Swinging Flies with Spey & Switch Rods for Steelhead 

No , but yes you can do it .

My experience is you can use either a scandi , Skagit with a floating tip or a hybrid like an Airflo Rage . They all work .

You can use a skagit if your indy rig is heavy. This is done in some deeper/swifter rivers in the great lakes, where you need a lot of weight to get down in the zone. If your rig isn't too heavy a scandi can be better because it isn't as splashy and loud in calmer/shallower water.

you also might want to check out these videos too: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_k2XpCDtSlM.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rIoPfBsJ9QU.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eAfFJIoYdsU.html hope they help

Look up line speed Jedi if you haven’t already

I use both but it depends on what you fishing for . I find a switch rod to be more versatile I have two 11’6” switch rods one trout Spey 4wt one 11’6 6wt for silvers and steelhead and use both scandi and Skagit heads on both . For me I like the Skagit heads because you can switch out the heads and add a floating head that casts like a scandi for skating or shallow water . I also have a 13’7” 8wt Spey rod for bigger rivers with a hybrid head airflo Rage it will throw bigger flies like intruders but can also throw lighter flies , soft hackles like a scandi . To me the casting is very similar the only difference is the switch you can use as a single hand rod also which comes in handy while floating in a boat . Either way you will definitely have fun and be able to spend more money on fishing stuff :-)

agreed John, older video when gloves were the accepted norm for fish handling. certainly don't endorse this now. thanks for feedback

They are naturalized. They have been here since the late 1800s (as have Eurasian carp) and reproduce enough to have a stable population. They are wild but not endemic. While it is technically correct to call them "invasive", it is not the same as something like a silver carp. Trout do not harm the rivers or lakes. We brought them here on purpose.