Switch rods range from 10′ 6″ to 12′ 6″, with an 11′ model being ideal. They can cast Skagit-style lines up to 275 grains. The development of front-loaded Skagit lines was crucial for the creation of switch rods, as they wouldn’t have been possible with longer-belly Scandi lines.

Spey rods range from 12’6″ to over 14’ in length, allowing for easy casting of 350-grain floating lines up to 70 feet. For comparison, a WF7F line on a single-hand rod weighs about 185 grains. The added length also helps keep the hook away from your head.