I have the opportunity to go salmon fishing for a couple of days next week.
My fishing mate has all the equipment double handed rods etc.
The river to be fished requires a spey cast for any chance of success.
Trouble is I have never spey cast in my life.
I can cast a fly reasonably well, but not using this discipline.
What should I do?
Try and get a bit of practice first?
Wait until I am sure that I can cast proficiently and go some other time?
Just go for it? - nothing ventured nothing gained.
I am really looking forward to it-I think I will just go.
What do you think?

Go for it ,nothing ventured nothing gained ,if a casting lesson could be taken over the next few days do that , could be worth contacting the glasgow casting club .
If nothing else have a look at spey casting on Youtube .
Have a great time !

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Andy Wren
Winter grayling taking a year off !
Claret not just a great dubbing colour!

Just go for it? - nothing ventured nothing gained.

Remember that most times you'll get away with a Roll cast,Which is nearly a single Spey cast .

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Get your buns out ther m8.
You would be surprised how many "spey cast" waters can be covered adequately by a reasonable overhead cast!!
regards
bert

I thought that the reason for the double handed rod and the spey cast was
because the salmon fly is weighted .
Wouldn't be easy to cast with a single hand fly rod.
Looks like we are going on a trial run first to one of the main rivers tributaries.
Don't want to spend big bucks until I know what I am up against.

The single and double Spey cast were invented to fish areas where it was not possible to overhead cast because of obstacles close behind the caster,ie:-trees or a high bank.also allows you to fish safely with a heavy fly/awkward wind.

Jim

__________________
The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Just go for it. Beyond the casting thing, how could you not? I mean, take it from a guy who doesn't live within 1000 miles of the nearest sea-run Atlantic salmon, if you've got the chance to go, then freaking go! What real angler would turn down a shot at Atlantic salmon? C'mon.

A forum member generously took me for a day on a Scottish salmon river and before that I'd never picked up a double handed rod in my life, much less laid down a Spey cast.

He gave me a brief on the water lesson and I beat the hell out of a couple of flies, but with a little practice I was able to quickly improve my casting from terrible to just bad in the course of an hour. I eventually progressed from bad to fairly bad. Which, for me, is probably as good as it's going to get.

But here's the thing. About an hour and a quarter after picking up the rod for the first time, I had a salmon in the net! Sometimes good luck and having a fly in the water overcomes bad casting and no experience. The think is there's casting and then there's knowing what to do when you feel that bump-bump on the end of the line.

You'll never know if you don't go!

Grouse

You have convinced me----- I'm going.

definitely go for it. And dont be scared to ask anybody you see down the water to give you a few pointers if they look half decent at spey casting. They may not give the best tution but i am sure they would go over the basics with you and this should will make for a more enjoyable day.

Hey if that is your concern, any #8 weight 9 to 10 foot long trout rod will adequately cope with salmon flies!!
give it a go with rod you are comfy with!
regards
bert