Spey Casting & Swinging Instructions

Spey casting and swinging for trout has gone through a recent boom in popularity since 2015 on many of the Rockies fabled trout fisheries. While we don't have any anadromous fish that the spey methods were developed for in the rockies, we do have an abundance of excellent spey and swinging water scattered through the west that hold trout eager to eat a swung fly.

Best time of year

Greys Reef: MAY

Miracle Mile: Mid APRIL - Early JUNE

South Fork River: September-November

Snake River: July-Early August

Swinging the Miracle Mile

The Miracle Mile has from mid April throughout early July what I have found to be some of the best swinging scenarios a spey caster could hope for. Big yet accessible water with fired up fish and no floating grass or moss to get in the way of your swing. My favorite days of “trout spey” I have had are all on the Miracle Mile. To really narrow it down for people looking for that “best time”, the window from mid April throughout May is pretty hard to beat. Pathfinder Reservoir is still not completely full so anglers have “extra” runs to fish in the lowest reaches of the Mile. These lower runs are usually my favorite swing water. Big fish in big water! As the Pathfinder Reservoir fills up (usually starting in early June) the lower reaches of the Mile become lake, with moss and floating grass becoming a major obstacle for spey casters. While you can still catch fish swinging after mid June, conditions are not what I would consider ideal. On top of the grass, the very high flows anglers can expect during summer can take away from some of the runs “swing-y-ness” and make wading in big water difficult. Still doable just not what I consider ideal. Late fall brings back conditions favorable for the spey casters. Big browns move into the river to spawn and become targets of many anglers. These increased crowds steer me away from the swinging the Mile in the fall as much as I do earlier in the year. While fishing is good, the amount of anglers not considerate of spey anglers working runs can make for scenarios I like to avoid. Not trying to be negative just realistic! There are mid week days that can be awesome just know it can turn into combat fishing up there on the weekends. After all who doesn't want to catch big browns?

Swinging Grey’s Reef

Grey’s Reef does have a lot of great spey water as well depending on the time of the year. Once winter ends and the river rises, the fish spread out in feeding lanes, riffles, tailouts & in general they are in water spey anglers can successful swing. The month of May is my favorite time to swing the Reef. Fish are actively feeding on bugs, they are holding in good swing water and there isn’t much moss for anglers to worry about. Moss is the biggest obstacle to swinging flies successfully on this stretch, once its grown and widespread, spey fishing just becomes too frustrating. Once June arrives, higher flows making wading difficult. Anglers need to be comfortable wading deep and casting significant distances with heavy tips. Once summer has arrived and brought these higher flows and more importantly floating grass and weed beds, I am not crazy about swinging the Reef. I still do it but even throughout the fall the spey fishing just isn’t that great because of all the grass. Anglers looking to swing the Reef should really concentrate on the month of May!

When planning on a spey fishing trip I ask that people please be flexible. Wind is a spey caster worst enemy and some days there’s just no getting away from it. Theres usually some runs where one can put the wind to his or her back and still get it done but some days spey casting just isn’t going to happen or be all that fun. When I bring people spey fishing I usually take along the boat or at least use the boat to access good swinging runs and cover water. Being open to other methods of fishing on these days can usually help add some fun and bump up anglers catch numbers. Throwing an occasional nymph rig out there while in transit to the next good swinging run is a good way to mix things up and keep momentum going. I am very happy watching people swing all day but if the wind becomes overly obnoxious I ask that we have a team meeting & maybe adjust our days goals and roll with the punches and find other ways to have a good time i.e. “throw that nymph rig over there for a minute!” I’ve been told I’m a very optimistic guide but being a good guide means being realistic at times.

The recent availability of spey lines i.e. shooting heads, running lines, sink tips and trout spey weighted rods makes getting into spey casting for trout easier then ever. But if your not familiar with the equipment or have a friend to teach you spey casting it can be a little daunting for beginners trying to learn it all. But if you keep it simple, its a blast. Blasting a shooting head out of a fly rod and feeling a fish eat on a tight line is satisfying. Probably one of my favorite things to do! Between explaining the gear, proper set ups and how to use these set ups, theres a lot to learn. But remember its not rocket science!

Things you will learn!

• How to set up a balanced shooting head (spey) rod & reel.

  -Types of Running line

  -Types of shooting (spey) heads: Skagit, Scandi, Spey. Grain weights demystified

  -Types of sink tips. Why & when to use them

• Spey Casting/Swinging

  -Single handed and double handed rods (I have set ups for both!)

  -Snap T, double spey, perry poke, rewind, & kack handed cast

  -How to set an anchor & how to shoot a head (line)

  -How to manage running line

  -How to get a good swing & how to mend a swing

  -How to set the hook when swinging, I can explain that right now…just let them eat it!

I love teaching Spey Casting but I do want to clarify a few helpful things about this learning process, because everything about it is different. We’ll get you casting but don’t be in a rush!

• Spey casting isn’t the easiest thing to learn, I’ve watch some beginners learn it in 10 minutes & I’ve watch other experienced anglers still struggle with it after several weeks of casting

• Learning to cast & to swing is time consuming, its not something someone can explain in under an hour, view spey instruction as a learning session, its like golf your not going to be hitting par right off the bat.

• Spey fishing is fun, its more about the process of how you are catching that fish, and the tug of a fish on a tight line. Its not about racking up catch numbers. It is about being graceful and enjoying what your doing, its a much slower relaxed pace of fishing.