spey casting for salmon

It’s still difficult and a guy can still develop both tendonitis and tennis elbow in a single afternoon’s work with a 500-grain line, but it beats split-shot by a fiberglass mile. They’re also most comfortable in power water, often preferring to travel and hold in the deepest, swiftest portions of a river system. “Perhaps Spey casting hasn’t been as popular in Alaska because many of the best salmon rivers for the fly angler are in the western region of the state,” he explained. Likewise, today’s high-end Spey rods are designed with the technique in mind, especially the Dredger series of G. Loomis RoaringRiver rods designed by Ed Ward. For further information on Spey Casting instruction or Guided salmon fishing please contact Ian Neale The Single or Double Spey Cast? The casting method exercises one particular premise to accomplish a cast—the sustained-anchor concept. Gawesworth explains that one of the most significant differences traditional fly casters will notice is that they’ll no longer need to lift and accelerate to begin their casts. Like all the species of Pacific salmon, Chinook stop feeding after entering their natal streams. Spey casts are also ideal for handling and fishing extremely heavy sink-tips on the swing, a definite boon for down-and-across salmon anglers. Examples include the Sage TCR series rods or those offered by G. Loomis in their new RoaringRiver line. “The biggest obstacle for single-hand casters to overcome is the lack of muscle memory. But ever since the advent of lead-core shooting lines in the 1950s, technological advances in the manufacture of fly-fishing equipment has made all water—and all species—fair game. It is named after the river Spey - one of Scotland's premier salmon rivers - and is most likely where the technique started to … The Skagit Line is designed specifically for this method of Spey casting, utilizing a short, heavy head and accommodating heavy sink-tips like the T-14 and large, weighted flies. Enroll in a Great Lakes Steelhead Spey Casting and Fishing School and learn the many techniques in becoming a more successful spey fisherman. As it specifically relates to fly-fishing for Alaska’s king salmon, Spey casting is only beginning to catch on, but advancements in equipment, along with casting styles that are tailored to North American waters and the Pacific’s anadromous fish, make it seem like the techniques are here to stay. “The efficiency and effectiveness of both casting and line control are absolutely maximized. As Hugh Falkus suggested in his seminal work on Atlantic salmon, these conditions are eventually encountered everywhere, and while most anglers are proficient with a number of overhead casts, the ability to roll, switch, or Spey cast remains woefully neglected, usually to the angler’s detriment. https://flyfishusa.com/blog/Spey-Rod-Steelhead-and-Salmon-Fishing Professional salmon fishing guide advice on the ever changing styles and rod actions that Scottish and global salmon fishing is subjected to and why nothing beats the traditional Spey action rod for ease of casting, salmon fly presentation and the enjoyment of using and playing a salmon … In contrast, the majority of Alaska’s steelhead streams don’t require the longer two-handed rods, primarily due to their short coastal nature, with anglers more apt to be prospecting pocket water with standard nymphing techniques than laying out long casts and swinging flies through extended runs. Plus, it’s just plumb more interesting.”. Steelhead Spey Fishing, located on the Salmon River New York, also include spey and switch rod casting and fly fishing lessons for trout, salmon and Atlantic Salmon. Spey rods are longer to accommodate the different casting techniques and feature extended handles for placement of both hands in making the cast. Only a few of the state’s most productive steelhead rivers, like the Thorne on Prince of Wales Island or Kodiak’s Karluk, really lend themselves to the use of a two-handed rod at all. It puts rods, reels, lines, knots, and mental toughness to the test. “From the wading angler’s perspective, you can’t do any better,” says George Cook, an industry manufacturer’s representative who has been teaching Spey-casting clinics from the Pacific Northwest to Tierra del Fuego for the past fifteen years. The answer is to Spey. As Don Thomas illustrates elsewhere in this issue, kings require specialized gear and techniques, neither of which are particularly pleasant for the anglers involved. Once you get over that, it’s real easy to learn.” He also states that while no one can likely learn to cast from a book or DVD, it’s usually a good idea to have one or the other handy for reference after an initial bout of lessons. We all have the “spey… They come in a variety of tapers as well, from Scandinavian to traditional Spey actions, which should be paired to the style of casting and fishing to be employed. The single Spey cast involves the formation of a single loop of line over the water, to one side of the angler, prior to the forward cast. The traditional Scottish Spey cast has to be fully understood to be conducted effectively and part of that is watching the Spey cast… George Cook, who teaches classes geared towards Spey fishing for Alaska’s kings as well as his regular casting clinics, explains that the recent advances in equipment design greatly aid the angler looking to make the transition to the two-hander. That 'slooshing' sound represents a loss of power stroke energy that should have gone to the fly! If your 'lift' has been high enough and your 'swing' smooth enough then you should be in total control of the positioning of the anchor point. See for yourself why spey casting and fly fishing has grown in popularity throughout the North America. Spey casting is a fly-casting technique that most likely developed during the mid-1800s on Scotland’s River Spey, where bankside trees and other obstructive foliage makes overhead casting unlikely if not impossible. Spey technique is also used in saltwater surf casting. After the great success my young lad had at the casting clinic put on by the Perth club I’ve decided to take him with me on my annual trip up to Helmsdale to fish for the grilse. You can also see why they’re so alluring to fly fishers looking for a challenge. Spey casting is a fly-casting technique that evolved in Scotland in the mid 1800's. 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