Casting Lesson

[briansII]

If you don't count hours of watching videos, I've self taught myself how to do various spey casts. I've had some in person help, but no official cast lessons. Not being one of the gifted types, I spend/spent a lot of time trying to be proficient. I hit a road block on a particular cast, and for the first time, I decided to get some professional help........for spey casting. I chose an instructor that I felt could best teach me this one particular cast.

FYI, the cast is called single spey. It's been the most difficult fly cast I've ever tried to learn. Simon Gawesworth(Rio Flyline)confirms it's the most difficult cast to learn in his Modern Spey Casting video. For the few spey junkies on the forum, the rod is a 14' 8wt Meiser, and the line is a 7/8, Nextcast Winter Autority 70(62' head).

The lesson only lasted an hour, but I can't even begin to measure what I gained in that short time. Not going into the boring details, but now I can accurately diagnose some of my faults, and have the tools to fix them. Prior to the lesson, I was clueless, and continued with the bad technique. I stayed on the river after the lesson and fished the run. No hookups, but my casting was much more consistent, and I was able to make adjustments to fix flubbed casts. It was well worth the time and $$ it took to travel for the lesson.

Classroom


Pencil & paper


Pre lesson meal(combustible)


Trip notes.

The 4th of July weekend on an urban river is an interesting study of alcohol and it's effects on human behavior.

The 4th of July weekend is not a good weekend to take a road trip.

Meat bees can fly into the tops of Simms wet wading socks.

Multiple meat bee stings/bites are painful, and have a lasting, pain, swelling and itch effect. Day 3 and no relief.

Ballast Point Sculpin is really good beer!

briansII

[WanderingBlues]

Ballast Point has a limited release Sculpin w/chili pepper. Don't know why they'd mess with perfection.

[atomicfly]

oh MAN! i climbed over a fallen tree once and meat bees swarmed my head. i fled like a girl. 3-4 points on my scalp hurt for days...

eric
fresno, ca.
(my apologies to girls, it's just a colorful figure of speech)

[briansII]

Ballast Point has a limited release Sculpin w/chili pepper. Don't know why they'd mess with perfection.

I saw that on their website. I'm not into enhanced flavored beers, but their barrel aged stuff looks interesting. Scuplin is about as good as I've had in my short time trying IPAs.

oh MAN! i climbed over a fallen tree once and meat bees swarmed my head. i fled like a girl. 3-4 points on my scalp hurt for days...

eric
fresno, ca.
(my apologies to girls, it's just a colorful figure of speech)

I always thought "meat bees" were hornets, but I found out they are wasps. How that one found it's way into the small opening at the top of my wading sock sock I don't now. First sting didn't hurt so bad. Felt like I had a sticker poking me....then the real pain started. By the time I got the b@$&*d out of my sock, it nailed me a couple more times. Today it looks worse than the day I was stung. Nothing a benadryl and double shot of jack wouldn't cure though.

briansII

[WanderingBlues]

Ballast Point has a limited release Sculpin w/chili pepper. Don't know why they'd mess with perfection.

I saw that on their website. I'm not into enhanced flavored beers, but their barrel aged stuff looks interesting. Scuplin is about as good as I've had in my short time trying IPAs.
briansII

Sculpin is very good. Cask aged IPA's are like getting a secret key to enter a lair known only to the heartiest quaffer's of ales. You'll never be the same.

[midger]

Brian,
Congrats on "climbing a new mountain"!

Sorry about the bee stings, but didn't the Sculpin help any? You're right it is a great IPA--one of my top 20 favorites. I do like it, but then I have an affinity for IPA and double IPAs. Have you tried the Odell's Myrcenary?

Keep casting!

[Ming Moua]

I agree will Simon Gawesworth that the single spey is one of the most difficult spey cast to lean and execute because the anchor is a touch go verses Skagit casting where all cast utilizes a sustain anchor... It takes a lot of practice to get the timing and the anchor to be position ready for the forward cast.... weather you want the cast to go 45 degrees down and across or broad side. In that sense, anchor placement is critical for the single spey....

BTW that is a beautiful set up Brian ....Looks like that NorCal river is low too...

Ming

[briansII]

Brian,
Congrats on "climbing a new mountain"!

Sorry about the bee stings, but didn't the Sculpin help any? You're right it is a great IPA--one of my top 20 favorites. I do like it, but then I have an affinity for IPA and double IPAs. Have you tried the Odell's Myrcenary?

Keep casting!

All this talk of IPAs has me thirsty. I have not tried Odell's, but if I can find it locally, I will. Thanks for the heads up!

I agree will Simon Gawesworth that the single spey is one of the most difficult spey cast to lean and execute because the anchor is a touch go verses Skagit casting where all cast utilizes a sustain anchor... It takes a lot of practice to get the timing and the anchor to be position ready for the forward cast.... weather you want the cast to go 45 degrees down and across or broad side. In that sense, anchor placement is critical for the single spey....

BTW that is a beautiful set up Brian ....Looks like that NorCal river is low too...

Ming

I didn't want to ingrain any bad habits on the single spey, since it's so technique and timing sensitive. I took the lesson from a tournament caster(he won his division at Spey O Rama this year). Not that other instructors couldn't help me with that cast, but I thought he would be well versed since that is the cast they use in competition. It helped a bunch that he is a good teacher too.

[Ming Moua]

I agree bad or old habits die hard and is the last thing you want in fly casting....Once your casting is affected by one it's hard to get rid of.....Glad the guy was a great help...

[meb]

Funny timing of your post as I just decided that I need a very specific casting lesson. I returned last night from an 1800 mile jaunt up to Southern Oregon to skate flies over steelhead (I hooked three and landed two), but I probably could have risen more fish if I could have made better casts and presentations. My problem was getting enough stick or anchor on my double speys especially when I was standing on a rock above the water.

That said, I've had a few spey lessons and they were worth every penny.

I usually spend the night in Sacramento on my way up to Oregon, and a few times I contacted Bill Lowe about getting lessons while I was in town, but our timing never worked. Too bad.

Good luck with the single spey.

Mark

[briansII]

Funny timing of your post as just I decided I need a very specific casting lesson. I returned last night from an 1800 mile jaunt up to Southern Oregon to skate flies over steelhead (I hooked three and landed two), but I probably could have risen more fish if I could have made better casts and presentations. My problem was getting enough stick or anchor on my double speys especially when I was standing on a rock above the water. Many of the spots didn't have any room behind to create much of a D loop, so I needed to set up farther out in the water and slowly get set (or I'd pull the anchor out of the water) before doing more of a roll cast. I didn't do a very good job of it. I was fishing a 5126 and could shoot 15-20 feet of line, but when I needed to shoot any more the cast kind of fell apart.

That said, I've had a few spey lessons and they were worth every penny. I wish I had joined you for a lesson on eth way up north. I get my lessons at the Long Beach Casting Club from a couple of great casters and fishermen, but it's on a pond, not moving water. I usually spend the night in Sacramento on my way up to Oregon, and a few times I contacted Bill Lowe about getting lessons while I was in town, but our timing never worked. Too bad. Maybe I'll join you next lesson.

Good luck with the single spey.

Mark

You're the second person today that I've talk to(well.....not really TALKED to)that just got back from swinging flies in Oregon. Congrats! ......I need a different job!

I'm not sure of wind direction, or river right/left, but the Poke Ming shows in a different thread, is a really effective cast. You won't get looong casts with the anchor that far in front, but you should get good distance. BTW, I have a large rock I stand on when my local is running high. Definitely takes an adjustment.

Bill was an excellent teacher. I never took a "lesson" from him, but I learned a lot from fishing with him. I miss the guy.

FYI

The Bill Lowe Simms Solarflex has arrived!

This was one of Bill’s favorite shirts and we could not think a better technical piece of clothing to honor him with.

Whether you are swinging for Shad on the American River in triple digit heat, or using it as a layering piece on the Klamath this Fall, The Bill Lowe Solarflex will make you the “Master of Cool”

There are 3 mens colors to choose from, White ($50), Slate Blue ($50), Blue Cloud Camo($60). The woman's Solarflex is available in Reef Script Print ($50).

These shirts are available through our shop, Fly Fishing Specialties at 6360 Tupelo Dr, Citrus Heights, CA 95621. (916) 722-1055.

100% of the proceeds from these shirts will go to the Bill Lowe Memorial Trust.

These are available in limited quantities so don’t wait..

There was no better Steward of the river than Bill Lowe. Help us keep his legacy alive.

Thanks you for your support.
Photo: The Bill Lowe Simms Solarflex has arrived! This was one of Bill’s favorite shirts and we could not think a better technical piece of clothing to honor him with. Whether you are swinging for Shad on the American River in triple digit heat, or using it as a layering piece on the Klamath this Fall, The Bill Lowe Solarflex will make you the “Master of Cool” There are 3 mens colors to choose from, White ($50), Slate Blue ($50), Blue Cloud Camo($60). The woman's Solarflex is available in Reef Script Print ($50). These shirts are available through our shop, Fly Fishing Specialties at 6360 Tupelo Dr, Citrus Heights, CA 95621. (916) 722-1055. 100% of the proceeds from these shirts will go to the Bill Lowe Memorial Trust. These are available in limited quantities so don’t wait.. There was no better Steward of the river than Bill Lowe. Help us keep his legacy alive. Thanks you for your support.
[color=#000080][/color]



Sizes are limited in blue and camo.

briansII

[briansII]

While I'm here, I might as well update.

The sting area is driving me crazy. It is/was swollen and ITCHY. I scratched it so much, I now have a rash there that is even ITCHIER!!

Had another Sculpin, and then a Lagunitas IPA. For me, no comparison. The Sculpin rocks it.

briansII

[Richard W T]

hahaha! yeah I decided to stay away from the crowds and rivers on the 4th.