SPEY RODS

Spey and Switch rods are also called "two-handed" rods and overlap with another name called "switch rods" as well. They are all essentially the same creature just living by various names. They are designed to be cast with two hands and offer the angler an easy and graceful way to make long casts gracefully with little effort. Spey style casting also allows the caster to make these casts with little to no backcast room behind them.

Longer rods are typically easier to learn on and cause less fatigue to the caster. More advanced casters often prefer shorter rods in the 11' - 12'6" range.  Anglers fishing for summer steelhead up to 12 pounds or so will often use 5-7 weight rods, while anglers targeting larger steelhead and salmon most often prefer 7-8 weights.  If you are fishing for Chinook, consider a 9-10 weight.