Looking for some opinions. Getting into Sea Run Cutthroat fly fishing and want a better rod for more casting distance. I have been a few times the last month with no luck yet. I fish with a Sage 590 Graphite III which works great for lakes and small streams but am disappointed with it on the beach. I borrowed my buddies 10' Sage 5100 RPL and loved it. My question: Would / could a 5-6wt switch rod in 11 or 12 ft length be even better than the 10 footer? I know nothing about switch rods and haven't bought a fly rod in years, but do like casting the longer rods. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Whew, well I’m not the best beach based fly flicker out there, like Mr. Stonefish, and a few others here on the site so take my put w a grain of salt.

I’m a 9 ft 5 wt kinda guy, and do most south sound beach fly fishing drifting quietly off the beach with my bay boat and a bow mount electric. This last summer season, I did switch over to a 7.5 ft 3 wt for a couple daze until the Humpys decided to get aggressive.

That was the end of my 3 wt in the salt experience!

Better feed back here.
PNWflyfishing forum.

Not too familiar with big water fishing but it seems that you would want the heavier line for whatever wind there is. A while back I was in Wyoming chasing the Cutt-slam. The Colorado River's were is a small creek, maybe 6' wide. My 3 wt was fine, although a tad undergunned for larger fish but for Bonnevilles I used my 5 as it was windier (not bad, but breezy) and the 3 wouldn't have covered the width.

Bummer
You still have the 3 wt I sold you?

As far as rods go, a salty 9’ to 9’6” 6wt is my favorite rod for chasing beach cutts. A 6wt is nice for when wind is present which is often plus it will handle coho and pinks should you encounter them. I see folks using two handers off the beaches in the salt but really don’t see the advantage unless you have shoulder issues. I do see some disadvantages.
With the right integrated head line, you can be fishing with a maximum of two false casts. I’ve never found not being able to cast super far limiting my success src fishing. Fishing water with good tidal movement is more important in my opinion.
SF

Ta dah !

Yup, still do . And I do luv the little 3s !

The Humpy hooking 3 wt in my sorry tale was /is a little two piece glass featherweight EG, and it got the help beat outta of it with a rather largish fresh chrome brite beach running Pink that demanded freedom and a spot on the spawning gravel beds to do itz thing.

Quite fun, but hard on the wrist and tuff on the old ferrule !

Thank you for the input. I think you're correct having the right line is my next investigation. IMO my 9' 5 wt Sage is just a little soft/slow action for the beach though. Any rod brands you might choose as your fav.? I'm willing to spend some retirement $$ to help the local economy. A fly shop ? After the Morning Hatch closed years ago I lost faith in any other shop. The dude at Sportco, can't remember his name, used to work there. I'll talk to him next. I need to pursue some more opinions before I spend to much on what might not work for me.

Thanks. Not much on joining multiple forums but makes sense to get more info with a group specific to my interest. Will see what I can find.

It’s Michael Martin that used to work at the Morning Hatch that now works at Sportco.
A couple of rods I like that won’t break the bank but have worked well for me off the beaches.
Loomis IMX-Pro V2S which is salt specific. The V2 is the freshwater model. I fish both models in the salt and like both of them.
A bit less expensive is the Echo Boost Blue. I also have this rod and like it for the salt. Both of those would be good rods for coho and pinks as well.
As far as lines go, I like something in the 210-235g range for a 6wt.
I also like a longer head. The Rio Outbound short is popular. It has a 30’ head and is 235g in a 6 wt. I personally have had poor luck with Rio lines durability. The SA Sonar Titan is another option. It had a 33.5’ head and is 210g in a 6wt. I use the Sonar Titan for just about all of my beach cutt fishing. A full intermediate is hard to beat in my opinion. A stripping basket also helps with line management.
You’ll get a lot of opinions when you hit some shops. You just need to find what works best for you and that you enjoy fishing.
I hope this helps.
SF

There are some threads there you can find without joining(although you will cause its a great group).
A ton of great info from people that have been there.
Good luck.