Don't discount the single hander!
Over the past few years’ tackle manufacturers have come up with the latest “must have” rod for salmon fishing, the Switch rod. This, of course, is not a new concept as tackle companies would have you believe. There have always been longer trout rods available on the market. I remember that one of my first ever trout fly rods was around eleven feet in length and had a removable extension handle. This handle allowed you to use the rod as both a single or double hander. It was known as a fighting butt and was not very big but on some occasions, it served a purpose.
Single handed rods can be excellent for subtle presentation
One of the reasons why tackle manufacturers designed the switch style rod, which is very similar to a longer trout rod with an extension handle, is because they are aware that a shorter rod coupled with a lighter line can present the fly in a much neater and delicate way. This can be so important, especially if the water is low and clear and you are fishing on a small highland river. In these conditions, a subtle presentation coupled with a stealthy approach can be the difference between success and failure.
Having done most of my salmon fishing as a youngster on the smaller highland rivers, I often only used a trout rod. Indeed, I caught my first ever salmon on a trout rod. Having used the trout rod regularly, I was very quickly able to see at first hand the benefits the single-handed rod had, over longer rods in certain conditions. The main benefit being, how the fly could be presented so delicately.
Single handed rods are regularly used on smaller Highland rivers
In the spring and autumn, when the water is high and cold, subtle presentation and stealth are not as important, especially if you are fishing on one of the larger rivers like the Tay or Tweed. However, as the season progresses and the water drops this can become key. It is then time to put away the fifteen-foot fly rods and heavy lines and replace them with much more delicate tackle. This is especially the case if you are fishing in the highlands. In the highlands when the water is low, having a stealthy approach can be key. Using a single-handed rod allows you to do this with ease. There are many advantages of using a trout rod and these include not casting a big shadow (produced by the rod) in low, clear water conditions. Also, being able to use a much lighter fly line will result in not only causing less disturbance when the fly line lands on the water but also giving the fly more mobility. This in turn makes the fly more life like. On the surface of it, these seem like small things but getting them right can make all the difference.
A tiny microtube, perfect when used with a single hander
This was illustrated to me when I was chatting to one of my good friends who is a ghillie on a famous highland river a few years back. I asked him how the fishing had been that week. He said that the week was poor for his guests, but good for many of the other anglers that were fishing. When I enquired why, he blurted two words at me with great frustration, “Spey lines”. The river had been low all week and stealth tactics were required. This involved using trout rods or a small salmon rod with a very light Double Tapered (DT) line, combined with small flies. However, my friend’s guests turned up to fish at the start of the week with big rods and Spey lines. They were anglers that regularly fished the Tay and the Tweed. Big rods and heavy Spey lines were what they normally used and so they were not willing to change their approach. You can imagine what the consequences of Spey casting heavy lines on a small river, in low water were. Fish were being spooked in most of the pools due to the disturbance and this resulted in very few fish being caught by the party. When the anglers tried to refine their technique by overhead casting with the Spey lines, things did not get much better. Overhead casting with a heavy Spey line proved to be difficult and was causing a similar disturbance on the water. Most of the fish caught that week were by anglers that were using trout rods coupled with lighter lines.
On smaller rivers, the shadow a longer rod can produce on the water can often spook the fish. This is especially the case if it is bright overhead and the water is low and crystal clear. On smaller rivers, a larger rod can span the breadth of the river and so this has the chance of spooking fish before you have even started fishing. There is also no need to use a longer rod in such conditions. Most of the time on the smaller rivers in the highlands you do not need to cast long distances, especially in low water and then this renders the longer rod useless.
The Thurso River, where single handed rods are regularly used
The other advantage of using a single-handed rod is that it allows you to use a much lighter line. This means that when the fly line lands in the water, it will create less disturbance. This in turn reduces the likelihood of spooking the fish. The lighter line can also result in the fly appearing to be much more life like and mobile in the water. Often when the water is low, there is very little current. If you are allowing the fly to swing around in the current, it will move at a much slower pace when coupled with a heavier line. This is simply because the line is heavier and so less mobile. If, however you were using a trout line then the fly would swing around much quicker and also appear more life like.
A nice fish caught on the single handed rod
Low, clear water on small rivers is never a good combination for productive fishing but if you are prepared to refine your technique and tackle there is always a chance. In such testing conditions, the single-handed rod can often be the best option as it allows you to approach the pools in a stealthier manner. This is why it is important never to discount the single hander!