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On the fly: 2-handed rod works

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| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 10:08 AM CDT | () comments

The Associated Press

Tired of traditional one-handed fly-fishing — in itself a difficult, delicate art — some anglers in the Northwest are turning to Spey rods, rods so long they require two hands to cast. Others are trying the “switch rod,” a cross between a two-handed and single-handed rod.

“It’s just gone bonkers,” said John Smeraglio of the Deschutes Canyon Fly Shop in Maupin, Ore.

Typical fly rods are 7 to 9 feet long and require one hand to cast, using the weight of the line to propel a near weightless fly to a desired spot. The much longer two-handed rods, 13 to 15 feet, require two hands to cast. If used properly, an exquisite ballet of timing and movement will load and unload the extra-long rods to send a fly 100 feet or more across a river, far past what most anglers are capable of casting with a one-handed rod.

Two-handed rods are intended for big rivers and big fish. The extra length of the rods lets anglers “mend” the fly line once it’s in the water to make the fly work properly across the river, and the long casts allow anglers to cover more territory, therefore increasing the chances of turning a day of fishing into a day of catching.

The two-handed rod also allows anglers to keep the line in front of them during the cast, avoiding snagging trees and brush on the bank.

The two-handed rods, including reel and line, can range from $300 to $1,500, depending on your budget. Rod, reel and line must all be matched to the same “weight” to work properly.