11-12-2014, 08:44 PM
Dave, from my highly limited experience with it, and from those I know who do it more regularly, it is highly effective. Far easier to cover more water, and do so more efficiently. It's not for me (yet), but neither are strike indicators, nymphs, or lead. Just a choice on how I like to fish.
However, one cannot argue about either's effectiveness. If you want to cover water more efficiently, with less effort, in order to have the highest odds of hooking a steelhead or salmon (or even trout in larger rivers), then spey casting is often the way to go. I don't agree that its some fad. Its been around for some time, but like many things (fly patterns, bamboo rods, CDC), its become more popular because more people are learning more about it. It would die if it didn't work or have benefits. Looks to me like anything but. The majority of fishermen I saw in Oregon were spey casting, for a reason other than just the "cool" thing to do.
I'll admit it was pretty cool to do the roll thing with it, and then shoot a mile of line across the big river with about as much effort as rolling a couple of weighted nymphs with a bobber and some split shot. Actually, it was easier than that, and the thing went sailing! It has its place. If I were going back to Alaska to salmon fish, I'd probably really consider taking a spey rod or two.
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However, one cannot argue about either's effectiveness. If you want to cover water more efficiently, with less effort, in order to have the highest odds of hooking a steelhead or salmon (or even trout in larger rivers), then spey casting is often the way to go. I don't agree that its some fad. Its been around for some time, but like many things (fly patterns, bamboo rods, CDC), its become more popular because more people are learning more about it. It would die if it didn't work or have benefits. Looks to me like anything but. The majority of fishermen I saw in Oregon were spey casting, for a reason other than just the "cool" thing to do.
I'll admit it was pretty cool to do the roll thing with it, and then shoot a mile of line across the big river with about as much effort as rolling a couple of weighted nymphs with a bobber and some split shot. Actually, it was easier than that, and the thing went sailing! It has its place. If I were going back to Alaska to salmon fish, I'd probably really consider taking a spey rod or two.
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