Hi Folks.
I'd be really grateful if you could give me your opinions on a suitable line for single handed spey casting (single, double and snap T).
Recently i've found myself in situations where the double hander is just too big and theres very little back cast room available.
Now i must say I'm not doing this correctly as I've never been shown how, so i'm really using my single hander as a double by having my lower hand on the fighting butt, roll casting downstream to get my tip to the top then bashing out the forward stroke.
It goes out but not far........... I cant shoot much past the relatively short front taper of my current line (which is a cheepo i must admit).
Should I try a double taper or is there a weight forward profile you could recommend for this.
I'm using a 10ft 7wt daiwa wildernes XT and a 10'6" greys greyflex 7/8wt with this cheap 8wt WF line.

Thanks in advance

Rod

Rod,

I favour the Loop Opti Stillwater for single handed spey casting. Also, if you can get your hands on one, the TT Nymph taper is a cracking line. Although they are hard to find and I think you'd have to import one from the states.

As for distance, iot is worth getting that other hand off the fighting butt and really getting to grips with getting a good technique with the one hand. This allows you to add in a haul too which will aid distance.

The Rio I-Line is also a relativley short headed line and is worth a look. There are mixed reviews, but it was designed as an instructor's line - allowing SH Speys and overheads.

Enjoy though... it's all great fun.

Dave,

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Dave Wiltshire

River Fly Box

Roders, under normal circumstances I would recommend a switch rod and a skagit-switch head (less than 6m length ) but you ave already made the move and gone down the path of 1handed spey.

For real spey-casting with a 1hander then its worth having a look at the RIO LT, but you might find the head a tad long for really tight corners. The good old AirFlo Sixth Sense with its delta taper is also very good line for spey casting with a 1hander, if you however are really pushed for space and dont mind doing a few skagit-type casts then the Wulff Ambush is very good and the one I think I would personally go for.

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Hope you don't mind me asking, but would it be possible to spey cast on a stillwater, one guy I know uses some sort of roll cast but its more spey cast like but not sure what it really is?

Thanks
AL

PS. By the way having the name roll cast doesn't mean I'm good at them

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Thanks for the info chaps!!!
I'll have a look at the tapers of these lines and see how they compare.
Regarding the learning how to single hand spey properly your absolutely right.... I'm due a double handed lesson soon so think i'll combine the two.

As for spey casting on still water just have a bash!! mines pants but it does go out far enough to catch........ usefull if you go somewhere the tree lined banks that are always free of other anglers. It does help if you can ware wellies and go out a foot or so, just to give you better scope of a correctly (ish) positioned anchor.

Rod

I'd recommend not using 2 hands for your single hand Spey cast. It doesn't help...

May I say that it's probably not the line?

I do a lot of single handed spey and certainly the line makes a difference but you should be still be able to get a long cast out of most balanced rod and line combinations if you have decent technique - at least 70 feet with that equipment. If not then you'll need to learn either through videos or someone who can show you the technique. If you can already do these casts with a double hander then there shouldn't be a problem but I find using hauls on the spey casts are very beneficial on single handed rods.

If it's short single handed speys up to about 25m then the Rio iline is very good. For long casts or with with heavy flies I personally prefer the Rio Steelhead which is a specialist spey casting line.

Malcolm

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The thing is if you use two hands then it isn't a single hand spey cast


Brian

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A.P.G.A.I. Instructor
Trout: Wary of signs revealing the presence of a human being,or of abnormal conditions to his modus vivendi: Ritz

@Roll_Cast - well to start off with technically speaking a roll cast is a spey cast!

I fish a 2hand (well switch rod actually) in the Baltic for sea trout & cod most of the time and I spey/u-hand not overhead cast. So yes go for it!

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