[ditto]

Just curious....a couple of years ago I picked up a 9' 8w fly rod that I have been working with on a couple of streams during fall salmon runs, and through the winter for steelhead....still haven't had a tonne of success with it, but it is fun to try. It is pretty good on smaller streams (Alouette, Norish, and upper Vedder), where I am covering short distances on a roll cast, because of trees there is never enough space for proper back casting. I find that on wider areas, and especially with a sinking tip, I can't cover enough distance with a roll cast (again to much close growth to back cast toward shore, and also too crowded).

I was watching a guy this fall fishing just down from me with a spey rod...really impressed with the distance he was covering with what appears to be a modified roll cast (forgive my lack of proper terminology for spey casting). Just curious if many people switch over to spey for bigger water, or just a longer heavier one hander. Also curious if Speys are any good on smaller water, or too cumbersome in tight confines.

 

[ambler]

You can those same improved roll casts with the single hander. Research a couple of spey casts and figure them out with the single hander, and you will be set. Maybe not as much distance as a spey rod, but more than you are getting right now.

 

[ditto]

Thanks. I will try and find a site that will show some of those techniques. I was out stomping around on the Alouette on Friday...was trying to copy what I remembered seeing the spey caster doing, and it did help...but again, I was on a small stream, so not really a great distance to try....planning to join up with the group on Jan 1....so I will try it on the Vedder then. Figure that there will be a few Spey casters out that day that I can watch.

 

[fishortho]

Get yourself some videos on flycasting or get a few lessons....so you don't practice the bad habits..You can lay out a pretty good cast with the single hander, but I am sure the spey guys will agree, the spey rod for the bigger water is a lot easier on the arms and back and your presentation is in the "zone" a lot longer, usually resulting in more fish!......Ortho 8)

 

[stone]

If you're mostly going to be doing a swing presentation with your fly, it's very hard to beat the efficiency of the double hand rod. Fly spends more time on the water, meaning you're fishing more. If you need to cast and strip your fly, then the single hander is the way to go. With the double hander, you need to keep the belly of the line beyond the tiptop, so stripping in your fly becomes a hassle.

It's just one factor to think about, anyway.

 

[eimaj]

Hey Ditto,

I'm kind of new to the 2 handed rods, been casting since the spring so I can make due but am not great. However speycasting a single hand I can do fairly well. So by all means come on out tomorrow and bring your rod, I'll have a couple 2 hander most likely so your welcome to try them out.

As for the 2handers versus a single hander, it's as others have said, more efficient, and easier on the arms. if your thinkg about smaller streams, you can get into a rod more in the 12'6" range in say an 8wt. This would be more than enough for anything from the vedder to the squamish, and everything in between. Also get yourself, and good skagit line like the airflow. If you need heklp getting some ideas for a package, let some of us on the board know :beerchug: