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Alaska Kings
Sandy Spey Clave
Stonefly Nymphs
Spey Casting

Sandy River Spey Clave 2003  

Stonefly Nymphs

Spey Casting for Steelhead and Salmon: 
An introduction to Gear and Techniques. (Part-7)

Way Yin, M.D.
Continued from: 04/06/03 "Insider"

The Grip, or Anchor Point

·         The Grip is the anchor of line formed when the last three to five feet of line lands next to your right shoulder at the completion of the Loop.  The Grip forms a transitional anchor for the line, providing resistance in the loop formed by the backcast against which the rod can act during the firing position.  You will see here the importance of always maintaining tension in the line during a Spey cast!  The Grip should land about 1.5 rod lengths away from your right shoulder.  When the line lands to form the Grip, how it lands will give you a telltale report card on the technique of your Loop.  If the Grip forms with a crash of jumbled up line, the Loop was performed poorly.  Ideally, the
Grip should land like an airplane; smoothly gliding down to meet the water instead of crashing into it.  When the tip of the line lands to form the Grip, it should land straight, without piling up upon itself.

·         The Grip is a critical timing mark for the forward cast.  The instant the Grip lands, the pelvis should slide forward initiating the power stroke of the forward cast.  Many years ago, the old Scots discovered that the switch (or Single Spey) cast is ideally performed in waltz (3/4) time, and should proceed in a smooth, almost gliding manner.  The tempo will naturally slow down the more line you have out on the water.  Practice your timing by counting aloud while Switch or Single Spey casting: “Lift”, 2, 3, “Loop” 2, 3, “Fire”, 2, 3, “Plop” (“Plop” represents the sound of the fly landing in the water at the end of the cast).

Some common problems with the Loop and Grip:

Problem: The loop forms an upside–down “È” then wraps around your rod tip or neck during the forward cast.  This is the result of a poorly performed backcast, and the rod tip falling towards the firing position.  At some point during the backcast, the rod tip has gone up, then down, falling into the firing position.  The rod tip at the firing position may also be too upright instead of angled away from you.

Solution:  Remember the firing position: rod tip at about 1–2 o’clock, angled about 30-40 degrees away from you.  Practice the “tray full of drinks drill” (see “Tip,” above) to develop the feel for the Loop, or backcast. Remember that the Spey backcast is really an underhanded throw; the path the line takes during the backcast should always be below the rod tip.

Problem:  The Grip doesn’t land smoothly, but crashes into the water in a tangled heap.  This is caused by an exaggerated dip in the path of the rod tip during the Loop.

Solution:  Dipping the rod tip during the backcast usually is caused by the right hand dipping between the Lift and the Firing Position.  Although the rod tip looks like it is dipping, describing a shallow saucer shape during the Loop “13”, the right hand does not actually dip.  Imagine sweeping the rod tip up towards the firing position during the backcast, even raising it a whiff higher immediately before pulling the trigger on the forward cast.

Problem:  The Grip lands too far in front of you.  This is caused by inadequate loading of the rod during the backcast.

Solution:  Add the feeling of a little “flick” of the rod tip during the middle part of the backcast.  This equates to the “power snap” phase of an overhead backcast.  How much you will be able to feel the effects of this “power snap” in your rod butt depends on the action of your rod; too fast or stiff a rod will hamper the development of this sensation, which you should feel into the butt of the rod.  An alternative way of thinking about this is to reverse Rich Culver’s tomato on a sword imagery: imagine that you are standing about ten feet in front of and ten feet to the left a basketball hoop and backboard.  From the end of the lift, your goal is to launch the tomato such that it “splats” squarely in the center of the backboard.

Problem:  The Grip lands too far behind you.  This is caused by overzealous effort during the backcast, or a rapid “jerking” motion during the backcast after a good Lift.

Solution:  A properly performed Lift is incredibly efficient at clearing line from the water.  A jerky or rushed backcast will cause inconsistent “spotting” of the Grip well behind you, or not landing at all.  Practice slowing down and smoothing things out into a cohesive series of linked maneuvers, and practice counting out “waltz time” during the cast.