In smaller rivers and pools i dont see any issue.
I had an 18lb licer on the southie 5 years ago to the day in big water.
It was also a big pool and didnt have any issues playing it.
5 months later i had a 20 to 22lb springer on the same shaky switch in the same pool with no issues.

 

I met a Russian that fished for double figure salmon with a 9’ #5 weight.

There are a lot of misconceptions about playing salmon on smaller rods. In fact shorter rods are far more efficient than longer rods with a fish on because the fish is actually at the clever end of the lever working less hard. We use long rods to cast heavier flies further (where we are on the clever end of the lever), not to submit fish faster.

Big game anglers don't use long rods. But they do use more powerful rods - in our terms heavier # weights. But even a low power carbon rod can beat a big fish - but only if you have a reel with a good drag, heavy line and strong hooks. You apply force to the fish by lowering the rod, shortening the lever.

I have a 10’10’, 18g switch rod that doesn't have a problem handling big fish - or at least no more than my heavier rods do. If the damn things head off downstream at pace and you can't follow, you need the Queen Mary's anchor chain to stop them.

 

If you can land a 150lbs tarpon on a 9’ 6” #9 in 20 minutes you’ve got nothing to worry about in UK.
I’ve taken a 32 pounder on a 13’ #8 no problem: it’s unlikely that a 15 footer would have been significantly quicker. On a 11’ 6” switch up to 16 lbs so far, no sweat. A couple of years ago, with a clearly good hook hold, I set out to see how quickly I could get a 20 into the net with a 12’ 6” #7. The answer was 6 minutes, but on the other hand, on the scales it was only 19.12, and in the book as 19.

 

This explains it quite well - tho' it's for salt.

 

I’ve landed a few bigger doubles on my 12 ft 7# rod , didn’t really take any longer either and was a lot more enjoyable in the fight… I would fish with it all the time if it could cast big flys the distance I can reach with my 9# 14ft.

 

One positive of long rods not covered above is line control.
In some situations, mainly on bigger rivers, it’s a real positive to have a long rod to hold the line high and out of other currents to get the best presentation.
Also not all long rods are pokers - the old guideline le cies are great, light and sensitive - though prone to breaking too!
Switch rods and shorter, lighter rods are great to fish with but you will lose some line control.

 

A very good point!

I would say this is just as relevant on small rivers though, especially with exposed rocks in low water. In my experience of these types of river and situations, inventive line manipulation and managing multiple disturbed water flows can be critical to ensuring proper fly presentation and a shorter rod will definitely impact your ability to do this.

Thank you for pointing that out: it hadn’t occurred to me!

 

Never had an issue and its rare i use anything but a switch rod thesw days. Only isuue i had with mid doubles with the switch rod is getting their head up in deep water for netting as the tips softer. Not a problem if someone else is netting or you can play the fish into slack water.
I rekon i can play them as fast as with the big rod. I can change the angle which i put pressure on the fish using it single handed which can tire them faster (unless you have one that just refuses to quit). With the big rod its just tip up and point at the fish as its too clumsy to do much else.

 

I'm a switch rod fan, I've 4 now. The softer two Airflo's I've had a number of fish to the high teens on them and they do seem to knock the stuffing from a fish. My two Salmon rated Sages are heavier rated and I've coped with 20lb+ fish on my 8 weight One easily enough and they do cope better with heavier currents and more demanding situations.
TBH, I wouldn't worry, I think it's all a part of Salmon fishing and at times the totally unexpectedness of what can happen.
I think making a wise decision before any purchase is made is half of the game!, speak to a few owners, try a few rods etc. don't just jump in at the 1st rods in the rack or the cheapest one you can lay your hands on. I feel considering what you might be expecting from a rod a certain amount of sophisticatedness in such a rod 'aint a bad idea.
Pedro.

 

The two things that make a difference to playing a fish are the fish, they are all different, and the fisherman. If you are skilled at playing a fish the rod you use is largely irrelevant. If you are not skilled at playing fish the rod you use is also largely irrelevant. In a big river a long rod can be usefull and in a small river a short rod is much better.

However the point to consider is that whether the fish is landed quickly or not has no bearing on its survival. If it is gill hooked and bleeding it will die. If it is not and you handle it correctly: don't take it out of the water or touch it more than necessary, it will almost certainly survive. I have seen hundreds of beginners and salmon virgins playing fish terribly but never ever seen one die as a result.

I would suggest use the rod you think works best to cover the water you are fishing, learn to play a fish properly. Use a net (this makes a massive difference in how many you will land, how quickly you land them and how well you handle them) and learn to use it well. Never try and drag fish in to shallow water unless there really is no alternative. Then you will be fine.

The ideas that you should try and drag fish in quickly and that a big double handed rod is the best thing to do it with are both pure nonsense.

 

Thank you for your insight. Other people’s views are always welcome and illuminating.

To be clear though, I am not an inexperienced salmon fisherman. I am in my mid-50s and have been fishing for salmon every year since I was eight. My comments stem from my first hand experiences and I stick by them. In my personal experience when using stiffer and more powerful rods fish are unquestionably subdued far more quickly. That is a phenomenon consistently observed over 40 years of fishing. Your experience is obviously different to mine.

In regard to your comments about the speed with which a fish is brought to the net: my reasoning for wanting to do this is not just about the fish’s chance of survival (although I do accept that is the only reason I gave in my OP; apologies for my lack of clarity) but it is also about preserving the fish’s energy store and therefore maximising its chance of successfully breeding.

I quite agree that an appropriately handled fish (a process you have well described) stands a very good chance of survival, however we have all had fish that have required a considerable amount longer and more concerted effort in their revival than others. Personally I am far happier seeing a fish ‘zing off’ immediately that it is released rather than swimming slowly away to a place of ‘calm’ to recover.

I am no zoologist but it seems logical to me that a) the first of those two fish is going to stand a greater chance of both surviving and successfully breeding and b) the less energy I force it to expend whilst playing it, given that it enters the river with a set amount of stored energy with which to complete its ‘mission’, the greater the likelihood that it will be able to do so.

Ergo, my desire to bring the fish to the net as quickly as possible.

I think it is always a good thing to make the lightest footsteps we can when dealing with nature.

Respectfully therefore, I stand by my initial comments.

I do thank you for yours however: I always listen to and value other people’s opinions, weighing them against my own understanding of a particular matter, as without doing so how can we learn anything?

 

Thank you all for your insightful comments: much appreciated!

The strong consensus seems to be that playing ’teenagers’ effectively and efficiently is not unduly complicated by using a salmon orientated switch rod.

I think I shall give it a go for next season. I can always sell the rod on if I am concerned by how it works for me! I only pray that I have the chance of finding out how it does indeed perform with a 20lb-er!

I appreciate your assembled wisdom and willingness to impart it. Thank you very much!

 

I really don't 'play' fish anymore. I dont really see the point.

I only fish a small to medium sized river.

After I get the take and realise the fish is well enough hooked, I go directly to the fish. Getting as close to it as possible. Net off my back and in the water and get the fish into it as soon as possible. I've had 14 pounders in the net in less than a minute on a single handed trout rod.

I have had no trouble getting fish into the net on my trout rated switch rod in the past either.

I am of the same opinion as yourself Olders. I have yet to see a fish not swimming away after being poorly played and handled but have seen lots of dead fish in early autumn that probably haven't spawned. You do wonder if some of them were caught and released earlier in the season. Perhaps caught multiple times even.

 

In my experience the salmon tire quicker in a fast run, but if your in a slow glide it can be hard going no matter what rod you are using.
Mike

 

New fish entering freshwater are vulnerable for a few days as their biochemistry changes. If you want your best chance to kill a fish when playing it, go for a fresh fish that's in warm freshwater on light tackle.

 

Not directly related but have a look at the rod in this pic from late Summer this year, it’s my two lads & their mate. They were out shark fishing with a very good skipper & the blues were all around the boat, skip brought out a 9ft #12 weight as they had told him they were all fly fishermen. The only advice he gave was to concede as little as possible, all the 6 they had on the fly were 90lb plus & on none did the fight last more than 25mins. Yes there were no snags/trees/rocks or other in river hazards but they were in 300 feet of water. You can see the rod/reel in the BRHC.