PLEASE NOTE: In order to post on the Board you need to have registered. To register please email paul@sexyloops.com including your real name and username. Registration takes less than 24hrs, unless Paul is fishing deep in the jungle!
I have taught speys via the switch cast -> single spey route a number of times, but I have found a number of issues with this approach.
When a caster goes up north armed with the single spey, and the wind picks up, managing lifts and anchors becomes a challenge. For me, having been a single spey caster for many years, starting to use the snap-t in terrible weather made quite a difference.
Some of the students will come to your lessons armed with a skagit line. It might have an integrated sink tip. Waterbourne anchors work more smoothly with these. The same applies to actual fishing.
The connection between snap-t and double spey is more direct than, say, the connection between single spey and double spey. Starting with "similar" casts accelerates learning at the beginning.
The switch cast is a relatively difficult cast to learn, especially for some old timers. Actually, as an instructor I should say that it is a relatively difficult cast to teach to these people, since the burden is on me.
So now I proceed more along the lines of:
Lasse Karlsson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 8:36 am
Little longer lesson, a short head line, teach snap C and double spey over both shoulders. Both covers safety in wind as well as both sides of the river.
I've only once taught a spey lesson on the river, where the dudes' wish was to be able to fish the same afternoon, but I proceeded the same way I always do when teaching spey:
1. Roll cast - focusing on the forward cast, loop size and line trajectory (if client is experienced I move on to 2 quickly).
2. Switch cast - with almost omplete focus on anchor and anchor placement. Back and forth between this and the roll, when forward cast every now and then falls apart (and it usually does).
3. Introduce the change of direction, and begin with a focus on still being able to control anchor and anchor placement after COD.
4. Recap and getting it all together.
All the standard issues on teaching rolls and speys are covered along the way.
I'm often surprised how many people can't perform a normal roll cast and that most seem to think it's a useless cast :-). Students are often more surprised at how much difference it makes to have really good control of anchor and anchor placement!
