Echo OHS

[SculpinSwinger]

Love mine. Bought the 8wt for a pike trip, figuring I might be able to get some use out of it for winter steelhead as well. It worked great lined with a Rio pike/musky 8wt line.
I broke my go to winter rod and put the OHS to work, lined with a Rio skagit trout spey 375grn integrated line and 12’ 132 grn opst tips. I cast it 2 handed, it bombs. It is now my go to coastal winter rod.

I like it so much I also own the 6, my go to trout streamer/spey rod. Super versatile, sweet casting rods

 

[Matt B]

Love mine. Bought the 8wt for a pike trip, figuring I might be able to get some use out of it for winter steelhead as well. It worked great lined with a Rio pike/musky 8wt line.View attachment 1126
I broke my go to winter rod and put the OHS to work, lined with a Rio skagit trout spey 375grn integrated line and 12’ 132 grn opst tips. I cast it 2 handed, it bombs. It is now my go to coastal winter rod.

I like it so much I also own the 6, my go to trout streamer/spey rod. Super versatile, sweet casting rods

I just came to this sub to start a thread about this rod. My kick-ass wife got me the OHS 8 for my natal day in September. I wanted it largely based on discussions and descriptions by @Dustin Chromers. It just sounded like the ticket for me. Man I love fishing that thing.
That‘s a lot more weight you’re throwing than I am but it sounds you are casting it more Spey heavy. I tend to do a hybrid cast. Some kind of 2 hand Spey or switch cast to flip the anchor/tip out there then water load to shoot line 1 handed into backcast, haul forward and Bob’s yr uncle. For that I’ve been using the wulff Ambush 290 and a 10’ 80 grain opst tip.

I got the 8 because I figured it’s good for just about anything and it is, but it does have me wondering about the 6 and what it could comfortably toss. How do you line up your OHS 6 and how do you fish it?

 

[Dustin Chromers]

I just came to this sub to start a thread about this rod. My kick-ass wife got me the OHS 8 for my natal day in September. I wanted it largely based on discussions and descriptions by @Dustin Chromers. It just sounded like the ticket for me. Man I love fishing that thing.
That‘s a lot more weight you’re throwing than I am but it sounds you are casting it more Spey heavy. I tend to do a hybrid cast. Some kind of 2 hand Spey or switch cast to flip the anchor/tip out there then water load to shoot line 1 handed into backcast, haul forward and Bob’s yr uncle. For that I’ve been using the wulff Ambush 290 and a 10’ 80 grain opst tip.

I got the 8 because I figured it’s good for just about anything and it is, but it does have me wondering about the 6 and what it could comfortably toss. How do you line up your OHS 6 and how do you fish it?

I use the ambush and 40+ as well as the beach line all in an eight for an eight. It will throw commando heads to 350 with pleasure Spey style. A 300 will do both quite well.

 

[Josh]

@Dustin Chromers @Matt B @SculpinSwinger

Can one of you tell me what the deal is with the OHS? Why would I want it? I'm generally an Echo supporter for their high quality to value ratio and I have looked at this rod online a couple times. But I feel like I'm missing something. It's 10'4... how is it different than a switch?

 

[Matt B]

@Dustin Chromers @Matt B @SculpinSwinger

Can one of you tell me what the deal is with the OHS? Why would I want it? I'm generally an Echo supporter for their high quality to value ratio and I have looked at this rod online a couple times. But I feel like I'm missing something. It's 10'4... how is it different than a switch?

It’s not. It actually is a true switch rod. Great for singlehand or Spey casts depending on line/leader/flies.

Before I got the OHS I fished an 11’0” 6 weight 2-hander a lot. “Traditional” action, so, not too fast. You might think these rods would be too much the same, why bother? They are different beasts.

I see the OHS being a salmon-fishing machine, where there’s more stripping and twitching than a straight steelhead swing.

 

[Dustin Chromers]

@Dustin Chromers @Matt B @SculpinSwinger

Can one of you tell me what the deal is with the OHS? Why would I want it? I'm generally an Echo supporter for their high quality to value ratio and I have looked at this rod online a couple times. But I feel like I'm missing something. It's 10'4... how is it different than a switch?

Great question. Because it's not a switch. It's what you originally and naively (at least I did) want a switch rod to do which is employ both overhead and Spey tactics seamlessly. A switch is too heavy and specialised to do this. The ohs does this and does it well. I've been putting handles on single hand rods for years. This is a better executed rod than my bastardised but effective creations. I transition seamlessly whenever I want mid run, boat, or bank on the moment instinctively to not just Spey or do some technically named cast to simply fly casting. Using the physics of whatever line I'm using to my advantage right then and there. Sure some lines so one better than the other but a caster with a solid working knowledge and ability can do both at a moment's notice. This is where the ohs excels. It's my favourite tool for 80% of my fishing.

 

[Dustin Chromers]

It’s not. It actually is a true switch rod. Great for singlehand or Spey casts depending on line/leader/flies.

Before I got the OHS I fished an 11’0” 6 weight 2-hander a lot. “Traditional” action, so, not too fast. You might think these rods would be too much the same, why bother? They are different beasts.

I see the OHS being a salmon-fishing machine, where there’s more stripping and twitching than a straight steelhead swing.

I second this in that the ohs is the ultimate dry line coho rod

 

[Matt B]

I second this in that the ohs is the ultimate dry line coho rod

Maybe next fall I can take mine to that place you mentioned to me a number of years ago. Even better, would love to take it back to Alaska.

 

[Dustin Chromers]

Maybe next fall I can take mine to that place you mentioned to me a number of years ago. Even better, would love to take it back to Alaska.

If you don't own one by fall and there's salmon in my local river I would be happy to let you test drive mine. We can do the Pepsi challenge and you can decide for yourself. You can even sample some of my crude homemade implements of coho carnage to get a real feel for my own evolution in tactics. The ohs is the store bought factory finish product. And it's a damn good friendly crowd pleasing blank.

The above brings up a good point on the "why" end of things. First I hate heavy files. Even my musky stuff is light and easy to cast. However we all know coho respond very well to a jigging fly. The natural inclination is a heavy fly on a long leader. But again I hate heavy even more on a long leader. The ohs allows me to carry a leader nearly twice the length of the rod if need be with an only modestly weighted fly. I like the mediumish tungsten bead on a sparse no hackle bugger or something similar. This ultra long leader is easy to cast with the longer rod and it smoothes out the harsh taper of the ambush line as well as anchors very nicely for fast direction changing single and double spey casts. The result is an extremely effective, versatile and deep fishing rig with a lighter fly that casts like a fly rod should with grace and the line driving the show and not some chuck and duck monstrosity. While I'll do weird things with a fly rod I'm very much a purist as to what constitutes fly fishing and fly casting at least for my personal fishing. What others do is their business I just demand my program be artful and above all pleasant to fish with.

Note: my typical coho leaders are one and a half the length of the rod. I credit leader length to be the number one determiner of who gets bit when the action is hard won.

 

[SculpinSwinger]

I mostly spey cast mine, easier on my elbows and shoulders. Fishing coastal systems requires casting in any way you can get it out there at times - no room to sweep to D and you need to get it under overhanging trees. The OHS and a short skagit are the best tools for the job. When there is room it has no problem casting needed distance to cover the good water. Only time I miss the extra length of my 12’4” 8 wt platinum is for “steering” the fly.
It also works great for overhead casting large streamers and stripping.
The OHS gets a good bend on smaller fish, but you can really put the wood to the big ones.

 

[Matt B]

If you don't own one by fall and there's salmon in my local river I would be happy to let you test drive mine. We can do the Pepsi challenge and you can decide for yourself. You can even sample some of my crude homemade implements of coho carnage to get a real feel for my own evolution in tactics. The ohs is the store bought factory finish product. And it's a damn good friendly crowd pleasing blank.

The above brings up a good point on the "why" end of things. First I hate heavy files. Even my musky stuff is light and easy to cast. However we all know coho respond very well to a jigging fly. The natural inclination is a heavy fly on a long leader. But again I hate heavy even more on a long leader. The ohs allows me to carry a leader nearly twice the length of the rod if need be with an only modestly weighted fly. I like the mediumish tungsten bead on a sparse no hackle bugger or something similar. This ultra long leader is easy to cast with the longer rod and it smoothes out the harsh taper of the ambush line as well as anchors very nicely for fast direction changing single and double spey casts. The result is an extremely effective, versatile and deep fishing rig with a lighter fly that casts like a fly rod should with grace and the line driving the show and not some chuck and duck monstrosity. While I'll do weird things with a fly rod I'm very much a purist as to what constitutes fly fishing and fly casting at least for my personal fishing. What others do is their business I just demand my program be artful and above all pleasant to fish with.

Note: my typical coho leaders are one and a half the length of the rod. I credit leader length to be the number one determiner of who gets bit when the action is hard won.

I’ve got the 8 and love it. Pictured below in its natural habitat.
Kind of interested in the 6.

 

[Dustin Chromers]

I’ve got the 8 and love it. Pictured below in its natural habitat.
Kind of interested in the 6.

I got one of those as well.. We be talking a different animal with that one. For that I use it for light steelhead duty and big trout duty. It's the ultimate swinging for pinks stick so that's high glamour. Summer steelhead in small waters it's awesome. It's a great streamer rod for trout from the bank as well. Ambush still works as well as the scout. I'll have to verify weights (I think around 225). It's a fantastic bull trout stick in areas where legal to do so.

 

[SculpinSwinger]

I too ended up getting the 6. Small water summer steelhead and trout streamer duty. I use a scout 210 or the integrated rio trout spey 3wt @275 grn and 96 grn tips. The scout is good with poly leaders and a soft hackle, trout spey for the sculpin.

 

[G_Smolt]

In my opinion, the OHS - more specifically, the 7wt OHS - is the single greatest big-water bobber twig on the planet. It works good as a spraypole, yeah...but when you need to mend a LOT of line in a hurry, cast double 3/0 shot, or fish 12' leaders in far-off buckets - the OHS is the cat's meow, the bee's knees, and the wasps nipples, all rolled into one.

I don't spend a lot of time bobber fishin' for my favorite big 'bows, but when I do, I roll the OHS.

 

[Josh]

So for river steel/salmon/bulls do you size these as you would for singlehand rods?

 

[Matt B]

So for river steel/salmon/bulls do you size these as you would for singlehand rods?

Yes, an OHS 8 is a long 8 single with an extended handle that casts a single hand “8 weight” payload in terms of lines and flies, in general.

 

[Matt B]

In my opinion, the OHS - more specifically, the 7wt OHS - is the single greatest big-water bobber twig on the planet. It works good as a spraypole, yeah...but when you need to mend a LOT of line in a hurry, cast double 3/0 shot, or fish 12' leaders in far-off buckets - the OHS is the cat's meow, the bee's knees, and the wasps nipples, all rolled into one.

I don't spend a lot of time bobber fishin' for my favorite big 'bows, but when I do, I roll the OHS.
View attachment 2245

Oh yeah, god forbid if you had to use an 8 weight on that cookie cutter.

 

[G_Smolt]

Oh yeah, god forbid if you had to use an 8 weight on that cookie cutter.

Well, yeah...I guess a fella could bump up to the 8.

The reason I like the 7 is even little (like, 18"-20") trout put a good bend in it, and it has the backbone to put the wood to the big fellas.

If I was just steelheading with it, I would have grabbed the 8

 

[FindingFly]

Very interested in these rods.....

For those of you with the 6 wt, it sounds like it's probably a lot of rod for your average trout? If not strictly throwing streamers with it, do you think it would be ok for swinging softhackles, dries, and the occasional indicator rig on the Deschutes or would it be too much for those trout? might be better off with a 10' 5wt I'm thinking.

In looking for reviews on the OHS, I found the Burkheimer has a set of single hand spey rods of the same length. Grain windows seem similar, but the burkie is available as a 5 wt. Obviously it's twice as much money as the OHS, but has anyone tried these rods?

 

[SculpinSwinger]

Deschutes fish are nice on the 6. The line choice will determine how well your terminal tackle will work. Salmon fly dries - yes, BWO - probably not, soft hackles - yes.
I’d say 10” fish and better are fun. 12” fish definitely put a good bend in the rod, but you can still handle an 8# steelhead without trouble.