[Back Eddy]

One area I found and still do at times is the natural progession so to speak from SH flyfishing to the Uber World of Two Hand Fly Fishing

The greatest area falls in line with what are the basic casts to master that will lead to a solid foundation for more complex techniques.

Sorry this is very basic for a forum such as this however I see a ton of value for the less experienced in this wonderful world

As always thanks in advance

 

[fredaevans]

Just my .02 cents here only.

There are three casts; all else is 'fun and games.' Single/Double/and the "Perry Poke." Of the first two the Double seems to be the easiest for folks to 'get a handle on' for some reason. More time to set up the cast?

For distance its the 'single;' but when you screw up a cast that's where the Perry Polk really 'shines.' A great cast when you're using sink tips but the 'real deal' is this thing will rip a line right out of the water. Back on the rod tip, forward to straighten out the line, flop it back out there and let her rip!

fae

 

[SpeySpaz]

The single spey is a deceptively simple cast, but it encapsulates all of the principles of spey casting into one unforgiving package.

 

[fredaevans]

Got that right in one sumple sentance. Miselled al that on purpace.

The single spey is a deceptively simple cast, but it encapsulates all of the principles of spey casting into one unforgiving package.

Sorry having a bit of fun on the header. SS has it nailed.

fae

 

[SpeySpaz]

I only have the concept nailed, Fred. The cast itself is a bit more slippery.
:chuckle:

 

[Jabrowning24]

As most guys are starting with Skagit heads I would say the two most important would be a double spey and Perry poke (off both shoulders)

 

[fish0n4evr]

Absolutely, Ive noticed a progression also. At least here there seems to be ongoing interest involving single-handers and spey casting in general - whether conversion rods or single handed casting. I came into fly casting by way of the DH'er so I progressed onto the single. As far as anchored casting goes - the basic fundamentals of the spey cast still apply in every form: the lift, the anchor set, D loop 180-out. Learn the spey cast and you can pretty well apply it to most outfits without causing too much frustration.

 

[sinktip]

All you really need to know are the double and a snap T/circle Spey off both sides. Just the double will work as long as the wind isn't howling. The Perry Poke is nothing more than a double with a poke thrown in. Great cast but nothing significantly different.

I have always viewed the Double and Snap/Circle as bachelors level casts. If you want to go for your masters, learn the Spiral or Snake Roll. You can never be considered a PHD though until you master the Single.

I still use all of them, sometimes in a single run if I'm getting bored but for floating line 90% of my time is Single or Spiral Roll. For sinktip work, single and spiral and double intermixed. I will throw a Snap T or Perry in from time to time depending on restrictions behind me, limbs, wind, etc.

 

[Speyducer]

My 'natural' progression into the DHer world actually started with hand-line fishing on the coast (in the Middle East) when I was just 5 yrs old. I got a rod, reel & line when I was 7, using natural bait (worms) to tempt trout and chub in the UK.

When I was 11 or 12, with a good river on my doorstep with mixed fishing, I mixed it up with both bait and SHer fly fishing for trout, grayling, dace & chub.

It wasn't until I was in my 20's that I started with the double-hander for seatrout & salmon, but still had forays back into bait fishing for a variety of species, including carp and barbel, & SHer fly fishing for trout, seatrout, dace, chub & grayling.

It simply wasn't a big step to go from SHer fly fishing to DHer fly fishing, although it did take some time to teach myself the conversion from overhead to Spey casting.

I was only late in the game with shooting heads, trying these out around 30 years ago, but preferring the DT lines, and not using shooting heads much at all then. Eventually, about 10 years ago, with other fishing buddies nattering about Scandi shooting heads, I started with these, and a couple of years later I took instruction for Skagits.

Now, I fish almost exclusively DHers, but still mix it up with heads & full lines, as well as casting techniques, just to keep refreshing the muscle memory..


Mike

 

[Back Eddy]

I knew this

Thread would pick up steam. Working on the Double Spey and the Snap T Bill Low on You Tube is easy to follow

 

[Yelostn801]

Natural Progression

In the Mid 1970's I purchased a copy of Roderick Haig-Browns book "Fisherman's Spring", in it he states: "It would be an exceptional fisherman who developed for himself a spey or double spey. These are two of the most useful casts there are, yet one hardly ever sees them used here in the West - or anywhere else, for that matter, where singlehanded rods are the rule"..

I believe Fisherman's Spring was written in 1951, yet I had never heard of "Spey Casts" and I had nearly 15 years of fly casting under my belt when I read that chapter on casting in Fisherman's Spring. Roderick gives a pretty good explanation on the two casts in his book which he calls the spey, (which is the single), and double spey, but I've always needed to see a cast performed in order for me to replicate it. The casts remained on my mind especially when I was fishing in tight situations along the river, I always knew there must be a better way to handle the difficulties of high banks, trees and brush behind me, other than a Roll Cast. Through out the years I've bought several books on fly casting, but none mentioned spey casting in them, I could not find much if anything on these elusive casts and eventually I pretty much forgot about it.

It wasn't until I went to the Bulkley in the late 90's that I witnessed my first spey casts. I was able to get a grizzled old fisherman from Vancouver to show me the nuances of the casts one evening. We were both taking our boats out of the water when I noticed he had two spey rods in his rubber jet and I inquired about them. He took me down to the river and spent an hour with me showing me all the different spey casts. I walked away not wanting to buy a double handed rod, but seeing a whole world of casting problems going away with my single handed rod.

I did move into double handed rods shortly after, but the majority of my casting was trying to become an efficient caster using spey technique with my single handed rod. Getting any distance was always a challenge until Simon came out with his video and performed the "Turbo Spey" that helped immensely.

Learning these spey casts was a "Natural Progression" that has made me a more complete and competent fisherman. There are many people that have helped me along the way, but I will forever be grateful to Roderick and his book Fisherman's Spring, in bringing these casts to my attention, I only wish I had learned the casts as a young man, it would have saved me years of frustration.

Hank

 

[SpeySpaz]

My natural progression has led me backwards through the evolutionary tree of lines.
This morning it was fishing a DT as a fixed line. Very enjoyable, that

... till the breeze came up, anyway. River right; snakes, a few doubles, and a couple pokes, accompanied by cursing.

 

[chumbum]

A working double spey and c-spey will allow you to cast off either shoulder, on either side of the river...work into other casts after you have a handle on these...

I like teaching the c-spey first as the upstream shoulder cast, as opposed to the perry poke, because I think anchor placement is easier...I'd like to hear what more experienced instructors think...

 

[ibboone]

When I got my first spey rod I tried several different cast but never could get any of them to work properly until I start to use proper form. After I started following set of motions then and only then did any and all cast start to come together and now I am a semi-proficient caster.:hihi:

No cast are easier than the next until you have proper instructions.


As for my most used cast, for Skagit it would be the double spey. This seemed to be the cast I did for the last 2 days with a perry poke thrown in there when the anchor placement didn't go as planned.

When it comes to scandi. I prefer the single spey, but I don't do a lot of scandi.


Dan

 

[SLSS]

After futzing and flailing for a year or so, I was fortunate to sign up for a class with Lee Davison. I spent a lot of time doing a switch cast that day, and learning to get set in the firing position. He pointed out that all casts end that way, that once you understand that, everything else is just the set up for it. Or at least that's what I recall.

I learned the circle and double from Whitney Gould and Nate Koenigsknecht, and they are still the foundation of my casting.

Whenever my casting comes unglued, I'll try to make myself stop and throw some switch casts, followed by circles, and ground myself again.

 

[1spd1way]

best move eva!

I spent a half day with Todd at Kingfisher River Guides up on the Kennebec river in central Maine.
Very professional instructor. (Fun too). He brought his two spey rods and I brought my switch. I wish I had booked a full day. I will book another day in a month to fine tune what I was taught yesterday.

This was time well spent. Watching videos and reading forums can not compare to being on the water with an instructor. I am usually a DIYer but I could never have grasped the concepts on my own.

I have now gone down the "rabbit hole."

 

[TheEsoxulator]

The worst part about that rabbit hole is how affordable it is to tweak your setup especially on this site. I started the season with two heads, im not at 14!!! Sure 1 or 2 at 30$ is a great idea... but 14?!!

 

[voodoofly]

This was time well spent. Watching videos and reading forums can not compare to being on the water with an instructor. I am usually a DIYer but I could never have grasped the concepts on my own.

Right on.
Casting is a three dimensional endeavor.
Books and video are 2-D.
Reading forums is 1-D at best.
Keep at it.
Casting well is alot of fun between fish.
Gary

 

[speyforsteel]

The single spey is a deceptively simple cast, but it encapsulates all of the principles of spey casting into one unforgiving package.

Nailed it!!!!!!!
90% of my fishing casts are single speys.
Being proficient in the others is a good thing as you can't always use the single Spey.