Don’t set until you’ve got a steady pull. Perform two small mends to give your fly a chance to flow naturally. Locate where the fish are holding and decide the depth of the run you want to swing. During the swing the fly gets deeper as it comes across. Use a floating line and an eight- to 10-foot leader. They feature a top and bottom grip to […], Often referred to as the “traditional wet fly swing,” the basic technique is really pretty simple. Let the fly swing across until it stops below me, again following the line’s speed with the rod tip. Steelhead Anglers who swing flies, are well, pretty crazy. http://www.redsflyfishing.com/Fly-Rod-and-Fly-Reel-Outfits-Complete-with-Line-s/165.htm This is Part 2 in our "Fly Fishing Steelhead for Beginners" series. Wading further out into the river even a few steps can slow your swing speed down just enough to spark the fish’s interest. Learn when and where to catch steelhead, Pacific salmon, and Atlantic salmon, how to choose tackle and flies for them, and the best way to swing a fly over their lies. Enter Outdoor Canada’s 10th annual photo contest. Slow the fly way down." Whether this action imitates an insect rising to the surface or a fleeing baitfish, it remains a deadly way to present flies. Only towards the last 1/3 of the swing did the fly get deep and out of sight in the deep green water. Although insects do not swing across currents, fish don’t seem to care. Here’s why. Equipment Terminology Spey Rod -designed for Spey casting. Hmm, that also coincides with when the fly is deepest! Outdoor Canada associate editor and fly-fishing columnist Scott Gardner is happiest when he's on the water fishing (especially from his kayak) or just surrounded by trees, preferably out of cellphone range. ; D-Loop -The aerialized portion of the line behind you during the Spey cast.Makes a visual D-Shape. Just send me a message with “Fly Tying Class” in the subject line. Cast across and slightly downstream. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from one of the best. To slow your offering and keep it in the strike zone longer, you may need to mend the line upstream. Why swing trading you may wonder? Do stand directly upstream to the area you want to swing your fly through (the TZ) and begin by casting your fly line at roughly a 45 degree angle downstream to the left or right of the TZ. This is effective, but tricky. As two-handed Spey casting has exploded in popularity over the last 20 years so, too, has the technology available in the manufacture of two-handed (Spey) rods. The current will quickly begin pushing on your line, forming a bow, or “belly,” which speeds your fly through the water. 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Beginner Spey Casters. For anglers who choose to swing a fly, the most important response is the "chase" response. Every fly fishermen gets excited when a large streamer begins to swing through the current. Lead the fly into the soft current until it stops below you. How to Perform the Swing: Cast your line at a 90-degree angle across the river. No special gear is required for the wet-fly swing, though longer rods in the nine-foot range make it easier to control the line. A few casts later, I was releasing a seven-inch rainbow, followed by several more. Follow us on social media and keep up-to-date with Canada's fishing and hunting authority. A few reel manufacturers have looked at this over the years and engineered fly reels to move the point of balance back and closer to the point of rotation / the wrist. The term "swingweight" (or "swing weight") is well established in many sports which use a bat, club or racquet. Lower your tip and track the fly as it … Today, the dominant method of subsurface fishing is nymphing, where great care is taken to dead-drift the fly as naturally as possible with the current. Blue Fish Radio: Fitness secrets from an expert who trains pro anglers, The #1 tactic for putting big reservoir walleye on the ice, 12 of the year’s best Canadian outdoor adventure photos. As you continue to move your rod tip toward the bank, your fly will follow. October 9, 2020 by Zack Williams SPEY 101 What is SPEY Casting? You will be sent an opt-in email to confirm that you would like to receive emails from us. Anchor – The portion of the line/leader that remains in contact with water during the Spey cast. Dry flies are typically fished upstream and allowed to drift in a natural manner, but the wet fly can be fished in several ways; upstream, downstream, across the river, and with or without rod action. Two-fly rigs are also effective with the wet-fly swing. I also like to fly-fish, hike, hunt, ride the ponies, walk the dogs and enjoy life. The greased line method allows for this same swing. If you haven’t checked out the Wet Fly Swing Podcast, I wanted to share a great resource where we had an entire season 4 focused on interviewing great fly tying guests. I was close to quitting when our club leader, French teacher Mr. Damato, strolled into view. Because flies are swung on a short line—typically 20 to 30 feet—and there’s no weight or bulky indicator on the leader, casting is a breeze. Follow the fly with the rod tip, mending as necessary, and let it swing until it hangs in the current below you and begins to rise. But the real-life river was nothing like in the books, and I had no idea where or what to cast. If a standard swing or dead drift doesn’t draw any strikes, try presenting the fly so that it starts to rise just as it reaches a good lie (a technique known as the Leisenring lift). A powerful stop of the rod, keeping your rod tip high, will ensure that the line, leader and ultimately the fly will straighten. Maintain a straight line to the fly. Steelheaders and Atlantic salmon anglers especially favour the technique, but it’s effective on any river-dwelling fish that will take a fly. Soft hackles are simple to fish. Kick a … 8.) A couple weeks back, for one of my Saturday Shoutouts, I showcased a great fly fishing article on MidCurrent titled, Beyond the Swing by John Likakis. Recipe & video: Scrumptious smoked-steelhead pizza—from scratch! Wade across, well upstream of the pool, to position C and swing your fly into the outside seam by casting to the same positions (6 through 9). Here’s a killer how-to video from the Orvis Fly Fishing Learning Center, in which Tom Rosenbauer introduces you to a style of fishing that’s not as popular as it once was, yet it’s no less effective.. Did you know that 90% of all hits are in the last 1/3 of the swing. However - added weight anywhere on the fly rod, like adding a fly reel also increases swing weight. I much prefer the slower, more relaxed pace of swing trades. Our Bob Clay Bamboo Rod Building Masterclass is open to students! It’s a key success factor and lets you cover faster water that normally wouldn’t appeal to wet-fly anglers. 11 hrs. Swing trading gives the positions time to work. I had always just cast the wet fly across and down, mend it a couple times and then let it swing across the current. No special gear is required for the wet-fly swing, though longer rods in the nine-foot range make it easier to control the line. THE WEIGHTIEST ISSUE Weight is key. By signing up for our newsletter, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Kings want a long, slow, steady swing. I’d spent the previous winter tying flies with my school club and reading all I could on fly fishing. But there is a much better way to fish soft tackles. Below is some terminology so you have a little background knowledge of what you’re going to need. Therefore, a pull-slicer should try to swing like a push-hooker, and vice-versa. With ye olde wet-fly swing, however, the force of the water pushing the fly line—the dreaded “drag” in fly terms—causes the fly to dart across the current. The Swing and Strip for Fly Fishing. "This time, make the longest cast you can, and then throw four big mends in the first moments of the swing. But as we’ve learned more about aquatic insects, and how trout feed on them, this technique has fallen out of fashion. Face Position Over Swing Path "Clubface position has a bigger influence on direction than the path of the swing," Andrisen said. Use a hurry-up offence, Gary Cooper from Nice Fish TV shares his 5 favourite B.C. Dead-drift the fly over the lip and into the pool itself. Swing trading gives me the freedom and flexibility to do more of the things I love. Often referred to as the “traditional wet fly swing,” the basic technique is really pretty simple. That was my introduction to the wet-fly swing—a simple, classic technique that has rarely failed me in the almost three decades since. See All Orvis Learning Center Fly Fishing Video Lessons. If you notice a downstream belly forming in your line as the swing comes across, simply mend the line by gently and carefully removing the portion of the line that is starting to belly and replacing it back on the water with an upstream movement of the rod. These Outdoor Canada readers find out, 4 cool new outdoor accessories for the season and beyond, Outdoor Canada’s 2020 holiday gift guide for anglers and hunters, 3 great numbers (and one that’s not so good) about fishing and hunting in Canada, Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation expands its family membership plan, Alberta to allow new coal strip mines that could kill four blue-ribbon trout rivers, Recipe & video: Roasted blueberry-pepper elk tenderloin with sweet and spicy sauce, Recipe & video: Scrumptious duck schnitzel with a hearty potato sauce. Swing the Fly Magazine December 28 at 5:40 AM "The need to “match the hatch” was a facet of trout fishing with fli ... es that intrigued me the most as a young angler and still abides as a source of entertaining and satisfying challenges. Examples include the … Spey casting is a fly casting technique dating … It's a great read for any angler wanting to become more competent and effective at swinging flies for trout and other species. With the wet-fly swing, the fly is in action the entire time it’s in the water, making the technique a fast, efficient way to cover large sections of river with numerous fish-holding lies. It is in particular associated with its namesake river, the River Spey. Letting your line swing across the stream allows you to cover more water. A good technique is to cast diagonally across the stream and let the fly swing down in the current without drag. Don’t worry about perfection – make a few big mends to keep the line straight, and then just let ‘er swing. Hearing I’d struck out, he took charge. As always however, safe wading takes precedence over swing speed. To work the pool’s inside seam, cast to 6 and allow the fly to swing. They can range from about 11′ up to over 20′! 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