It’s time for part 3 of our mini-series of tips on spey casting in tight quarters. Today we offer you a simple but often forgotten tip among many two handed anglers. The next time you find yourself short of casting room, try casting with less overhang.
Most modern spey lines (we’re talking mostly skagit and scandi heads here) are designed to be cast with a certain amount of overhang; the amount of running line outside of the rod tip during the cast. If you have chosen the right line for your rod, the ideal amount of overhang could be anywhere from six inches to four feet depending on your particular stroke.
However, after finding a comfortable amount of overhang for a particular setup, we’ve found many anglers are reluctant to stray far from that ‘sweet spot,’ even in tight casting conditions. But, when you’re in a pinch for casting space, shortening the amount of overhang is a great way to reduce the size of a d-loop that would otherwise be sent into the brush behind you.
So, the next time you’re cramped for space try stripping in and casting with less overhang, even if it requires casting with a foot or more of shooting head in the rod guides. Will it cast as well as with your preferred amount of overhang? Probably not. But it should cast well enough to get the fly in front of the fish.
Good luck out there!
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