Spey Casting

In recent years Spey Casting has evolved into three distinct regional styles.  The original, classic, Scottish style has been joined by the Scandinavian, "underhand" for casting short shooting heads, a style that suits their deep, fast, cold rivers.  More recently the "Skagit" series of casts were developed for Steelhead fishing on the North West Pacific-coast rivers of the USA and British Columbia, specifically the Skagit.

These newer regional casting styles are now becoming part of mainstream Spey casting.  The classic single and double Spey have recently been joined by the snake roll and variations of the snap T, such as the circle cast.  The Skagit casts are used with shorter, heavier heads to cast heavy sink tips and big flies. These casts rely on a long waterborne anchor to load the rod.  The SnapT, and its variations, the Circle cast or Snap C, work with large flies and can be used as an alternative to the double Spey in a confined space, while the Perry Poke works as a safe alternative to the singe Spey and will dig out and recast heavy sink tips and large flies.

Underhand casting a shooting head certainly makes fishing a very fast sinking line, very much more comfortable.  It relies on a long leader, 15' plus, to provide the anchor point in what is basically a single Spey but the final delivery is performed predominantly with the bottom hand. 

The same set-up has found a use when saltwater fishing and will enable a long cast to be made where a back-cast is not possible because of rocks etc.  A double handed rod can also have an advantage over a single handed.  For example, after stripping in a fast sink shooting head or weight forward line, it can be rolled out and then lifted off and recast overhead in one go. The extra length also helps with line control or to hold the line clear of breaking surf.