Spey and roll casts

Walter & Group....

As most of you know, Dennis Grant is a true expert Spey caster and Two Handed Casting Instructor  He has been teaching Spey casting for many years at his Atlantic Fly Casting School in Nova Scotia.  I've learned a great deal from him and hope to learn more in the future !         Gordy

This is his instruction:

The problem with defining a spey cast is when we try to relate it to a roll cast.

 

The "Roll cast" as we teach it.

 

1. The rod is LIFTED into a close to vertical position with the line HANGING slightly off to the side and behind the shoulder of the caster.

2. The fly comes to a STOP.

3. Then we execute a forward cast.

 

The line only applies gravity to the tip of the rod. A change of direction of up to 20 degrees is easy to accomplish. You should STOP the rod in the vertical position until the fly stops moving towards you., You can roll the forward cast high over the water or you can roll it on the surface of the water.

 

You can make variations of the roll cast, live line, kick back, reach back, etc, etc, each variation needs it's own definition as it becomes  a different cast and used for different situations.

   

A single, double and switch spey cast has the following components.

1. The rod tip is used to form a D loop behind and below the rod tip

2. The fly, and minimum amount of line/leader, anchors in the water and does not travel behind the caster.

 

A switch cast has a minimum change of direction, a single spey is a change of direction cast.

 

Spey as  a  definition;  refers to a number of casts. In all of these 'spey' casts the line forms a loop beneath the rod tip during the back cast, and the leader or a few feet of the line, briefly touch the water’s surface before the forward cast. The contact of the leader and line with the water’s surface is referred to as the anchor or the grip, which allows the weight of the D loop to load the rod for the forward cast.

 

Generalizations have very little use as a  teaching method. Surgery may be; using a knife to cut into someone's skin ! Fly casting is getting a fly to a target. When we teach a 'cast' it takes more than one or 2 lines for the student to get the picture. When teaching (2 handed) spey the mental picture of the cast is extremely important.  

 

ALSO::  !! Making ‘spey’ moves with a one handed rod is not the same as spey casting with a 2 handed rod. The line may travel in the same configurations but the difference between one hand doing it and 2 hands on the rod are totally different.

 

Dennis

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COMMENT:  As you can see, Dennis has a way of making his instruction in a crystal clear manner.

 

Gordy

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