Can anyone recommend a good value double handed shooting head/skagit rod around 12 foot and 8 to 9 weight?

You should get about a hundred different answers to this one!
Check out this one best skagit rod? - Spey Pages
All the best.
Mike

Yup. I meant to say Switch rod

I have a Sage Z-Axis 11ft #7 that I use with a Rio 420g Skagit short line. It will easily turn over 14 feet of T11 or T14 and a fairly big cone head Rabbit and is a pleasure to cast all day, no problems. I have also used it with a forty plus line and a 15 feet poly leader and it will cast this set up a country mile.
Most Switch rods are less than 12 feet long, more like 10'6'' to 11'6'' but I am sure there must be a few out there longer than this.
I have also used an Airflo switch 11ft #8 and while it was not as good as the sage it was perfectly O.K. and about half the price!
Brands I have not used but have heard good things about include St Croix, Echo, Beaula and Loop. Whatever rod you end up with make sure the Skagit head is the right one, Rio has a line chart on there web site that is spot on.
Hope this helps.
All the best.
Mike

I use ECHO switch rods, combined with AirFlo Scandi Compacts, AirFlo Skagit Switch Heads or the new AirFlo Rage heads.

John - please beware some Switch Rods are rated in accordance with the 1hand spec and some according to the 2hand.

What target fish are you after and what size streams do you intend to fish?

To give you a rough idea - I use #4 & #5 weight ECHO's to target trout. (NB ECHOS are categorised in accordance with the 2hand standard). At a push the #5 will also be ok for sea-trout. The #6 is my "go to" sea trout rod, both for rivers and on the coast, whereas the #7 and #8 slot in nicely for salmon (the #7 is a good Pike rod!).

The #5 is perhaps a tad underpowered for "real skagit" but nevertheless fit it with a 360grain Skagit Switch and you can easily pull out 10' of T7 and/or T10.

I fit a 390grain skagit switch to the #6, a 450gr to the #7 and a 510gr to the #8. The #8 is an awesome weapon, load it with a 450grain Rage and it cast's like

If you want more info on the ECHO switch rods then please visit our web-site or alternatively drop me a mail or PM.
Stuart

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