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Spey flies & trout

7K views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  AJS Reels 
#1 ·
Like many of you, I enjoy exploring our sport in various ways. I've taken a great interest in Spey flies as they up the challenge for catching fish. I find that only to be true however because they are more difficult to get down deep.

The seasons here are tough but strong in the spring and fall. Summer is a good time for Spey flies as the clarity is more consistent and the water flow lower and slower. Water is high and fast in spring so weighted flies like clousers & leeches etc are common for swingers. I relegate to clousers. That said when conditions or river stretches allow for shallow productive water Spey flies are fantastic

Then there are Spey flies that are weighted with a bead in the middle.

Surely for me, I could use a heavier tip but shorter in length say 3-6feet and shorten up my tippit to 2-5feet

That being employed yielded me good results but not as good as a clouser

Orange is the color this year. It's downright unbeatable in any clarity or conditions

This has been the best 8 months fishing of my life

My trial on using big flies for big fish has yielded records this spring in four different species. Could be simply coincidence however

I've also used Spey flies I'd never consider and they were received with smashing results to my great surprise. I hope the summer and fall keep pace

What are your experiences?
 
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#2 ·
There is a fly called "Bretts Klamath intruder" it's the smallest intruder type spey fly I've seen, tied on a 15mm shank I think, comes in Orange, black, etc. I haven't used it yet, but it looks like the Orange one would be perfect for your application. It's tiedby Aqua flies, beautifully tied in my opinion. Going to try it on the Klamath and trinity in coming weeks, looks like it would work great for trout to me.
 
#4 ·
You have a good eye :)

I picked up four of those to test. They are nicely done given the size although slightly sparse imo but satisfactory to get the job done I would think. It's representative just how lucky we are that they are available to us! Also I think it may illustrate the success of the design
 
#3 ·
This has been the best 8 months fishing of my life

My trial on using big flies for big fish has yielded records this spring in four different species. Could be simply coincidence however
The above says it all! Good for you :smokin:

I can't offer to much on fishing "Spey" flies this season for trout.. stuck with tried and true BIG Streamer on full sinking lines and.. light line dry flies.

I do really enjoy swinging for trout and home front water is well suited for it. Working on casting.. as always. Have a couple sweet light 10' Scott rods, 6wt and 5wt, 3.4 and 2.7 ounce.. Grand fun working with these.

Took my best Streamer fish to date Tuesday 06-07 ..3 minutes above the take out. Only possible by keeping focus through to the end.
 
#5 ·
Congratulations!

Can you walk us through it gunner? Would enjoy hearing a good fish tale :grin2:
 
#6 ·
Ok, I have tried to hold off responding but I just can't do it. :) The traditionalist in me is about to vapor lock. I can live with flies with long flowing hackles and I can even live with Spey inspired flies but not Spey flies.

No self respecting fly worthy of the term Spey would ever be caught dead with a bead in its body. And then, the term Spey Intruder was thrown out. Oh the shame! The pattern in question is certainly not a Spey and I strongly suspect not even an intruder. If there is a naming convention more abused than Spey it is Intruder.

Geordie Shanks and Syd Glasso are turning over in their graves now. Oh wait, apparently Glasso didn't tie Speys. ;)
 
#7 ·
We spent a few days on the D late August last year. It had been a hot dry summer, the White was fouling up Mack's so we decided to head up for a 3 day drift praying that a few fresh fish were in the upper river (it had been a long hiatus for me that summer so I just needed to get my line wet). Other than a couple of skinny hatchery fish, we were a tad early for steelhead, but to my pleasant surprise, the Redbands were slamming the swung fly, especially big intruders. We lightened up to 4-5wt switch rods and enjoyed a couple of 20 fish days with a few of those fat, aggressive trout were getting close to the 18" mark - it was the most fun ever had with a 2-hander, let alone for trout...
 
#9 ·
Nice Marty, I think wet flies are a brilliant and effective fly genre(?) and thank you for taking e time to clarify the details that separate the intruder and Spey

Sinktip,

I don't think anyone here would disagree with you. It is important for historical accuracy as well as to know what one is talking about when we refer to a specific fly "design" especially if you're talking to a knowledgable angler who is looking back at you like you must be on the tail end of a night long binge or just an ass who doesn't know river left from river right.

That being said, I'm sure you would agree that when those of us ignorant (such as myself) and others who might mistake one fly style for another misconstrue Spey flies with Dee flies and the like, it might be forgiven as the intent isn't deliberate. And we rely on experts like yourself who have been around to keep us honest and on tact as to which is which and the finer distinctions

As flies "evolve" or rather as new designs based on long proven traditional flies innovate (usually in an effort of being more effective at catching fish) things can get convoluted or blurry as to what exactly is what.

So sure it might be irreverent to consider a non winged dee fly with a brass beed in the middle sacrilege, it can also be highly effective if used properly.

I consider flesh flies and egg patterns unholy, so my hypocrisy appears to be alive and well :) however I and likely you, don't fish for my dinner fortunately. If I did I might not be so decrimnating :wink2:
 
#11 ·
So sure it might be irreverent to consider a non winged dee fly with a brass beed in the middle sacrilege, it can also be highly effective if used properly.
Here again a slight disconnect. The wing is what sets a "Dee Style" fly apart from other flies. I think we got lazy and just started calling Dee Style flies dee flies. We have a bad habit of lumping flies into spey, dee, and even intruder that don't belong there. The Intruder mixup is on the mend and now for the most part it is understood what an intruder is. A little work on Spey and Dee is in order. Its a learning process and it does take a bit of research. Studying the classics opened a whole new prospective on fly tying for me. I have found referring to a fly by the targeted fish is far less confusing. I tie steelhead flies for steelhead, trout flies for trout, bass bugs, pike flies and so on. A Skagit Mist is a Steelhead fly, inspired by the Dee Style. You could call it a Skagit Fly and use a Skagit head and a Skagit cast to present it to the fish, I prefer to just call it what it is, a steelhead fly.
 
#12 ·
The "Dee Strip Wing" is one form of "Dee" fly. We all associate "V" wing as a Dee fly, however this is not the case. A "Dee" fly is a fly used on the Dee, Deveron and Don rivers, was created for these rivers and within the area or region.
Did you know the Blue Charm and Mar Lodge are "Dee" flies ?? The Blue Charm was created for the Cairnton Beat on the Dee and the Mar Lodge is a sporting lodge outside of Breamar, the upper most Deeside village, and was built for the Duke of Fife in 1885. You'll never use this info again, other than on the Speypages :hihi:


Mike
 
#14 ·
Here is the intruder next to a classic Lady C.





Here are three examples on the left of bead in the middle


 
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#16 ·
Do it up buddy! Be sure to show and tell :)

The bead is weight and a little flash

So far, totally ineffective! Hah could have been me though, I didn't give it a fair shake.

I was partial to some other styles that were making me blush as I was getting more action than Wilt Chamberlain :grin2:
 
#17 ·
Will give orange a go

Looked at Brett's Klamath Intruder and ended up with this, I always find I stray and forget elements in the tie :rolleyes: Never mind will give orange a swim this weekend see what bites :D.
Concentrating on home waters this winter so trout swinging/stripping it is, have had some positive results on rainbows which is encouraging but I really want to crack the code on big browns that turn up soon in the lower reaches of our rivers that key into big food items to regain condition post spawning, a lot of these fish are not slabs, just hungry!
Depending on the river or flow weapons of choice will be ACR 1175, CTS Glass 1136, Beulah Guide 6wt SH micro spey conversion.
 

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