Rivers in the Midwest, like the Bois Brule in northern Wisconsin and tributaries on the North Shore of Lake Superior are not as big, don’t have as high of flows, and the fish generally aren’t as large as on the West Coast. This means that you will be able to use shorter two-handed rods and lighter lines to swing. Instead of going over every option of rod, reel, and shooting head setup, I will cover the most common setups used in the Great Lakes tributaries and let you cus- tom fit your combo for how you like to fish. Make sure you have the rest of the essential fly fishing gear for Great Lakes steelhead before we cover the gear you will need to dive into the swinging game. The flies, rod, reel and line components that are at the heart of an effective setup for swinging on Great Lakes tributaries. It can be extremely confusing trying Lakes tributaries: an 11-foot 7wt. enclosed spool for not much more than line that you hold onto. The skinnier to rig up a swinging rod. The length, a standard reel. Each of the following running line is what allows the shoot- power, and extra handle of two-handed Here are a couple of great switch rod op- reels are fully enclosed except for the ing head to, well… shoot out of the fly rods complicate the proprietary weight tions: budget options. Enclosed reels are not rod and across the river. system, so you can no longer simply a deal-breaker, but will give you a little pair an 8wt line to an 8wt rod. Instead, Budget Options (under $300): Reding- extra peace-of-mind. There is some give and take when it weight shooting head systems are mea- ton Dually, Echo Swing comes to running line. The skinnier sured in grains. So we are no longer Midrange Options ($300-$550): Reding- Click and Pawl Reels the line the further you can cast, but it talking about an imaginary weight, but ton Chromer, Echo Compact Spey, Loop Many spey reels are built with a click and also makes it difficult to hold onto in instead talking about an actual grain Evotec, TFO Axiom 2 Switch pawl and do not have a drag system (like the cold months when you will be using weight of a shooting head and sink-tip. High-End Option ($550 and over): Sage the Orvis Battenkill). There is no partic- it. Alternately, a thicker line is easier If that isn’t confusing enough, you also X Switch ular advantage to these reels except that to handle, but will not allow for cast- need to decide what strength running they are louder, “objectively cooler,” and ing quite as far. You don’t want to go line to use, what types of sink-tips you Reel more exciting when you catch a fish and too light, however, because you do not should have, as well as a vast assort- The most important factors when pick- have to worry about palming the reel to want to break your running line (espe- ment of flies to use. ing out a reel are weight, line capacity, create drag. They are great options, but cially if there is a fish on the other end). and a fully enclosed spool. if you are new to swinging it is better to Having thicker line also causes drag on Don’t worry though, I’m here to try stick with a reel with an actual working your guides as you cast and will help to and sort through all the new jargon, ex- Weight drag system. straighten out your shooting head at the plain how to build your perfect swing- You don’t need to skimp on weight, and end of your cast. Having running line ing setup, and get you out on the water I don’t necessarily mean weight as in the Budget Options (under $150): Reding- that is too light will allow you to cast and hooked up to a giant steelhead! I size of reel (7-9wt), but in how much the ton Behemoth, Echo Bravo further, but your shooting head will have a couple examples below with a reel weighs. Often a reel on the heavier Midrange Options ($150-$250): Loop land in a clump. Generally, 30 to 50-lb complete list of my current setup, and side will balance out your 11-foot rod Q, Lamson Liquid HD, Orvis Battenkill running line is used for the majority of my recommendation for the perfect better than a lighter one. It can be tiring High-End Option ($250 and over): Sage setups in the Great Lakes. budget setup. and out-right frustrating to hold the end Spey of your rod tip up all day long. Each rod OPST’s Lazer line is more expensive The Eight Pieces of Gear You Will balances differently though, and a rod Backing than regular mono (which you can use), Need to Swing with a down-locking reel seat will often Your standard 20- or 30-lb backing will but it will last for years, shoots well, Other than the basic steelhead gear balance better with a lighter reel than work just fine. Just make sure you use and doesn’t tangle. you should have, this is everything you one with an up-locking reel seat and backing that is heavier than the heavi- need to get started swinging flies for longer bottom handle. If you have a 7wt est leader you think you’ll ever use. If You should spool up at least 30 to 40 steelhead. switch rod get at least a 7wt reel, pos- you are going to fish for king salmon yards of shooting line on your reel. sibly going up to 9 or 10wt reel will help and may tie on a 20-lb leader, you should Rod balance your rod. have backing that is at least 20 lbs. Fill Budget Option: Berkley Big Game You can use nearly any type of fly your reel up with at least 100 yards of Midrange Option: OPST Lazer Line rod to swing. Single-handed or two- Arbor Size backing, then add more to make sure handed, 9-foot or 13-foot. They will Mid-arbor reels are ideal for shooting your spool is full when the rest of your Shooting Head all work, but if you are going to pri- head-style line setups. They allow you to shooting head system is tied on. If a fish There are two general categories of marily swing for Great Lakes migra- add a decent amount of backing behind takes you over 100 yards into your back- shooting heads: Scandi and Skagit. As tory fish, you will want an 11-foot 7wt your running line, shooting head, sink- ing, you have more problems than sim- Great Lakes steelheaders, we are more two-handed switch rod (a two-handed tips, and leader, while still allowing for ply running out of backing. interested in the latter. Although some- rod that allows for spey casting as well somewhat quick line retrieval. what similar in idea, Scandi and Skagit as overhand casting). A 7wt will allow Budget Option: Magreel Backing vary greatly in use, techniques, and you to throw nearly any size streamer Enclosed Spool Midrange Option: RIO Backing applications. Since Skagit is the more and should handle any anadromous fish Running line is much smaller in diam- popular version, the rest of my gear in the Midwest (except for maybe a eter than your typical fly line. Having Running Line recommendations will be based on a king salmon). Eleven feet is the sweet an enclosed spool will keep your run- Instead of a weight-forward fly line that Skagit style head. spot for rod length. The longer your ning line from passing in between your has a skinnier back end to allow the line rod, the less effort you will need to put reel and spool which can cause your it to shoot out of your rod, a shooting head Scandi into your casts, but going too long can to kink and weaken or, even worse, get system is broken into separate parts: The Scandi heads work well for the tributar- hinder fishing in tighter quarters. So if stuck while you are fighting a fish. Spey shooting head is the weight-forward part ies in Scandinavia where there are few- you are just getting started, get what reels are always built this way, but you of your line and the running line takes er trees, the water is much wider, shal- is proven to work in 95% of the Great can pick up a standard fly reel with an the place of the skinnier section of fly lower, and often clearer. Scandi heads are much longer (30-40ft) and are typi- You can buy a larger section of T8, T11, cally used with long 13- to 15-foot (or or T14 sinking line and build your own longer) spey rods. A cast known as a sink-tips by cutting down to length. This “touch and go” cast allows for extreme is the cheapest option, but you will need distances, but the long, skinnier head to be able to tie your own loops at the doesn’t allow for the sink-tips or large end of each tip.