90 degree change Single Spey

[Will]

I think you should be (at a minimum) knee deep in the water too.

[Lasse Karlsson]

I think you should be (at a minimum) knee deep in the water too.

Why?

Cheers
Lasse

[Will]

Because if I was on a platform 16ft off the water, I think even I would be in with a chance.

[Lasse Karlsson]

Wouldn't the competition just be able to move even more line around?

Cheers
Lasse

[Paul Arden]

Standing knee deep in water will shorten the distance of course. I’ve never cast off a 16 feet preform but I think that would be very difficult. The D-loop would be huge!!! I mostly stand on the water when I make this cast.

Cheers, Paul

[Will]

Wouldn't the competition just be able to move even more line around?

Ah, see what you mean. I wasn’t thinking about a competition, just moving a ton of line around.

I’ve never cast off a 16 feet platform but I think that would be very difficult.

OK, maybe not 16ft. But it would be a little like having a longer rod I guess, in terms of clearing line from the water.

[Lasse Karlsson]

Its a challenge, not a competition, so as long as you use a 9 foot rod, I'm fine if you try it elevated Will, and Paul should of course do it swimming

Cheers
Lasse

[Will]

Snorkel Single Spey!

[Paul Arden]

Challenge accepted!

[jarmo]

I was spey casting yesterday, but it was too windy to test these ideas systematically. I will retry soon.

I was just reading Single-handed Spey Casting, where Simon writes about these different styles to some length. That is, crude/traditional (first move towards bank, figure of eight sweep) vs. modern (initially rod out at 30 to 45 degrees). Firstly, he makes the same observation that for a wide angle change the traditional approach rules. Secondly, he writes about creating momentum out from the bank in the traditional approach after cutting in; that is, after sweeping in, the first move is out from the bank and sends the line there (a bit like the advanced double spey I mentioned above).

I like Toft's description of "teasing the line out" before the D-loop sweep. At this point it makes sense to me.

• With a narrow angle change (say, 45 degrees) you can start with the rod, say, 30 degrees out. After the lift you only need to tease the line out a wee bit before you can sweep it into the D-loop.
• With a 90 degree change, it takes a lot of teasing before we have enough line far out to start the D-loop stroke. So teasing becomes something more radical, which may include a figure of eight sweep move where a good deal of line is swept away from the bank.

Overall for me the combination of the lift (height and angle) and sweep (including the dip along with its depth) to form the D-loop is probably the most complicated system in fly casting.

Paul: I will get back to your comments once I get some more time out on the water.