We are incredibly lucky to work with the finest batch of guest spey instructors in the world, during our spey instruction weeks at Alaska West and BC West.
Brian Niska is one of our gurus, teaching casting at both of our northern locations. The owner of Whistler Fly Fishing, Brian is one of a rare breed who’s not just a great angler or a fishy guy – he’s truly passionate about teaching, and it shows.
Today we’re starting a weekly series of spey casting tips from Brian. If you like two-handed rods, we think you’ll like what Brian has to say.
Set Yourself Up for Success
Nothing about spey casting is rigid, making it key that one approaches casting in an easy and relaxed manner. Wade shallow and cast with the knees comfortably bent, in an athletic stance with the right foot forward (if you’re a right-handed caster). Casting with the knees bent facilitates better movement of the hips, to smoothly and efficiently generate maximum rod load during the sweep. If the cast feels smooth and easy, you know it’s going to be a good one.
Don’t think that wading deep is the answer to getting a little extra distance on the cast. A deep wade decreases the vertical distance from the rod tip (while in the firing position) to your anchor, the place where the line grips the water at the bottom of the D loop. The few feet you may gain by wading out further will often be lost in the cast, as the deep wade reduces the height of the D loop and negatively impacts its shape and size. In most cases, wading to knee deep is the ideal compromise between getting out in the river and maximizing casting performance.
Learn from Brian
Brian is hosting 4 weeks of spey fishing and instruction with us this year – two at Alaska West and two at BC West. Half his time with us is sold out, but we’ve got some space available at each location. Drop us a line to learn more.
I often like to only wade out? to top of my Simms boots!