Swing the Fly Issue 2.1 Summer 2014 | Page 102

As a world class spey caster yourself, and a teacher of many of the other top casters in the world, what is it that makes a good spey caster? What does it take to become a top caster?

Zack, two parts to this question:

Part 1. A good Spey caster is someone who is smooth and can

control each element of the cast, eg smooth lift, good body rotation

giving consistent anchor placement and a positive stop with both hands. Not always necessarily a long cast but a good cast, and most importantly someone who can generate line speed effectively.

Part 2. This is a bit more difficult as controlled distances are necessary, so this takes dedication, practice and understanding of how to most effectively generate huge line speed to get to the next

Photo: Gaelforce Fly-Fishing