• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Deneki Outdoors Fishing Lodges

Alaska | The Bahamas | Chile

  • About Deneki Outdoors
  • Our Fishing Lodges
    • Alaska West
    • Andros South
    • Rapids Camp
    • Rio Salvaje
  • Deneki Blog
    • Alaska West
    • Andros South
    • Chile
    • Fish
    • Fishing Reports
    • Fly Tying
    • Gear
    • General
    • Guest Posts
    • News
    • Rapids Camp
    • Rio Salvaje
    • Tips
  • Contact Us

Jan 08 2015

Spey Casting in Tight Quarters – Part 2: Back Against the Wall

Kyle Shea Spey Casting for Steelhead
What bank? Photo: Nick Chambers.

Today we’re back with part 2 of our ‘spey casting in tight quarters’ mini-series of posts. Last week we kicked off the series with an explanation of how to use casting stations to work down a run shrouded with sections difficult or even impossible to cast from. Today’s topic? How to make fishable casts when backed up tight against the bank (or any obstruction).

When starting out, most of us are told that a huge advantage of spey casting, over traditional fly casting, is the ability to cast with minimal back casting room. While that is extremely true, many beginners find it disheartening to learn that some backcast room (even if only a few feet) is often needed to form a powerful D-loop, and become frustrated when attempting to fish anywhere it is not possible to wade more than a few feet off the bank.

It doesn’t have to be frustrating however. Here are a few tips to help make perfectly fishable casts with your back against the tightest obstructions.

Note: These tips are meant to produce fishable casts in tough conditions, but don’t necessarily reflect proper spey casting fundamentals. For some tips on getting your fly in the water in tough conditions, read on. For tips on basic spey casting fundamentals, click here!

  • Sweep Slow. A well executed sweep is the part of the cast in which the rod is loaded before creating an efficient D-loop. With infinite back casting room, a smooth accelerating sweep can create a powerful D-loop extending well behind the angler, providing maximum load on the rod. However, when backed up against a ledge or grassy high bank, a similar sweep causes the D-loop to extend behind the angler causing it to crash into the obstruction. Instead, try slowing your sweep down (we’re talking way down here). Doing so creates less momentum for the D-loop to extend behind you, giving you more room to cast. The downside? The rod is not able to load nearly as ‘deep’ and a more powerful foreward stroke is necessary to produce an efficient cast. Will this create the same lazer loops made from a cast stemming from a d-loop extending far beyond you? Probably not. But it should get your fly back in the water.. You know, where the fish are.
  • Try a Slower Rod. Contrary to popular belief, a slower action rod can actually be beneficial when casting in tight quarters. Take the tip mentioned above. When less momentum is present in the D-loop from a slower sweep, a more powerful forward stroke is necessary to load the rod. If using a fast rod, this takes a great deal of power to load anything but the tip section of the rod (not where the power is). On the other hand, if using a slower action rod, a deep bend is more easily provided with less effort, allowing a more powerful cast. As with anything, personal preference plays a factor, but we strongly suggest giving a slower rod a chance when back cast room is limited.
  • Anchor Placement. As with all things spey casting, proper anchor placement is pivotal to a good cast. In simple terms, the closer the anchor is to you, the further behind you the D-loop will extend. This is great for long casts, but not so great when casting room is limited. On the other hand, the further away (or closer to center river) your anchor is, the less your D-loop will extend behind you. Proper anchor placement is a pretty juicy subject to explain in full detail here, so why not watch a great explanation, in video form, here!
  • Get Good at the Poke. The Perry Poke is a spey fisherman’s best friend when it comes to casting in tight quarters. Quite possibly the most versatile cast, when combined with variations of other casts, the Perry Poke can be used on both sides of the body AND both sides of the river. But, best of the all the ‘Poke’ allows the option to set the anchor extremely far out in front of you with little effort, creating the shallowest D-loop possible. Master the Perry Poke and you’ll be surprised where you can put a fly.

Spey casting is an incredible tool when it comes to casting in tough conditions. Oh yeah, and it’s pretty darn fun too.

More on Spey Casting

  • Wade Shallow and Relax
  • Start With a Lift 
  • It’s All About the Sweep

 

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Keep Calm and Fish On | Don’t Worry Fish Happy says:
    April 10, 2015 at 6:00 am

    […] Back Against the Wall […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Plan Your Trip

Let our experts plan the fishing adventure of your dreams.
Contact Now

Search Topics

Subscribe to our newsletter

All Blog Posts

Recent Posts

  • 7 Most Popular Smoked Salmon in the World
  • Fly Tying: March Brown by Kevin Foley
  • Who Doesn’t Like Potcakes?- Support The Bahamas by Helping the Potcakes
  • Tips on Mousing for Rainbow Trout and Grayling at Alaska West
  • What’s Happening with Pebble Mine- Good News for Alaska

All About Spey

All About Trout

All About Bonefishing

All About Gear

Best Posts

Footer

Deneki Outdoors

Mailing address:
200 W 34th Ave.
PMB 1170
Anchorage, AK 99503

Office:
4451 Aircraft Drive
Suite 202
Anchorage, AK 99502

US Information and Reservations
800-344-3628

International Information and Reservations
+1 907-563-9788

Email: info@deneki.com

Our Lodges

Rapids Camp
King Salmon, Alaska

Alaska West
Kanektok River, Alaska

Andros South
South Andros Island, The Bahamas

Rio Salvaje
Puerto Montt, Chile

Deneki Outdoors thanks Peter Viau, Tosh Brown, Abe Blair, Kyle Shea and Kara Knight for the beautiful photography used on our sites.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

#denekioutdoors

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Copyright © 2023 · Deneki Outdoors · Privacy Policy · Site by 21 Designs