Single Hand Spey Casting: Learn the Single Spey

Being able to Spey cast allows us to continue to fish in some very awkward situations. Even in places with some room, Spey casting avoids hanging flies up in trees and in bank side bushes.
In this series we will look at the Roll Cast, Single Spey, Snake Roll, Double Spey and the Circle Spey. I have simplified the instruction and stripped these casts down to their basics.
For anyone wishing to learn Spey casting for the first time, it's actually easier to Spey cast with one hand instead of two. We associate Spey casting with two-handed rods, but Spey casts can actually be performed with any fly rod.
In this example I'm using a G. Loomis NRX+ 8'6" 4 wt. lined with an AFFTA standard 4 wt. trout line. Specialized lines are not needed for Spey casting. The lines we have on our rods right now, will do the job.

[@lincolnprojectnemesis3253]

The best point was that nomspecial line or rod is required...we go fishing, not casting! Thanks for the simplicity and honesty about gear! 👍

[@se4000]

Would be great to see more single hand spey style videos in the future! Great tips.

[@davidmann1718]

Thank you

[@tornagawn]

Perfect, just what I need to know for small streams…

[@philipvankampen3394]

One thing I noticed, and it's a good thing, you lower your rod a little right before you go into the D loop. You didn't really cover this when you were breaking the cast down. Maybe that was on purpose, but it's worth noting.

[@hooked4lifeca]

It's something I do with varying degrees of lift and drop, dating back to when I used to fish a lot of full sink shooting heads. It's not mandatory with floating lines, more of a habit in this case. A high lift clears the line better, but puts the rod in a less than ideal spot for the D-Loop, which is why I drop the rod tip. The trick is to drop the rod tip, not pull line while doing it and yet still maintain line tension. If we drop and pull we get a crashed anchor. That's the reason why I don't cover it as it's too much of a finesse move to try and explain, while also explaining more basic things. The explanation would require its own video.

[@MS-we4wi]

Great instructional video. Do you haul when you do a roll/spey cast?

[@hooked4lifeca]

We can, just a single haul on the forward cast. We have to be careful not to blow the anchor if we get a tad enthusiastic on the haul. The single haul is a good technique to extract a high drag fly from the anchor.

[@MS-we4wi]

@@hooked4lifeca thanks! So the optimal timing for the haul would be in the forward cast, right after we get the line extracted from the anchor? When fishing smaller nymphs.

[@hooked4lifeca]

@@MS-we4wi I haul at the beginning of the forward stroke while the anchor is still well stuck. If we haul after the anchor has started to lift, it will blow and the fly will end up in the bushes behind us. Without the anchor, the forward cast will try to turn itself into an overhead cast with the fly kicking backwards.

[@MS-we4wi]

@@hooked4lifeca I see, thanks again. I have no trouble doing the roll cast but when I tried hauling I had some issues. Now I know when to do the haul👍

[@finnsbiavl7483]

Thanks for a super introduction, but as I see it, you only cast the line you already have out. What do I do, if Im streamer fishing and want to lay out more line again? 🙏🏼🇩🇰😄

[@hooked4lifeca]

It's the same for overhead casting as it is for Spey casting. We pull enough line off the reel and leave the line hanging in the current. If there is a lot of line, we may have to carry loops of line on our fingers. We position the head of the line outside of the guides, then as we cast, we let the line go. I'll have to do a video on shooting line, though I've discussed it many times in videos on other subjects. I do have a very old video on running line handling which covers the issue when Spey casting double handed rods.

[@finnsbiavl7483]

So good instruktions, but ….. is it possible to cast more line out? If I take line in with a streamer, can I then cast more line out again, or … ?? 🇩🇰😳

[@hooked4lifeca]

Most definitely. It's called "shooting line".

[@frankfitzpatrick5168]

What is your rod length and are you using WF line or skagit?

[@hooked4lifeca]

The rod was a G. Loomis NRX+ 8'6" 4 wt. and the line was an old, generic WF-4-F store brand trout line.

[@frankfitzpatrick5168]

@@hooked4lifeca Thanks! I asked before you said that in the video. I too, have a similar setup and am excited. Is that a Hardy LRH Lightweight or Featherweight you have there?

[@hooked4lifeca]

@@frankfitzpatrick5168 It's a Featherweight. A nice little, uncomplicated trout reel.

[@gregkosinski2303]

When you say downstream wind, is that the same as saying the wind is at your back?

[@hooked4lifeca]

Downstream wind is one that is going the same direction as the current.

[@stephencifka4629]

Does it matter which foot you put forward on a right hand single spey? I naturally put my left foot forward (as in throwing). I imagine it matters in how it orients your hips/body.

[@hooked4lifeca]

I've always found the closed stance worked best (e.g. right foot forward, right hand up). I will switch to an open stance when necessary though. Either stance will work.

[@gregkosinski2303]

@@hooked4lifeca are you a former boxer?

[@hooked4lifeca]

@@gregkosinski2303 No, my father was, but not me.

[@mlbchamps1908]

Hello. I always fish upstream in small trout streams. Do you have any videos or tips for casting streamers upstream in tight streams?

[@hooked4lifeca]

Not specifically, but I do have streamer related videos where I touch on upstream presentations. Perhaps that's an idea for a spring video.

[@mlbchamps1908]

@@hooked4lifeca that would be awesome. Also, what are your thoughts on skagit vs scandi vs Opst lines for small trout streams?

[@hooked4lifeca]

I've not used those types of lines in small trout streams. I just fish typical WF trout lines, the advantage being, I don't have to worry about Spey casting a fixed length of line.

[@gregoryskoutas8005]

How much line should be out for a single hand spey cast?

[@hooked4lifeca]

Minimum - enough to form a D-Loop. Maximum - the full head of the line, less some of the rear taper. How much depends on the length of the rear taper. Long ones require most in the guides, while short ones can be hung mostly out of the guides.

[@TheVonhollan]

Whats the anchor? Newbei to this

[@hooked4lifeca]

The anchor is the placing of the leader and fly on the water. The grip of the water on the fly and leader (sometimes also the tip of the fly line) allows the load on the rod to be maintained during a Spey cast.

[@TheVonhollan]

@@hooked4lifeca Thank you for explaining that the water on the line is the grip or pull for the loading on the pole line. Think I got that right. Getting new to this and sometimes the fly fishing lingual is tough.