A while back we ran a poll on whether or not you like to hold a loop when swinging flies for andramous fish. We received a number of fantastic comments on many angler’s preferred swinging ‘style,’ and if you haven’t read them, we recommend you check them out! When it comes to swinging flies, personal…
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Spey
Spey Casting – The Lift
Many spey casting faults can be traced all the way back to the very beginning of the cast, that’s right, on the lift. It’s the lift that sets the stage for a well executed cast, yet it receives little attention from those looking to fine-tune their casting. However, we won’t waste time trying to convince you…
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Getting Your Brain Around the Grains
Our buddy George Cook is back with another great post on the finer points of all things spey. George is the Northwest rep for Sage, Redington, and RIO (along with other leading outdoor brands). He’s also been a dedicated spey bum for more years than we care to ask! Today’s topic? Understanding grain weights and how they…
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Spey Casting in Tight Quarters – Part 3: Less Overhang
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)…
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Spey Casting in Tight Quarters – Part 2: Back Against the Wall
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…
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To Hold a Loop or Not to Hold a Loop
It’s poll time here on the Deneki Blog! One of the most debated topics at our lodges is whether or not to hold a loop of line while swinging flies for salmon and steelhead. Some find holding a loop during the swing necessary to allow the fish ample time (with minimum resistance) to eat the…
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Spey Casting in Tight Quarters – Part 1: Casting Stations
When swinging flies for salmon and steelhead at our lodges, we’re pretty lucky in that most of the runs we fish consist of long, wide open gravel bars, devoid of obstacles, with virtually endless back casting room. It makes it pretty easy to get lost in the rhythm of cast, step, swing and repeat, and ultimately makes…
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Mending With Your Non-Rod Hand
Spey rods are cool. They’re fun to cast, allow for casts with limited to no back casting room, and offer the ability to throw the heaviest of flies and sink tips with ease. However, when swinging flies for anadramous fish, one of the greatest advantages of a two handed rod is the ability to mend and…
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Don’t be a Creeper
A while back we ran a post on creep, a common fly casting error, most often the culprit of tailing loops. However, creep isn’t only a single hand casting error, it wreaks havoc while spey casting as well! Alaska West guide, Jason Whiting reminded us of this fact while critiquing his own cast. Although if…
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Skagit Master – Now Available Online
We like skagit casting, and we love swinging flies for salmon and steelhead. So naturally, we’re big fans of the Skagit Master DVD series. Not to mention they’re full of long time members of the Deneki family! Roughly five years ago, New Water Media released the very first Skagit Master DVD featuring the Master himself, Ed…
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