Spey Casting

[Fish For Life 0]

i was watching a video today of someone fishing for pike with a spey rod. when he started his cast i got all confused. I had no clue what he was doing. I have no clue what spey casting is in general. Whey would you chose to use a spey rod over a normal fly rod. If someone knows can they just clarify this whole spey casting thing. What is it and why. \

 

Thanks

[Jaydub 0]

Spey casting is generally done with long two handed rods, although one handed spey casts are possible and useful. It is most like a roll cast on a single handed rod. Like a roll cast, the loading of the rod is provided by the line on the water. Spey casting is useful if you want to make a long cast with limited room behind you. It lends itself well to swinging flies for Steelhead. You can make a long cast across the current, let the fly swing until it is directly below you, then pick up and make the same cast again, without making an aerial backcast. There are many ways of setting up the cast so the line is in the correct position to make the cast, depending on the situation. That is what you see the caster doing before making the actual forward cast. You will hear terms like single spey, double spey, circle spey, snap T, snake roll… It is a whole style of fly fishing with it’s own terminology, rods, lines etc. You can checkout Speypages.com for a forum devoted to all things Spey.

[eastern fly 0]

Spey casting is generally done with long two handed rods, although one handed spey casts are possible and useful. It is most like a roll cast on a single handed rod. Like a roll cast, the loading of the rod is provided by the line on the water. Spey casting is useful if you want to make a long cast with limited room behind you. It lends itself well to swinging flies for Steelhead. You can make a long cast across the current, let the fly swing until it is directly below you, then pick up and make the same cast again, without making an aerial backcast. There are many ways of setting up the cast so the line is in the correct position to make the cast, depending on the situation. That is what you see the caster doing before making the actual forward cast. You will hear terms like single spey, double spey, circle spey, snap T, snake roll… It is a whole style of fly fishing with it’s own terminology, rods, lines etc. You can checkout Speypages.com for a forum devoted to all things Spey.

 

Very well done Jaydub. I myself just bought a Beulah Classic Switch rod. I'm getting into the spey flies as well.

I like the fact that you can cast with no room for a overhead cast. Then still over head when I get the room with my rod.

 

Kevin

[Mace3 0]

I was recently wondering the same thing and did a little research. Here are some sites that helped me understand the technique:

 

http://www.rioproducts.com/skin/summit/pdf/RIO_Spey_Casting_Manual.pdf

 

http://www.rioproducts.com/spey-central/

 

There is also the technique of using a single handed rod for spey casting:

 

http://speyrivers.com/gear_singlehandspey.aspx

[mikechell 0]

Like Jaydub said ... Spey Casting was developed to allow casting with little or no room behind you. At least 90% of the pick-up, loading and the cast is in front of you. This is very handy for deep rivers with steep drop off banks. You can't wade out to the seams and slack current points, so you need to be able to cast to them with your back practically on the bank.

 

But the method has developed into an amazing sport ... the casting itself. I believe the longest cast on record, without shooting line, is around 65 yards !!! Two thirds the length of a football field with passing any line through the guides !!!

 

But, alas ... that is too much like work for this angler. I'll stick to my 60 feet and less, and fish from my boat. I am quite happy with that.

[Boron11mx 0]

If you want some more great information about Spey Casting and Spey Fishing youtube Tom Larimer or Larimer Outfitters. He explains everything extremely well and is very easy to understand the steps as he explains them. If you have never swung a spey rod don't let the movements and length of the rod fool you, its ALOT less exhausting than traditional one hand casting. One of the biggest things you have to remember about swinging is you have to down size the weight of your fly and utilize the different types of leaders ie: T8, T10, T14 etc. depending on water depth and speed. Once you get into it be ready because it is very addicting and the term "the tug is the drug" couldn't be more true.