2 Handed Fly Rods: 8 Picks Compared

Our verdict

Our Top Picks

A two-handed fly rod has a grip above and below the reel so both hands work the cast. Redington, for one, sorts its two-handers into trout spey, switch and spey models, and the eight here run from 11 to 13 feet. This guide covers eight two-handers, each linked to one exact length and line weight, with the line window where its maker prints one.

Related guide: Fly Rod and Reel Combos: 8 Picks Compared

Price tier: $ = entry level, $$ = mid-range, $$$ = premium, relative to the rods in this guide. Live Amazon prices are in the comparison table.

What a Two-Handed Fly Rod Is For

The extra length and the second hand let you cast with little or no back cast. A poster in a PNW Fly Fishing forum thread on the benefits put it as “Less about how far you cast and more about how far you DON’T throw your back cast”, and another added “Much more control mending line with a longer rod.”

The line weight on a two-hander does not read like a single-hand rod’s. In the r/flyfishing thread that tops this search, the first reply says: “Spey weights are about +2 or +2.5 to a one hand rod so yes, a 7wt Spey rod is more like a 9wt or 10wt one hander. But that doesn’t really matter. What matters is grain weight of the head.” That is why makers print a grain window. Temple Fork Outfitters, a rod maker, explains in its two-handed line guide that “A grain window defines the engineered grain carrying capability of a fly rod blank under load from the line.” Skagit heads, it says, “are ideal for throwing heavy flies, heavy sink-tips and fishing deep, fast moving water”, while Scandi lines “are designed to throw smaller flies”. Our fly rod size guide covers single-hand weights for comparison.

Which class a rod belongs to is the maker’s call, and Amazon’s titles do not always agree with it, so every pick below is checked against the maker’s model list: by model code where the Amazon listing gives one, and by length and line weight where it does not (the Claymore, Boost Beach and Maxcatch).

Picks: trout spey rods are the Redington Claymore Trout Spey and Echo Trout Spey; switch rods are the Echo Swing Switch and Maxcatch V-Switch; the 12’6″ to 13-foot two-handers are the Redington Classic Spey, Echo TR2 and Echo King; the Echo Boost Beach is a two-hand surf rod.

Compare the picks

Compare the Two-Handed Fly Rods

Every row is the exact Amazon variant we link. Action is the maker’s word, and rod type is the maker’s class where it names one (Echo gives the TR2 and King no spey or switch label); grain windows are printed as the maker prints them, and “not published” means the maker gives none.

How These Eight Two-Handers Were Picked

What each rod had to clear

• A rod its maker classes as two-handed (spey, switch, trout spey or two-hand surf), confirmed against the maker’s model list by model code, or by length and line weight where the Amazon listing gives no code.
• Length, line weight, action and piece count confirmed on the maker’s page and cross-checked against the Amazon listing.
• An Amazon listing in stock and new, held by Amazon, the brand or a named fly shop or retailer.
• A distinct job: where two picks overlap, the review says what separates them.

Who the sources are and what two-hand anglers keep telling newcomers

Who the sources are

Three picks rest on Big Sky Anglers’ 2025 Trout Spey Rod Review, written by a Montana fly shop that sells these rods and thanks “the ongoing support of our vendors and sales reps”, so it is labelled a retailer. North 40 Fly Shop’s 2017 Echo Swing review is a retailer review too. Into Fly Fishing (Claymore) and Deneki Outdoors (Echo King, 2012) tested sibling models; each review below names the model they cast. The Maxcatch rests on a Reddit owner, and the Classic Spey and Boost Beach on maker specs alone. Five picks are sold on Amazon by fly shops (AvidMax, Ed’s Fly Shop, Compleat Angler Fly Shop), and each review names the seller.

What two-hand anglers keep telling newcomers

The same r/flyfishing thread splits on where to start. One reply is blunt: “You should buy a Spey rod for sure. Don’t get a switch rod – just not the same.” On the PNW Fly Fishing forum, another angler wrote the opposite: “starting with shorter rods I think is easier (switch etc) and using short Skagit heads helped me.”

Detailed Reviews of the 8 Rods

Redington Classic Spey 7130-4, Mid-Tier 7wt Spey

Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: Redington (maker page).

Redington’s 7130-4 page calls it “Your everyday PNW mainstay” and “a moderate-fast action spey rod designed to make easy work of quintessential coastal and desert-range steelhead fisheries.” Rather than a grain window, it names two lines: “Scandi: RIO Elite Scandi Launch – 470g” and “Skagit: RIO Elite Skagit Max Launch – 525g”. The rod has a dark clay brown blank with a rosewood reel-seat insert, titanium oxide stripping guides and alignment dots.

Redington aims the series at newcomers, calling it “the gateway” and saying it is “Powered by an easy-loading action that tempers the learning curve”; that is the maker’s description, and no independent caster has reported on it yet. The Amazon listing’s warranty field reads “Limited Warranty”, while Redington’s page lists “Lifetime warranty”.

Specs (linked: 13′ 7wt, 4-piece, 7130-4)

• Line weight, length, pieces: 7wt, 13’0″, 4 (maker)
• Rod type: spey (maker)
• Action: moderate-fast (maker)
• Line recommendations: Scandi 470g, Skagit 525g, both RIO heads (maker)
• Blank: not published
• Warranty: lifetime (maker page)

Redington Claymore Trout Spey 3113-4, Fast 3wt Trout Spey

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. Big Sky Anglers: Claymore Trout Spey 3113-4.

Redington’s 3113-4 page says it is “Powerful enough to fish a variety of Trout Spey flies, but with enough feel for smaller trout. Recommended Skagit Grains: 250-300 Scandi Grains: 210-240”. The series has a fast action, polymer pinch grip sections on both handles and a down-locking reel seat that Redington says improves balance. The Amazon listing gives no model code; its title and fields read 3wt, 11’3″, 4-piece, and the only Claymore at that length and weight in Redington’s model list is the 3113-4.

Big Sky Anglers, a fly shop that sells it, cast this exact rod for its 2025 review: “This was a really nice, really forgiving rod that is going to absolutley flex in to the cork with a 15” rainbow trout on the end of the line.” The shop adds that anglers who will mostly throw streamers at bigger trout “might be better off with a 4wt”, and names a downside: “the bigger cork handle with additional rubber grip pads seemed to really take away from some of the feel that this little rod could probably have.” The shop’s “forgiving” sits beside Redington’s “Fast Action” label. Independent Into Fly Fishing, casting a 12’6″ Claymore spey model rather than this trout spey, wrote that “The Claymore, however, is still a fast action rod but scaled back from the Chromer a touch”, and that “you may find the Claymore a touch less accurate compared to high-end two-handers.”

Specs (linked: 11’3″ 3wt, 4-piece, 3113-4)

• Line weight, length, pieces: 3wt, 11’3″, 4 (maker)
• Rod type: trout spey (maker)
• Action: fast (maker)
• Grain window: Skagit 250-300, Scandi 210-240 (maker)
• Handle and seat: cork with polymer pinch grips, anodized aluminum down-locking seat (maker)
• Warranty: lifetime (maker page)

Echo Trout Spey TS-4110, Med-Fast 4wt Trout Spey

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. Big Sky Anglers: TS 4110.

Echo’s Trout Spey page lists the TS-4110 at 11’0″, 4 weight, four pieces, “Skagit 300gr-330gr”, “Scandi 300gr”, 5.8oz and “Med Fast”, on a “Lightweight, high-modulus” graphite blank with an anodized black aluminum reel seat. Echo’s taglines are “Modest Power and Action for Maximum Versatility” and “Our Most Advanced Two-Hand Series to Date”.

Big Sky Anglers, which sells it, cast this model: “The Echo TS 4110 is certainly our favorite member of the Echo TS lineup.” It adds that the rod “has some similarities with much higher priced rods in terms of ease of casting, weight (it’s super light in hand), and overall angling versatility.” The same review warns about one line pairing: “anchors were semi-easily blown and turnover was sloppy with this pairing when we used a 16ft mono leader and soft hackles instead of the SA Sonar Leaders.”

This rod and the Claymore 3113-4 are both premium-tier trout spey rods. The trade-off: the Echo is a 4 weight with a medium-fast action, a heavier grain window and a published rod weight, while the Claymore is a 3 weight with a fast action, a lighter window and Redington’s own storefront as seller. AvidMax, a fly shop, holds this rod’s Amazon buy box.

Related guide: Fly Rods for Bonefish: 9 Picks Compared

Specs (linked: 11′ 4wt, 4-piece, TS-4110)

• Line weight, length, pieces: 4wt, 11’0″, 4 (maker)
• Rod type: trout spey (maker)
• Action: Med Fast (maker)
• Grain window: Skagit 300gr-330gr, Scandi 300gr (maker)
• Weight: 5.8oz (maker)
• Warranty: Echo Lifetime Warranty (Amazon listing)

Echo Swing Switch SWING-8118, Mid-Tier 8wt Switch

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. North 40 Fly Shop: Swing 7130, 13′ 7wt spey (2017).

Echo’s Swing page says the series has “crisp actions and perfect power” and that its “Unique switch rod sizes are dialed in for real fishing situations where you need serious backbone but don’t have the space for a full-sized spey.” The SWING-8118 is 11’8″, 8 weight, “Skagit 480gr-510gr”, “Scandi 480gr”, 7.9oz and “Med Fast”, on a gloss blue steel blank. Amazon files the Swing switch and spey models under one “Swing Switch” listing, and the 13’6″ SWING-8136 spey model carries the same “Switch” title, so check the model code: this link is the SWING-8118.

North 40 Fly Shop, which sells the Swing, fished the 13-foot 7 weight spey model in a December 2017 review, not this switch rod. Its reviewer wrote: “Echo touts the Swing rod series as having “crisp actions and perfect power” and I agree with that description.” He also found “it feels a little slower than some of the rods I’ve cast” and that “the cork handle feels very large in my hands”. Ed’s Fly Shop holds the Amazon buy box.

Related guide: Best 5 Weight Fly Rods: 8 Picks Compared

Specs (linked: 11’8″ 8wt, 4-piece, SWING-8118)

• Line weight, length, pieces: 8wt, 11’8″, 4 (maker)
• Rod type: switch, by Echo’s “switch rod sizes” (page title “SWING Two Hand & Switch”)
• Action: Med Fast (maker)
• Grain window: Skagit 480gr-510gr, Scandi 480gr (maker)
• Weight: 7.9oz (maker)
• Warranty: Echo Lifetime Warranty (Amazon listing)

Echo TR2-6126, Mid-Tier 6wt Spey

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. Big Sky Anglers: TR2 4113-4, 11’3″ 4wt trout spey.

Echo’s TR page describes it as “Tim’s fast action two hander. Built with a beefy butt section for those abrupt, bottom-hand power applications. Touch and go to Skagit casting, floating lines to big sink tips.” The same page lists the action as “Med Fast+” in its header and “Med Fast” in the model table. The TR2-6126 is 12’6″, 6 weight, “Skagit 480gr-510gr”, “Scandi 480gr” and 8.1oz, with three grip styles and an “Echo Lifetime Warranty”.

Big Sky Anglers, a retailer, reviewed the 11’3″ 4 weight TR2 4113-4 trout spey, not this spey model: “This rod has been a Trout Spey staple for us over the years. Very versatile, easy to cast, and priced very reasonably.”

This rod and the Classic Spey 7130-4 are both mid-tier two-handers of 12’6″ or longer. The trade-off: the Echo is a 6 weight at 12’6″ with a published grain window and rod weight and a butt Echo built for bottom-hand power, while the Classic Spey is a 7 weight at 13 feet with a moderate-fast action, named RIO heads instead of a window, and Redington as seller. Ed’s Fly Shop holds the Echo’s Amazon buy box.

Specs (linked: 12’6″ 6wt, 4-piece, TR2-6126)

• Line weight, length, pieces: 6wt, 12’6″, 4 (maker)
• Rod type: two-hander (Echo: “Tim’s fast action two hander”); Amazon titles it a spey rod
• Action: Med Fast+ (page header), Med Fast (model table), “fast action” (copy), all Echo
• Grain window: Skagit 480gr-510gr, Scandi 480gr (maker)
• Weight: 8.1oz (maker)
• Warranty: Echo Lifetime Warranty (maker)

Echo King KING-9130, 9wt Spey for King Salmon

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Deneki Outdoors: K-10130, 13′ 10wt (2012).

Echo’s King page says: “Progressive, medium-fast actions compliment the King’s extra-strong backbone to help comfortably lift and chuck massive tips and keep angry fish pinned. The 13 foot length offers the ideal amount of leverage without making tree-shaded areas a snagging nightmare.” The KING-9130 is 13’0″, 9 weight, “660gr” Skagit, Scandi “N/A”, 8.2oz and “Med Fast”.

The review we found is old and covers the 10 weight. In July 2012, Deneki Outdoors, which runs fishing lodges, cast the K-10130 and wrote: “When you pick up the ECHO King, you’re going to be surprised by how light it is.” It called the action “medium-fast” in one place and wrote that “The rod’s moderate action and easy-loading feel made it particularly great for sustained anchor casts like the Perry Poke.” In the comments, “Kyle here with Deneki” wrote: “I personally use the Echo King 9130 and absolutely love it. However, I typically throw a 660 grain skagit head on it”. Ed’s Fly Shop holds the Amazon buy box.

Specs (linked: 13′ 9wt, 4-piece, KING-9130)

• Line weight, length, pieces: 9wt, 13’0″, 4 (maker)
• Rod type: two-hand (Echo prints Skagit grains); Echo’s page gives no spey or switch label
• Action: Medium Fast (maker)
• Grain window: Skagit 660gr, Scandi N/A (maker)
• Weight: 8.2oz (maker)
• Warranty: Echo Lifetime Warranty (Amazon listing)

Echo Boost Beach BEACH-9122, Two-Hand Surf Rod

Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: Echo (maker page).

Amazon titles this listing a “Spey Fly Rod”, but Echo’s Boost Beach page calls it “A rod designed for overhead two-hand casting” and says it “was designed for overhead casting to surf-dwelling species on both coasts.” Echo writes that the 9 weight is “Designed to load at” “330-375 grains”. The listing gives no model code; its 12’2″ #9 matches only the BEACH-9122 in Echo’s table, which lists it at 12’2″, four pieces, 8.3oz and “Fast”, with stainless guides and a ceramic stripping guide.

We found no independent test. For context, the blog of Caddis Fly Shop in Eugene, Oregon, wrote in a 2020 post on two-handers in the ocean: “Where surf fishing is concerned, the best performance will be achieved from fly rods that are specifically designed for this environment. To my knowledge, only Echo and Beulah currently offer such rods.” The same post advises: “stick to overhead casting with your two-hander at the beach, lakeside, or in the boat.” Compleat Angler Fly Shop holds the Amazon buy box.

Specs (linked: 12’2″ 9wt, 4-piece, BEACH-9122)

• Line weight, length, pieces: 9wt, 12’2″, 4 (maker)
• Rod type: two-hand overhead surf rod (maker); Amazon’s title says spey
• Action: Fast (maker)
• Line window: 330-375 grains, overhead lines (maker)
• Weight: 8.3oz (maker)
• Warranty: Echo Lifetime Warranty (Amazon listing)

Maxcatch V-Switch, Budget 6wt Switch

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. Reddit r/flyfishing: 11′ 6wt (6110), owner.

Maxcatch’s V-Switch page calls it an “AFFORDABLE CASTER-FRIENDLY TWO-HANDED ROD”, lists the “V-switch 11ft 6wt 4pcs”, and says it is “Built with a medium-fast action” on “pure 24T carbon blended with 30T high-modulus fibers”, with ceramic-insert stripping guides and AA+ cork. Maxcatch publishes no grain window. The Amazon listing’s detail fields say “Action: Fast”, “Number of Pieces: 1” and “Fighting Butt, Full Wells”, which conflict with Maxcatch’s page and the listing’s own bullets, so we use the maker’s medium-fast and four pieces.

In an r/flyfishing thread on V-Switch rods, a poster who says “I have both the sw#5 and sw#6” wrote that he has “used the 6110 2 seasons for smaller salmon river for salmon up to 20 lbs” and called it “One of my favorite rods, stiff tip, strong and relatively fast rod that skagits great.” The same owner adds: “I can use 375 gr Rio skagit max power, but felt it was near max. A little light for # compared to some.” His “relatively fast” sits beside Maxcatch’s “medium-fast”.

Specs (linked: 11′ 6wt, 4-piece)

• Line weight, length, pieces: 6wt, 11′, 4 (maker lists “V-switch 11ft 6wt 4pcs”)
• Rod type: switch (maker)
• Action: medium-fast (maker)
• Blank: 24T and 30T carbon (maker)
• Grain window: not published
• Warranty: 1 year (Amazon listing); Maxcatch’s page publishes none

Choosing a Two-Hander for Your Water

If you are new to two-hand casting. Opinions split, as quoted above: one Reddit angler says skip switch rods, a forum angler says shorter rods and short Skagit heads made learning easier. Redington pitches the Classic Spey as “the gateway”; the V-Switch is the entry-tier switch rod here. Our guide to how to cast a fly rod covers the single-hand basics that carry over.

Picks: Redington Classic Spey, Maxcatch V-Switch.

For steelhead and salmon. The 12’6″ to 13-foot two-handers here run from the 6 weight TR2 to the 13-foot 9 weight King. Echo built the King for chinook and heavy tips; Redington aims the Classic Spey at “coastal and desert-range steelhead fisheries”; Echo’s TR2 is for anglers who drive the cast with the bottom hand.

Picks: Echo TR2, Redington Classic Spey, Echo King.

For trout. Trout spey rods are 11 to 11’3″ here, in 3 and 4 weights. Big Sky Anglers points streamer anglers toward a 4 weight over its 3 weight Claymore; see the Echo review for how the two compare.

Picks: Redington Claymore Trout Spey, Echo Trout Spey.

For tight banks. Echo pitches its switch sizes at water “where you need serious backbone but don’t have the space for a full-sized spey.” A PNW forum poster suggested “something switchy in the 11-12 ft range” as “A little less cumbersome broken in half”.

Picks: Echo Swing Switch, Maxcatch V-Switch.

For the surf. Caddis Fly Shop’s blog recommends overhead casting at the beach and surf-specific rods; the Boost Beach is the one here Echo designed for it.

Picks: Echo Boost Beach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Swinging flies for steelhead, salmon and trout with little back cast room, mending line at distance, and, in surf models, overhead casting from the beach. Forum anglers in the PNW thread above stress the short back cast and line control more than raw distance.

Redington, for one, sorts the classes by line weight and length: its Claymore list puts its 2 to 4 weights of 11′ to 11’6″ under “Trout Spey models”, its 6 to 8 weight 11’6″ rods under “Switch models” and its 12’3″ to 13’6″ rods under “Spey models”. Echo describes its switch sizes as rods for “serious backbone” where there is no “space for a full-sized spey”. Into Fly Fishing puts the name simply: “Switch means you can “switch” it up and do both.”

Match the maker’s grain window more than the number. A Reddit reply sums up the scale as “Spey weights are about +2 or +2.5 to a one hand rod”, and TFO’s line guide suggests that with a Skagit head “it is often best to initially pick a line towards the high end of the grain window.” For trout spey, the 3 and 4 weights here print windows from 210 to 330 grains; the 6 to 8 weight spey and switch picks print or name heads from 470 to 525.

One with room for a thick head and running line. The Reddit thread’s answer: “A 7wt Spey set up will require a reel that can handle a 10wt single line.” Our fly reel size guide and fly reel weight explainer cover reel ratings and balance.

It can be, though anglers disagree on where to start, as the quotes above show. Redington built the Classic Spey line with newcomers in mind, by its own description. Our guide to choosing a fly rod explains action, and how to tie leader to fly line covers the end connection.

Caddis Fly Shop’s blog says yes, “Anyone can take any two-hand rod down to lake, beach, or boat and fly fish with it”, but it advises overhead casting there and points to surf-specific designs such as Echo’s.

The bottom line

Final Verdict

For trout at the premium tier, the Echo Trout Spey TS-4110 (check price) is a medium-fast 4 weight with Echo’s published grain window and rod weight, and the member of Echo’s TS line that Big Sky Anglers, a fly shop that sells it, calls its favourite, though the shop found it fussy with long mono leaders on one head. For a lighter trout rod at the same tier, the Redington Claymore Trout Spey 3113-4 (check price) is a fast 3 weight with Redington’s printed grain window, which the same shop found forgiving with trout on, though it felt the larger grips cut the rod’s feel. For steelhead at the mid tier, the Redington Classic Spey 7130-4 (check price) is a 13-foot spey rod Redington calls “the gateway”, sold by Redington with named Scandi and Skagit heads, but with no independent test yet.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.