Written by Yos Gladstone with Brian Niska
Over the past decade the approach on how to 'tackle' the rivers of the Pacific Northwest has slowly shifted. From the Deschutes to the Dean, from the Skagit to the Skeena the insurgence of double-handed fly rods and spey casting is ever increasing on our local waters.
Spey casting can be described as 'lazy guy casting'. Some purists may not take kindly to this connotation but spey casting really is all about covering big water with relative ease and minimal effort.
Maturing into a competent spey caster will bring new joys to your world of fishing. Initially you'll be able to cast farther and throw heavier lines and flies — two handy components when it comes to finding fish. Dedicate yourself to becoming a better spey caster and you'll soon find yourself covering new stretches of water previously unattainable with a single-handed rod.
Conquering the initial intimidation of learning something new and the flailing irritation that can accompany it are both stepping stones of spey casting. Like all good things becoming a proficient caster is going to take time. There are, however, a few important steps you should take that will ease the learning curve.
When gearing up ensure you find spey gear that is suited to you and the type of fishing you enjoy. Your local fly shop should have some demo setups that you can try before you buy. Or, alternatively, look into attending a spey clave. Without getting into gear details, the general rule when looking at spey gear is to match the rod length to the head length. The head length, as in the amount of line that will be outside of the rod tip during the cast, should be about 3 ½ times the rod length. This simple equation will make for monumentally easier casting.
Fasten your wading belts, get your spey rod strung. Here are a few tips and techniques from expert spey casting instructor Brian Niska of Whistler FlyFishing in Whistler, British Columbia. He is confident they will assist in overcoming the angst of spey casting or, if you've already opted for a double handed rod, to get your casting to the next level.
1. Wade Shallow and Relax
Nothing about spey casting is rigid, making it key that one approaches casting in a relaxed manner. Wade shallow and cast with the knees slightly bent in an athletic stance. Casting with knees bent facilitates better movement of the hips to generate rod load during the sweep. Don't think that wading deep is the answer to getting extra distance as it shortens the vertical distance from your rod tip when in the firing position to your anchor, the place where the line grips the water. The few feet gained by wading out farther will be lost in the cast as a deep wade reduces the height of the distance from the rod tip to the anchor point, impacting the shape of the D loop.
2. The Down Stream Roll Cast
Becoming a competent spey caster involves getting a feel for how the fly line works in the water. Before beginning the actual cast, try flicking a roll cast downstream. This will do two things: it will lay the line straight and bring the line nearer the water's surface. As you become more in-tune with your casting and how the line acts during your swing, you'll find less use for the roll cast.
3. Start By Lifting
Begin your cast by raising the rod tip up in a vertical line from the water’s surface. Some call this move a 'shotgun lift', which implies the rod will be lifted very similarly to how one would lift a shotgun while shooting clays. This enables the caster to feel the weight of the line and gives much greater control allowing for consistent anchor placement.
4. It’s All About the Sweep
The sweep is the part of the cast where rod load is generated. The sweep should begin with the rod parallel to the bank. Raise the rod tip up vertically from the water and sweep the rod in a slightly ascending path around the front you. Keep your hands centered in front of you and turn from the hips. Once the rod tip has rotated around you in a full half circle, drive the line straight back 180 degrees from the intended target. An overhead view of the rod tip path should look like a half circle with a straight-line 180 degrees from the direction of the forward cast. Take caution not to dip the rod during the sweep, as this will induce slack. If the sweep is too short the rod tip won't move enough line to straighten the anchor resulting in a 'L' shaped anchor on the water rather than a straight line.
5. Slack Is The Enemy
When we cast we are trying to keep the line under tension. To avoid the formation of slack we need to remember to avoid dipping or dropping the rod tip during the cast. If the rod tip drops during the sweep or transition into the forward cast it will result in too much line stuck to the water. Keep the rod tip moving during the transition into the forward cast as a stop here will also result in a loss of tension.
6. Hands Tight to the Body
Keeping your hands close to the body will help reduce fatigue and will enable you to utilize the larger joints to develop power for the cast. Similar to a golf swing, much of the power derived for a spey cast comes, not from the hands, but from the turning of the hips and shoulders. Keep the hands close to shoulder height on the delivery to enable a straight line rod tip path for the forward stroke. If you accelerate the rod in a straight line on the forward cast it will result in an efficient tight loop. Raising your hands high above your shoulder will cause the rod tip to travel in an arc and will develop larger loops.
7. Watch the D-Loop
Watching the formation of the D-Loop will give a visual for the timing of power needed on the forward stroke. The D-Loop gets its name from the shape of the loop, which looks like the letter D on the spey back cast. Keeping focused on the D-Loop will get your shoulders turning, assisting with line momentum and create a sense of timing. When done properly the power application happens much more slowly than one would think.
8. Apply Power Progressively
The forward cast requires a progressive application of power. The cast starts with the weight transfer from the feet (right foot forward for right handed caster) and builds up through the turning of the hips and the shoulders -big joints first ( i.e. hip then shoulder then wrist). Think "no power before midnight,” meaning be patient with your power application, wait until the rod is vertical, 12 on a clock face, before applying power. Applying power too early in the stroke will cause the rod to unload prematurely and produce tailing loops.
9. Search for Smoothness - Slow Down, Quiet is Key
Slow the pace of your cast, one should never hear a well-executed spey cast as there should be no loud line or rod noises. A forward cast producing a loud 'pshew' noise is evidence that too much power has been exuded too early in the forward stroke. If the cast feels smooth and easy it is going to be a good cast.
10. Take a lesson and practice
Regardless of your level of experience consider taking a lesson from a FFF certified casting instructor. The trained eye of a professional instructor will quickly identify the components of your cast that need adjustment. Frequent short practice sessions are your best path to spey casting consistency.