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Gordy, here is my take on this cast and task as a Candidate:
The Double Spey is a Sustained Waterborne Anchor cast meaning the anchor will be placed in the water for a length of time in order to maneuver the line to make the cast.
This cast is used when the wind and the current are going in the same direction. Meaning when you have a "Down Stream Wind".
The cast is made with the Down Stream Arm.
The ideal cast for the right hander using the dominate arm would be from the Right Bank of the river. Which is designated by when you are in the river facing down stream and the bank is on the right hand side of the caster.
The Double Spey cast can be used on both the Right and Left Banks of the river. If you are right hand and on the Left Bank you can use the non dominate arm as the traditional method, or use the dominate arm to make the cast, what is coined as the Cack-Handed method. Bringing the dominate hand across the body to the opposite shoulder to make the cast.
When performing this task I would do the following steps as a candidate when making the cast.
Step 1.) Candidate should face the pre determined target. As suggested 45 to 60 degrees most.
Step 2.) Candidate once positioned facing the target line should pivot his or her body to address the line position at the dangle. Turn and lean towards the line and the fly in the water or grass.
Step 3.) Candidate should have the rod low to the ground or water to make the proper lift, meaning raising the rod upward to initiate a smooth lifting of at least half the line off the grass or water before pulling the Anchor.
Step 4.) The Candidate should then pull the Anchor up stream by apply a smooth application of power, good body rotation, along with good weight transfer from one foot to the other in a uniform straight line configuration. The anchor placement should be set on the water or grass in the same configuration as it was pulled. Anchor should lay down in a straight line not crumpled or piled.
Step 5) The correct position for the Anchor would be in a location that is in alignment with intended Target that was pre determined by the candidate and the intended D or V Loop formation which would be formed directly away from the intended target. 180 degree rule!
Step 6) The candidate, after the proper Anchor placement, would then make the sweep from a low rod position approximately waist high out, and around in an upward elevated Belgium style to a high stop position at about 2 o'clock behind the caster with the rod hand about head height to create the D or V loop directly away from the target going in an upward direction behind the caster.
Step 7) The candidate should then bring the cast over the top for the forward cast to a high stop at the end of the forward stroke, to sending the line to the intended target. During the sweep and the formation of the D or V loop, the anchor on the ground or water should pirouette in place if done perfectly.
Step 8) After the forward stroke, the line should extend out to the target with a narrow loop formation, showing good turn over in the air above the ground or water, then float gently to the ground or water.
Step 9) The Rod is then returned to the rest position to complete the task and the cast..
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All the best,
Gary
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[GH] So as to leave no doubts; we must be clear that the Task 10 description clearly states: "Use a single-handed rod."
Many times, I get messages, calls or questions when I help candidate prepare for the MCI exam something like this : "Should I bring a two handed rod for the Spey part of the test ? "
...... Tells me the candidate has not even read the printed exam !
Some will ask about terms such as "top hand" and "bottom hand" which, of course, apply to two handed casting.
Others may become confused over terms such as "cackhanded" or "backhanded" (casting cross body over the non-dominant shoulder without switching top hand - I believe coined by Simon Gawesworth.) Simon has a very simple algorithm for when to use the Double Spey : D. Do the Double Spey with a Downstream wind .* As with the single Spey, this can be reduced to common sense by remembering to keep your D loop on the Downwind side.
Then we see terms such as, "reverse double Spey" and "Top-handedness" which really don't apply to this task since it is a single handed cast.
I don't know if some examiners will flunk this task for what has been called, "trunking". One excellent definition for this is, "A casting fault. The dropping of the rod tip low behind the aster when forming the back loop. This results in the "D" loop dropping too low behind the caster and contacting the water surface, causing excessive line stick" **
I'm sure those details would be covered in the THCI exam rather than the MCI test where the candidate is held only to very basic Spey casting knowledge.
* SPEY CASTING, by Simon Gawesworth, 2004, pp. 93, 225.
** TWO-HANDED FLY CASTING Spey Casting Techniques, by Al Buhr, 2006, pp. 72, 79.
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