Skip to main content

Product Review: Beulah's Platinum 11' 8wt Switch Rod

Looking for a switch rod sensitive enough to fish a Scandi head and small summer flies yet powerful enough to effortlessly deliver a sink-tip and weighted intruder? Look no farther than Beulah's 11' 8 wt Platinum Switch Rod, which is--hands down--the best casting switch rod I've fished.

Beulah's 11' 8 wt. Platinum Switch costs $495 and rivals rods that cost twice that.

What makes this rod to impressive, in my opinion, is its regressive action and instant recovery. A regressive action means the rod flexes deep in the blank--in this case near the cork. Many regressive-action rods wobble after the forward stroke, stealing energy from the cast. Thanks to a smart blend of high modulus graphite, this rod's recovery is crisp and instantaneous. The caster will notice an easy-to-time casting motion, one that is very forgiving of mistakes, and a tight loop that goes and goes and goes. The rod fishes as well at 15 feet as it does at 60, for both "touch-and-go" and Skagit casting.

For touch-and-go casting with small dries and wets, I like to load this rod with a compact Scandi head that weighs 400 grains. For Skagit casting with tips and big flies, I like a compact Skagit head--like Airflo's Skagit Switch--that weighs 420 grains. I match that Skagit head to a mid-weight sink-tip, like Rio's T-11 MOWs. If the fly is heavily weighted and having trouble turning over, I loop in a heavier tip, like Rio's T-14 MOW.

What this rod doesn't do as well as others--including others within Beulah's Platinum series--is fish indicators. The regressive action doesn't allow the tight, precision mends that indie tactics often require. (If eggs are your game, you might try Beulah's 10' 8" 6wt, which has a more progressive taper and the same instant recovery). But if you want a world-class swinging rod for tight casting conditions or smaller rivers, give Beulah's 11' 8wt a try. High recommendations.


GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
How-To/Techniques

How to Tie the Useful Speed Blood Knot

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
News

A Celebration of Life for the Incomparable Dave Whitlock

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
News

Mending the Line Trailer

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
Destinations/Species

The Mother's Day Caddis Hatch

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
Destinations/Species

A Fly Fishing Short Film

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
News

FF Mag Promo June-July 2023

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
Gear

How to Tie Smitherman's Draggin' Nymph

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
Destinations/Species

Costa Films Presents “Hooked On: Bonefish”

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
Destinations/Species

Pharmaceutical Pollution Threatens Florida's Shallow-Water Fish

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
How-To/Techniques

Tying Rene Harrop's Hairwing Dun Fly

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
How-To/Techniques

Tying Barr's Damsel Fly

Learn to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph with master tier Charlie Craven.
Gear

Tying the Pheasant Tail Nymph Fly

Fly Fisherman Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Buy Single Digital Issue on the Fly Fisherman App

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Fly Fisherman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now