About the Author

Joe Rotter

Joe is the "blogger in chief" here at Red's in addition to being our guide service manager and partner here at Red's. He is a father of 3 spunky children his wife Kelly can only be found fishing when the temperature gets above 85 degrees and the fish are gobbling up dry flies.

In addition to being a fly fishing junkie, Joe is a hard core bowhunter, is a volunteer Hunter's Eductation Instructor, and loves riding horses with his kiddos. Joe still guides a small part of the time but spends most of his time working on web marketing, travel, and helping customers find the right tools and information for the job.

Core Spey Casts and Some Knowledge

January 5, 2016

Hey anglers, here is a video that I filmed this fall on the Klickitat. I think there is some great info in the middle of this video, that isn't necessarily related to the 3 core casts that I want to teach you guys from River Right. This isn't all you need, but it will help. I implore you to invest in the Modern Spey Casting DVD set from RIO if you are serious about becoming good with a two-handed rod.

The same casts apply from River Left, but if you can get fairly proficient with these 3 casts you will be good to go. After that... just time on the water.

My suggestion for learning these IN ORDER. I have taught hundreds to spey cast and here are my primary tips:

Double Spey - This cast is your most common because you can use it on both sides of the river and it will always be with you. #1 tip is to ANCHOR WELL. You need to skitter that fly along the surface up to wthin 1.5 rod lengths of you on your downstream side.
Snap T - This is everyone's strongest cast for distance as they get beyond the total newbie phase. It is tougher when you have to cast "kackhanded" (this is casting off your left shoulder as a right hander or vice versa).
Snake Roll - As you progress this is a cast that you will use a lot. Your rod tip will essentially draw a lower case "e", you will then "touch 'n go" with the fly. There are some good videos out there for learning this. Just know that it is worth investing some time in learning it.