Spey/Switch from a yak?

[redsoxnrock]

Has anyone tried this? I feel like the extra length/height of the rod might help out a lot whether you're on the salt or a lake.
Just my curiosity kicking in...

[Jon]

Haven't tried it. I'm still playing around with different rods from my kayak.

My guess would be that it would be quite difficult. Assuming you're going to be overhead and not speycasting from your yak, I would try a regular fly rod in a longer length - maybe 10 or 10.5'. Rods of this length are great at turning over a roll cast and getting the line up and moving. The longer handle on a spey or switch might be a large PITA and serve no real value.

But I'm guessing.

[Todd K]

As Jon said you would be better off with a 10 ft single hand rod. You can not do much of any kind of spey cast from a sitting position. If you've tried casting a spey rod when standing up to your chest in water you will quickly learn how difficult it can be. Most cast require you to come across your body which would drag across the nose of your yak.

There is a discussion going in the spey forum about fishing still to sluggish water. Moving water is a big plus for loading your spey rod. Check it out.

[redsoxnrock]

I've never casted a spey rod but I've been wanting to try. The logic make sense though. I might pick up a longer rod for bass and pike from the yak.

Thanks!

[Jon]

The logic to me is this: Spey rods are longer rods that are needed to fish big rivers that contain larger fish. Spey casts were invented when no back cast can be made. If you are fishing big water for big fish with no back cast, they're excellent.

Spey casts can be made on any rod.

Otherwise, cigars and fine malt whisky are probably better.

[redsoxnrock]

I can definitely see now how a spey rod in a kayak might make life a lot more difficult...

[flyrodder]

I would also imagine that trying to land a fish with that bigger rod would be cumbersome.