[BeardedRecluse]

Hello everyone,

I've been throwing bugs on a single hander for a long time now, and I finally couldn't resist the call of chrome from just over the border in ID. I jumped in with an ebay win (T2H 12'6 6#) and I'll be taking a clinic in March over at Headhunters in Craiglandia. This site has already provided a ton of insight so that I can at least have some semblance of an initial knowledge base for said clinic.

Thank you all in advance for helping me stumble through this learning process.

Side note, the Clark Fork in and around town here looks like prime trout swinging water to my untrained eye...is anyone here doing this with any success?

 

[chief_n8dub]

Missoula

Welcome! Nice to see more folks from the valley joining this maddening hobby, I to am in the Missoula valley. You'll have to PM me some contact info and come out casting with us sometime. NATE

 

[GR8LAKES FLYER]

Welcome to the Speypages


Mike

 

[CSFT]

Welcome to the best fly fishing/fly tying site on the internet. Loads of good info and lots of great people. Sit back and enjoy the ride.....

 

[Randyflycaster]

I recently moved to Missoula. I was kind of surprised that spey fishing is not that popular here. (At least that what I was told.) To me, the rivers look like prime spey water, so I, at least, will be spey fishing. In fact, to go with my 12'6" spey rod, I bought a switch rod for Rock Creek.

Randy

 

[chumbum]

I was just swinging streamers on the Bitterroot week before last...caught a few fish...between powder days at LTP...

Lots of good spey water across MT...

 

[steelhead23]

No, no, no, guys, we can't just invite newbies into the water. A little hazing is required. So, Dear Bearded Recluse, what's the difference between a spey fly and a classic salmon fly (short essay)? Is the whiskey in your flask blended, or single malt? How far is it from the Rogue Brewery to the Rogue River? Answer carefully - you will have to defend your answers.

Kidding aside, how do you like that Scott?

 

[montanafos]

Nice to see another Montanan on here. Welcome to the forum. Great group of folks...

 

[time2shine]

Howdy! I to am from missoula ... surprising how many of us there are on here... tons of great swing water around town, even this time of year...i fish a lot with a beulah 12'4' 5 wt and have tons of success.. was just out today in the snow and the fishing was awesome!.. get out there and beat it up buddy.!! and if you see a redhead in an Elmer Fudd hat with a jack russel swinging your favorite run come holler at me!

side note: we all need to start bugging the local fly shops to start carrying more trout spey gear.. they are really dropping the ball around here..

 

[BeardedRecluse]

Thank you everyone for the welcome. Unfortunately, I am still waiting on a reel and line for my two hander. I'm holding out for an appropriately sized speyco to show up here. I could get a lesser reel to get started, but I just can't get those beauties out of my head.

Randyflycaster, I think spey casting isn't bigger here is because everyone in town seems to have at least two boats. However, for the boatless such as myself, I agree the water looks to be prime spey water.

Steelhead23, the intracacies between a spey fly and a classic salmon fly are only known to a select few who happen to reside on boards such as these. Said people generally only reveal what does NOT define either, rather than explaining what DOES qualify. Both are gorgeous works of art that I aspire to tie. The whiskey in my flask is bourbon. I assume, because you are asking, the brewery and the river are not in close proximity. Wait...did I stumble into the Drake forum? Kidding aside...I'm still chomping at the bit to cast this Scott. I'll let you know how it goes.

Time2shine, I too am surprised at the lack of spey resources in the town shops. They all seem to offer clinics occasionally but that is it.

 

[redband02]

Howdy and Welcome

I too started down the path to perdition by taking a spey clinic at Headhunters. I would also recommend that you sign up for the spey class with Whitney Gould and Mike McCune Spey Clinic at Headhunters April 29,30 or May 1. The class has a 3 to 1 ratio and you get some quality instruction. All day event. I took the class last year and what a difference it has made. It is all sustained anchor casting both river right and river left. Best $200 I ever spent on casting lesson. Don't want to beat their drum too much but I have been swinging on the Mo quite often this winter. Fishing and catching has been good. Headhunters has over 20 spey rods to try out and many more reels. you could borrow one of their reels and lines for your rod. It is important to try out different lines till you find one that works for you. The Headhunters crew is big into spey and you get good info from them. sign up for their news letter to keep up. I talked with the folks at Kingfisher in Missoula and they indicated they were moving more into spey angling. PM me if you want more info about the Gould/McCune spey clinic and I can call you and talk about it and or meet on the MO. Good luck on your road to hell (more rods, more reels, more lines, more flies, the list goes on). The other best thing I found was this web site.

TJ

 

[Rick J]

Mike and Whit are good friends and I have been fishing with them for a number of years. I would highly second trying to get into a class with them - no two finer casting instructors and Mike has been taking sustained anchor fishing for trout to a new level and was instrumental in getting the new micro heads developed at RIO

 

[chumbum]

I think Poppy down at the Red Shed gets a lot of Montana business. I know I can't drive past without stopping and grabbing a bunch of the salmon/steehead tying materials that the MT shops don't carry.

 

[Rick J]

Second the Redshed - amazing material selection and second to none service!!!!