If you're fishing with one of these modern day 'talent compensator' washing lines and a stiff broom pole action rod then this is going to be a tricky thing to achieve unless you're very gentle with your lift and swing. Spey casting tips and fine tuning from one of Scotland's top professional casting instructors and salmon guides. While beginners might be in awe of big water like the Nushagak, Alagnak, or Kanektok—those classic-type Spey waters—that 95% can put on a Skagit Line and a hunk of T-14, a Super Prawn or a Jumbo Critter, and be casting 45 to 70 feet on Willow Creek, the Kasilof River, or a similar road-system king fishery and be catching fish the evening after a morning class.” As that begins to happen and other anglers get a chance to see the effectiveness of the Spey rod for Alaska king fishing, we can only expect their popularity to continue to grow. First to embrace the two-handed rods and Spey-casting techniques on the West Coast have been the steelhead fisherman of British Columbia and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest, where the long, powerful rods have excelled on mammoth rivers like the Deschutes and the Dean, the Thompson, the Skagit and the Skeena. Spey casts are also ideal for handling and fishing extremely heavy sink-tips on the swing, a definite boon for down-and-across salmon anglers. Great Practice for Steelheaders. Spey casting is used for fishing large rivers for salmonand large troutsuch as steelheadand sea trout. Individual fish routinely exceed 30 pounds and can grow much larger. Spey rods are longer to accommodate the different … “In Alaska,” Cook concludes, “because of the range of rivers and water types between Southwest and Southcentral, it’s different than it is for other major Spey fisheries. Spey casting is a fly-casting technique that evolved in Scotland in the mid 1800's. Troy Letherman is the editor of Fish Alaska magazine. This will give you a consistent forward delivery casting advantage and will counteract the depth adjustments often experienced while wading down through a salmon pool and allow every forward delivery to be an absolute peach! This allowed for the development of lighter, … “Books and DVDs can be important learning tools to perfect your technique, but the best step to begin is to take some lessons, as there’s no substitute for on-the-shoulder help.”. I’m going to … George Cook, who teaches classes geared towards Spey fishing for Alaska’s kings as well as his regular casting clinics, explains that the recent advances in equipment design greatly aid the angler looking to make the transition to the two-hander. Simon Gawesworth of RIO Products says there’s another factor that has made the use of Spey rods seem less than mandatory in Alaska. We live and guide rivers in the Pacific Northwest and have tons of first hand experience setting anglers up with flies, leaders, sink tips, shooting heads, and rods for both salmon … Spey technique is also used in saltwater surf casting. Spey Casting Schools and Instructions are are available on the Deerfield River, Salmon River, Miramichi Rivers and others throughout North America by Walt Geryk. This one is for the steelhead bums out there. “The efficiency and effectiveness of both casting and line control are absolutely maximized. Phone: +44 (0)131 618 7058Email: jock@salmon-fishing-scotland.com. Spey fishing for steelhead, salmon, trout and atlantic salmon with Walt Geryk. Enroll in a Great Lakes Steelhead Spey Casting and Fishing School and learn the many techniques in becoming a more successful spey fisherman. They come in a variety of tapers as well, from Scandinavian to traditional Spey actions, which should be paired to the style of casting and fishing to be employed. Spey fishing for king salmon is not for the light hearted. If you're Spey casting and hearing a continual 'slooshing' sound as the line lifts off the water then you've given the line too much time on the surface of the river. That and more has made the technique popular everywhere from its birthplace on the rivers of the British Isles to the Atlantic salmon fisheries of Northern Europe, Iceland, and eastern Canada. Steelhead Spey Fishing, located on the Salmon River New York, also include spey and switch rod casting and fly fishing lessons for trout, salmon and Atlantic Salmon. “From the wading angler’s perspective, you can’t do any better,” says George Cook, an industry manufacturer’s representative who has been teaching Spey-casting clinics from the Pacific Northwest to Tierra del Fuego for the past fifteen years. 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