Hi, this might seem a strange question but I'd be interested in getting some feedback on casting distance. I have been flyfishing single handed rods for over 30 years, but early days (3 -5 months) into my spey experience. I was just wondering what would be a rough estimate, regarding casting distance for a 11' 6, 3 wt Redington Claymore, with a 300 Grain Spey lite scandi integrated, 24' head with a SA float mono shooting line? Thanks
Casting Distance
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Narralakes
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Yer just lucky I didn't get there until today!
We'll need video of your new Wallowa Lake World Record . Mine is on Instagram, not sure how to post it on here
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I want to see. Maybe you could post the instagram link
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Several commenters have answered this in their own ways. First, you should take some lessons. Better still is lessons plus going on a hosted trip that is centered around spey casting. You'll get instruction and lots of feedback. The instruction will impart a few basic principles you can follow. Second, you need to learn to cast long because you need to cast to where the fish are. Either you wade to them or you cast to them; them's the choices. If you can't cast long enough to reach the fish, it's just casting practice. That's o.k. but you could do that somewhere else at less effort and cost. Third, you need to practice ... on purpose. In most sports, practice is 80% or more of your activity and the actual game is less than 20% often less than 10% of your time. Find a river, pond or even a park lawn where you can practice single speys & other casts - even 30 minutes to an hour. Like any other sport, practice will accelerate your learning. And fourth, if you can, find a partner with whom to practice alongside. Often a partner, even of the same general ability level, can help you diagnose your casting errors. After that, it's just practice and time on the water.
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Nice!! SOR ‘26 next?
I also did not understand the casting as it's own enterprise thing. I have a CI friend who casts just to cast and enjoys it almost as much, if not more, than fishing. I just shook my head.
Until I really started getting into casting. Now I love it and go out to cast all the time. Sometimes it even cuts into my fishing time!
To each their own. There is an immersive quality to fishing a run that is absent when standing in a run practicing casting, or a lake practicing casting,
Or lawn casting etc.
Tie on a fly, fish it like “it matters” because “something could happen” and all of a sudden the rest of the world is gone
stand there stripping in metered line to see how much of it you used is the opposite of that. It prevents you from losing your self to the moment
so then if lost in the moment just before the grab is at one end of a continuum and and standing on a football field measuring casts is on the other end - and I only have 3831 hours of time left witha flyrod in my
Hand- you can bet I’ll spend as many moments of that time as far over toward that one end mentioned first
There have been a few suggestions to take a lesson which I would agree with. Coincidentally, I came across a notice for a 1 day school offered through the fly Shop in Redding, CA. One of the instructors is Chris King. I have not taken this class but have fished with Chris at a camp earlier this year. In my opinion he is an excellent instructor. Helped me improve my game even though I’ve been at this for a while now. If you have the time and resources I think a day like that would jump start your progress.
If you’re committed to Spey casting what’s a trip across the planet. I guess I missed that. Thanks for setting me straight.
Good suggestion though for anyone else looking for true professional guidance.
As a new spey caster (little over a year, and yessir I too love to just cast🤠) I came across the SA spey lite head as well, got one and tried it.
My two handed fishing in tidal estuaries is often about distance, and I had a hard time to let the SpeyLite rip a long way… too short with too steep of a taper, I think.
I got far better distance/turnover with heads that are a bit longer and have a more gradual front taper with a thicker tip.
And yes, as others stated, getting the timing down took some time.
For me the great scandi trick was to learn to lift/drift a bit at the end of the sweep, so that only the long leader touches as the anchor.
Once I got that, distance really improved.
Gus
My two handed fishing in tidal estuaries is often about distance, and I had a hard time to let the SpeyLite rip a long way… too short with too steep of a taper, I think.
I got far better distance/turnover with heads that are a bit longer and have a more gradual front taper with a thicker tip.
And yes, as others stated, getting the timing down took some time.
For me the great scandi trick was to learn to lift/drift a bit at the end of the sweep, so that only the long leader touches as the anchor.
Once I got that, distance really improved.
Gus
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This is a great point right here! If you can lay out just the head and everything is straight, you should be at about 50' all things considered.
So, I see no reason why 70' isn't doable. With a trout Spey, do to the lightness of the line (energy = mass x acceleration) and the lightness of the rods, I personally feel like 70-80' is where they top out at. Pretty hard to push a trout Spey any further than that.
But, the beauty of the trout Spey (and Spey casting in general) is that the normal casting distances, the 30-60' mark, should be very easy and relaxing to do.
To get back to your original question, I honestly think if you can hit 70-80' with a 3/4wt trout Spey, consistently with clean turnover, you have arrived at Troutspey Jedi master level. Anyone casting farther is just Chuck Norris level
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I really agree with having a fishing partner at a similar level as you. Having that set of eyes to watch you, even film you casting, is worth its weight in gold. It's always mind blowing to me to watch myself afterwards! The things I thought I was doing, I wasn't! And the things I thought I wasn't doing, I was!
Crazy how that works
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Yes, I am in Sydney. I have had one lesson and as the weather warms up, I will go up the mountains where the instructor is and have another lesson. I have watched lots of videos and try to get to the local estuary to practice each weekend, its quite addictive, even though the consistency isnt there yet. Thanks,
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I was fishing the Rapid River last weekend in Maine using an 11'-6" 3 wt Redington Dually with an Airflow Adapt 240 grain integrated switch line. For big brookies. 68 years old but relatively novice two hand caster. Short answer is a lot further than the guys with the 5-6 wt 9' single hand rods. Tossing streamers with SA sonar leaders and tandem dry flies with 12-15' tapered mono leaders. And in a few areas using a single hand cast with a gentle haul, I was easily able to fish the seam on the other side of the river. And I didn't need Ibuprophen for my shoulder after two days of hard fishing. Partially torn left and dislocated right from surfing in my youth.
For me, Spey casting is about fishing where I often don't have room behind me and ease of casting. If I need more distance, I will up the size of my rod. And like everyone says, practice, practice, practice and do more of what works for you and not what someone else does on a video. I see people do very effective and efficient things that are not taught but are unique hybrid casts developed out of necessity to fish a certain location.
For me, Spey casting is about fishing where I often don't have room behind me and ease of casting. If I need more distance, I will up the size of my rod. And like everyone says, practice, practice, practice and do more of what works for you and not what someone else does on a video. I see people do very effective and efficient things that are not taught but are unique hybrid casts developed out of necessity to fish a certain location.
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