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I have to disagree that Switch rods are a horrible concept. If you are trying to single hand cast them you don't understand them. They are meant to be able to fish dry and indicator lines as well as swing with spey style lines. That does not mean they should be cast SH.
I have been fishing switch rods since the concept was developed. While they are not my favorite tool for indicator fishing there are places they excel in that role. The location I caught this steelhead on an 8wt switch rod is one of those locations.
I was not sh casting it with the indicator line. I was two handing it with very long casts and very long stack mends. Casts and mends that I could not make with a SH rod and I am a damn good SH caster. Switch rods have also saved a few trips when clients were too wiped out to continue SH casting. A quick lesson on using two hands on a switch rod loaded with a switch chucker and they are back in the game.
Learn to use them before you condemn them...
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Well, the whole switch rod thing was started to be a rod that you can both SH and DH cast. Google "switch rod" and every blog and whatever else is on the first page refers to the whole thing purposely advertised as being made for both. Regardless if they can actually do both, that was the sales pitch.
I am well versed in using TH rods OH, before I moved here I lived on the atlantic and used them quite a bit, and also built a CTS 12'9 OH designed blank, casting 600 gr OH.
I am also quite familiar with switch rods, my first TH was a 8119, and I also built a 3110 for trout. But, I can't think of a time I would prefer to use my 11' over my 12' 3wt, or where I wish my 12' 4/5 was a foot shorter.
I can't really comment on the bobber fishing you are talking about doing with a TH rod, I haven't fished with a bobber since i was a kid. Ashland fly shop has some videos of doing what you are describing, and in the rivers you have in OR I can see this being relevant. But lets be real here, this a pretty specific role that you are saying they are better than other options.
The guy is new to spey, and will have a much easier time casting a 12-13' rod than a 11'.