Spey Casting

[Chris Shelton]

Andre, you are always welcome!

I've been lucky to have flyfished over the years in both 'traditional' (never tweed..), and also previously undiscovered, places worldwide.

Unless I boast or reminisce about these, no one will ever know - or care!

As always, I love your reminisces Chris. You really should write a book sometime, so much knowledge and experience, and beautiful writing style to boot....it'll be a crying shame to lose it all. Start from the beginning and pen it all down boet, then go back and fill in the gaps as other reminisces occur to you.

[chris williams]

Thanks Chris, maybe we should take a couple of years' off, base ourselves in some exotic fishing location, and write a joint book!!!

[Korrie]

To smoke that book, will be hectic.

[chris williams]

Korrie, I thought you would be first cab off the rank to rise to the fly!!!

[Ron Clay]

Spey and switch casting is as Chris says a form of roll casting, only you use a heavy line, up to AFTM 12. The power you need to cast a decent line is quite prodigious.

You might have noticed that the Yanks are now starting to make rods for spey casting, and they are talking about the style as if they invented it.

Actually Spey casting wasn't invented, it just evolved out of necessity. Many Americans are not too good at Spey casting because due to genetics, their arms are too weak.

[chris williams]

Only the Liverpudlians arms are weaker.

Especially as they're practising at not raising any trophies this year.

[chris williams]

'Practising' is so our weaker American friends will be able to understand what us 'Over The Pond' stronger-wristers mean by 'practicing'

As for my Vaal brothers (alaos no sisters to date), when I get this 'switch' rod, you can all have a go. Let's see how many mossies we can klap late at night above the gas lamp with a single Spey (malt.)!

[Gerrit Viljoen]

It's funny how most of the Spey dvd's I've seen advertised r produced by the Yanks.Why do u think that is?

[Ron Clay]

I think the reason for that is that they want the world to know that they think they can do it.

The New Zealanders have also been using a single handed style of spey casting for many years. And so have I.

By the way, practice this style of casting on the Vaal. You will need a fairly powerful rod, say a 9 weight and a fairly through action rod. Stiff tippy rods don't work as well.

[Richard Simpkins]

Hi all, on the topic of Spey casting , I had a customer in today who is going to Scotland to fish the Dee in September (lucky lucky bugger) and will be getting a Spey rod for the trip - question is who in Gauteng is able to teach them and me how to cast it - I am totally ignorant and really wouldn't like to teach some one based on observing you tube videos on my iPad thanks.