What is Spey Fishing?

Spey fishing is one of the most idyllic styles of fly fishing. It's often cold, the river is quiet and the trees are barren. A coupl...

Spey fishing is one of the most idyllic styles of fly fishing. It's often cold, the river is quiet and the trees are barren. A couple of anglers working a slow and steady piece of river, making majestically long casts with near perfection. It strikes a note for many. We love spey fishing here at Big Y Fly Co. It is what we do more than trout fishing, more than bass fishing, more than just about any other type of fishing that we can do around this area.

What is Spey Fishing?
Spey fishing is a type of fly fishing that uses long, two-handed rods instead of a more traditional 9' rod. The rods are typically 11'-14' and come in a variety of line weights. We will call them two-handed rods for this article.

How Does this Spey Thing Work?

For the most part, anglers "swing" for steelhead. They cast across and slightly downstream and let the fly swing across the current until it is directly downstream. Then the angler takes a couple of steps downstream and repeats the process. If the cast is the same angle and distance as the previous cast, it can be a very efficient way to cover the water.

What Species Will I Catch?
Spey fishing developed in the Northern Atlantic. Anglers in Norway, Sweden, and Scotland used these long rods to catch Atlantic Salmon for hundreds of years. (The name comes from Scotland's River Spey). In recent years, rods and lines have been developed in the Northwest US, and designed more towards Pacific steelhead anglers. While steelhead angling takes up the bulk of the two-handed effort, anglers often target other sea-run (anadromous) fish such as Chinook, Coho and Chum salmon, as well as striped bass and Atlantic salmon. Anglers also fish for trout and just about anything else that can be cast to with these rods, although most two-handed fishing is still done by steelhead anglers.

What are Switch Rods?
There is no official designation, but most two handed rods under 12' are considered to be switch rods. There is no difference between the construction, purpose or action of an 11' switch rod and a 12'6" spey rod. They are both two-handed rods, and the casting motion is the same. It is a preference, but the distance needed to cover the water has a big factor on what rod is used. A longer 13'6" may be a bit overkill for fishing a small river, and an 11' rod is a little short to be hitting those uber-long casts all day on the big rivers like the Deschutes, Skagit or Snake.

What Weight Rods are Used?

While the length of the rod greatly affects the type and weight of the line that can be used with it, we still have some more familiar types of rods. Spey rods that are used for Pacific steelhead are going to be six, seven and eight weights. This is similar to what an angler would want to use if they had a more traditional 9' rod. A 6wt rod is going to be better for smaller fish, a 7wt is going to be a great all around size and an 8wt is going to be better for bigger fish.

It's all Seasonal
Unlike trout, steelhead migrate seasonally from the ocean. These are called anadromous fish. Much of the Northwest has summer-run and a winter-run steelhead. Summer-run fish start coming into the rivers in June and can be found through November. Inland Pacific rivers like the Grande Ronde or Snake River in Idaho can hold summer steelhead all the way until March. Because it takes them much longer to get there, they often don't start showing up until the fall. The seasonal subspecies is designated by when they enter fresh water, not when you are fishing for them. Some of the best summer steelheading can be found in the middle of January, and there can be great winter steelheading in April when it's clearly springtime.

A Winter Steelhead caught on a cold, rainy day

Winter-run steelhead start entering the rivers in mid-December, and will run sporadically through March. They do not travel as far inland (up the Columbia River and it's tributaries) as their summer run brethren, and they tend to be harder to find as they can enter the river, spawn, and then leave within a week, while summer fish tend to stick around for months. Some summer fish enter the fresh water in May and will not spawn until the next March, while winter fish tend to spawn withing days or weeks of entering the river.

Summer run steelhead are typically smaller in size than migrating winter steelhead, but are more numerous and more apt to take a fly. Most anglers use a 6 or 7wt two-handed rod for summer fish.

Winter run steelhead area also referred to as unicorns by those that live and breathe winter steelhead. They exist in very low numbers, don't want to be seen or caught, and they tend to show up when the rivers are high and muddy. You can go months of fishing hard and never see one. They also tend to disappear within a few days of arriving. Until one is landed, many anglers doubt their existence at all, hence the unicorn label. Most anglers use a 7 or 8wt for winter fish.

What lines do I use?

Skagit Head, Running Line & MOW Tip

There are two primary types of two-handed lines, with a couple of other options that get some love. The two main types of lines are two or three lines used together. This is called "component line system". The "head" is the weighted part of the line and is typically 20'-40' in length. Every weight forward fly line (including all trout lines) has a head to it. Two-handed heads have loops on both sides and must be attached to a running (or shooting) line. Trout lines have the running line integrated to the head. to make one long line.

A Skagit head is the most popular type of head for two-handed fishing. It is what most anglers learn with and use more often than other styles. The "head" is short and heavy. Much heavier than a traditional line, a Skagit head can weigh twice as much as a line meant for a single hand rod of the same weight. Skagit heads require a weighted tip to complete the line, as well as the running line. Most anglers use a MOW Tip from Rio, but there are other options.

Skagit heads are really good at casting sink tips and big flies. Winter steelheading almost always requires a Skagit head with a sink tip, while summer steelheading can be more flexible with line choices. Many anglers choose to use a Skagit in the winter and a Scandi in the summer.

A Scandi Head and Running Line

A Scandinavian (Scandi) head is similar to a Skagit head, but is lighter weight and has a more gentle presentation. Scandi heads are typically used in the summer. Sink tips are optional, and infrequently used with Scandi lines. Steelhead will eat a smaller fly near the surface when the water conditions are right, usually when the water is warmer in the fall. Anglers like Scandi lines because they are light, easy to cast and have a nice, gentle presentation, while Skagit lines tend to be heavy and a little splashy with the presentation.

Switch lines are used for non-traditional techniques such as nymphing and casting upstream. These are used more frequently in the Great Lakes area, but nymphing with a two-handed rod is becoming more popular. Switch lines can be used with most two-handed rods, whether they are considered to be a switch or a spey, although our shop experts still prefer a nice 10' single hand rod over a two-hander for throwing an indicator rig.

Can I use my trout reel?

Comparing a single hand and a two-hand setup.

I mean a 7wt is a 7wt, right? Well, no. A larger reel is required for two reasons. The first is that the extra length in the rod will require more weight in the reel in order to counter-balance the rod. The second reason is that a typical Skagit head for a 7wt rod will take up more space on a reel than a full 10wt tarpon line, so we need the room as well as the weight. The good news is that with a head system, you won't need any spare spools. Most anglers will choose a reel that will comfortably hold a single-handed line that is 3 sizes heavier than their rod. So I am looking for a reel that holds a 10wt standard fly line when shopping for a 7wt two-handed reel. Most reels that are appropriately sized will work fine. We don't require a super-expensive, sealed drag or anything else for steelhead fishing. A reel that holds line and won't fail is the key. A nice, fancy reel is nice, and if you do any saltwater fishing, it can double up for that, but again, it is not necessary for steelheading.

So I will catch more fish this way?
No, likely not. Swinging a two-handed rod is a beautiful way to fish. The long casts, the quiet solitude, and the concentration are all perks of swinging a two-hander, but if all that you want to do is catch a steelhead, there are more effective ways to do it. Anglers like it because they are not dealing with bobbers, tangles, messy casts, split shot and all that other stuff. A two-handed angler gets one shot to cover that water, one cast behind that rock and then a step downstream. It is an efficient way to cover water, but not the most effective way to catch a steelhead. They sell bait at the gas station if you really want to catch a fish.

Why Spey Fishing?

There are a multitude of reasons that anglers gravitate towards two-handed fishing. On one hand, you will likely catch less fish than if you fished a nymph rod. That is not really debatable. One advantage is wear and tear, (or lack of) especially on the shoulder. Two-handed casting has allowed many anglers to begin fishing again after having to give it up due to a bum shoulder. It is much easier on the body as the cast is compact with slower arm motions.

Other anglers like two-handed casting because of the cast itself. A nice cast will fly out of your rod with little effort. Bombing long, straight casts with consistency is very rewarding. Even if you aren't catching anything, every cast is a learning experience as you approach whatever you consider to be that perfect casting stroke. It never ends. You will always be chasing improvement. If your Snap-T cast is darn near perfect, then it's time to work on the Perry Poke cast instead. (These are all tweaks on the roll cast that we use. Don't worry about the different types of casting just yet.)

Another reason is more personal. It is the rhythm of the activity. There is something hypnotizing about it. Cast, swing, step and repeat. Each cast involves the same motions. Strip the line in 6 times, make two loops, form your cast the same as the last and throw it the same distance and angle. Listen to the river running by you. Focus on the silence and the tautness of the line. Every cast, there is a small hope as the fly hits the water and then swings through the zone. That tingle in your arms slowly fades as the line swings to a stop. Then the hope flows again as you step and cast just a few feet downstream. This can go on for an hour or more as you work a run. It is one of the most peaceful experiences that I know about.

My buddy's wife said she doesn't get fly fishing. She always asks us if we are going to go stand in the river near each other and never say a word and likely not catch anything. Yes, we say. And through all of the silence, our friendship grows with every cast.

Spey casting doesn't have to be hard. The cast itself is actually pretty easy. The gear doesn't have to be confusing. Once you see it, it is pretty simple. The thing is that two-handed fishing is sorta the deep end of the pool. We are here to teach you how to swim in that pool.