Spey pics vs Single hand pics

[Flyfishsteel]

I still don't understand why is that the majority of GIANT FISH (over 15lbs) pics out there are caught with Spey Rods and smaller fish pics are with single hand rods?

Or do you think Spey dudes ONLY post pics of the bigger fish they catch and single hand dudes post ANY fish pic regardless of size? Or do Spey rods REALLY give you the edge to catch bigger fish?

Sorry for the weird topic but is still makes me think...

[rainbow]

I'll never use a spay! I like traditional fly fishing to much. And I catch lot of big ass fish.

[Flyfishsteel]

... but watching a spey fisher fish is so cool and the ability to cast over 100' with one cast! Also I'm about convinced that a Bigger rod means Bigger fish!:thumb:

[spanishfly]

I’d say the majority of “BIG FISH” porn pics on this site with single handed rods far surpass the spey shots. There are spey pics as well but if you do a search on just the past month you’ll see a shite load of single handed steelie pics. Hell, just look at Zens gallery. I don’t own a spey rod but it’s on my Christmas list :)
It’s not a question of people using a spey rod to catch bigger fish but personal preference and which style they the get the most enjoyment out of.

[SilverFly]

FlyFishSteel,

I humbly re-submit this porn on behalf of us single handers. Does 32lbs count as "big"?

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8219&cat=500&ppuser=1781


Sorry, I couldn't help myself, two months later and I'm still pumped!

[Steve Buckner]

This last year, I was fortunate to break the 20 lb. mark with this steelhead caught on an OP river. It just so happened that I caught it using my Sage 7141(7 wt. 14ft. rod). My main point however, is that big rods don't mean big fish, unless of course, that's all you fish ;) . In fact, this fish was caught within 5 feet of the bank, in a small 15 foot pocket on a fairly long run, it could have been caught with a hand-casted line.

For me, fly fishing is about elegance, efficiency, patience, and appreciation. And that said, spey casting is the most efficient method of getting a fly out swimming. To learn to cast a 2-handed rod requires a great deal of dedication and patience but is extremely rewarding.

You are correct that the more efficiently and effectively you can cover the water, the more chances you'll have of putting your fly in front of a fish. Due to the hydrolics/gradient of certain rivers, some rivers are more conducive to swinging flies while others, are more conducive to nymphing methods.

[Big Tuna]

I remember when you posted that pic. That is one gorgeous steelhead! Makes me drool.

[Big K1]

I'll never use a spay! I like traditional fly fishing to much. And I catch lot of big ass fish.

Since two handed rods have been around for a couple hundred years I guess that makes them not traditional fly fishing.;)

[Panhandle]

I thought that I would never make the transition either...... however, Big water, sink-tips, and a single hander has left my shoulder screaming for relief. I'm only 31 and I want to keep steelhead fishing fot the rest of my life, so it is a no brainer- less impact, cover more water, get fish in faster. My only reservation has been having to start over from scratch. Oh ya, I forgot to mention the looking cool part.

[TomB]

getting your fly presented to the fish in the right manner is what catches fish. They could care less what rod you did it with. I would say more important than the distance a spey rod can give you, is its increased ability to mend at any distance.
-Tom

[Old Man]

Spey rods have their purpose. They are fine on big rivers. Not fine in the places that I fish. Most skinny water you can reach where you want to with a single hander. It is on the big rivers that they are fine. Longest cast was about 90 feet. But spey rod casting is just not my bag. Besides how much control do you have on a line that is out there 100 feet.

I guess that I should just skip over these posts on spey casying. Not really interested in this type of fly fishing.

Jim

[KerryS]

I'll never use a spay! I like traditional fly fishing to much. And I catch lot of big ass fish.

I suppose you use only bamboo rods and click pawl reels also or do you go back even further and use traditional green heart rods with bone hooks and tie your traditional flies in the traditional manner only using your hands without the help of a vise. Sheesh.

By the way the traditional way to spell it is "spey".

[Ringlee]

Of Course!

[Sloan Craven]

Why is there such an antispey setiment. Spey is fun, but I mostly use a single handed rod. I have caught small fish on a Spey, but why take pics? And why isn't Spey traditional? Its been around longer than any of us (except for maybe the Old Man). I just don't understand, just to use two hands instead of one, we have to be cast aside as second class citizens. I have a dream that oneday all fly casters will stand side by side:beer2:.:beer2:
Someday ptyd

[Steelie Mike]

Spey casting is a lot of fun, both with the single handed rod and the two handed rod. Although you might want to get into double handed rods, you might want to at least learn some of the different casts. It has become very beneficial to my arsenal over this last year.
Spey casting is very addicting. Especially when swinging on big water. It is so much easier to mend and control the line speed. You also have an edge controlling large fish. I was astonished the first time I landed a fish with the spey, I had so much control.
In regards to big fish, I got to say almost all ofthe bigguns came on the single handed rod this year. I only caught four on the spey and only one of them was around 30 inches.

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8997&cat=18151

FYI Steve Buckner is a great spey instructor.

[Flyfishsteel]

Steve's Giant Steelie pic and this one I've posted are yet the best Spey-photos I've seen yet!

Then you have Circlespeys fish pics, I don't think I've ever seen a Steelhead smaller than 15lbs in his spey pics.

Maybe I should of kept my CND Steelhead Specialist? :)

PS, I'm talking about GIANT STEELHEAD/SALMON pics over 15lbs, not pics of fish under 15lbs. ie; piscapator,etc.

[Old Man]

What the hell is wrong with us all. Fish are fish,it doesn't make no never mind what the hell it was caught with. Most of all it is presentation, the rod we all use is just a means of getting it there. I'm not against Spey rod fishing,I just don't want to do it.


Jim

[Salmo_g]

FFS,

Whether the rod is single handed or two handed is irrelevant. I've caught 3 steelhead over 20 pounds, and one of them was on a Spey rod - only because I had and was fishing it that day. The other two were caught on an 8 1/2' fiberglass rod. Fish don't care.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

[ChrisC]

What the hell is wrong with us all. Fish are fish,it doesn't make no never mind what the hell it was caught with. Most of all it is presentation, the rod we all use is just a means of getting it there.


Jim


Well said!:beer2:

[Uncle Jimmy]

I havn't noticed that I get bigger fish on spey gear, I think I get bigger fish on my more expensive gear however. I think big steelhead really dig a hefty price tag more than anything.
Jim

[Porter]

OK ...I'm being bad here ..but I suppose there are a lot more positions to have at your availibility with a two handed rod....or at least that is what the Hardy Girl said. I still use the single hand rod because.....really it's all I've got to work with. Spey...congrats to those of you ....it just didn't seem to work in my arsenal. (I have a spey in the closet ....there it remains until my shoulder goes out)

[Zen Piscator]

steel,
Whats up with cutting out Ken Morrish's face on that steelie photo, is he not worthy of waff:rofl:

[Matt Burke]

Steelhead don't give a crap what you wear or fish with. They almost never do a credit report and don't care about felonies. It's like the old question, why does a man scratch his jewels? Because he can. The same can be said about a spey caster.

[circlespey]

I don't think there's much difference in terms of fish size. I do know that the #'s of fish I catch are more now with spey rods, since I am covering water more effectively. The size of river isn't nearly as important to me as being able to fish tight spots with no backcast room where I can still flip out 40-60 feet of line if necessary and then MEND it well.

Too many spey fishers cast 120 feet and forget how fast that fly is moving at the end of the swing. I can make that cast occasionally but I prefer fishing shorter lines more effectively; my preferred rod right now is only 12 feet long so I am rarely making even an 80 foot cast. There's no doubt in my mind that I can mend and present the fly much much better with a spey rod than I can with a 1H, on any river at any time in any situation.

As for pics; I don't take many pics anymore unless the fish is somehow memorable or different (size, color, fight, something). Plus I don't visit the smaller fish rivers (deschutes, ronde, etc.) as much if at all. Give me the Skeena or Thompson anytime (and yes, I fish my 12 foot rod on those rivers as well).

[East Fork]

I havn't noticed that I get bigger fish on spey gear, I think I get bigger fish on my more expensive gear however. I think big steelhead really dig a hefty price tag more than anything.
Jim

Now that’s hilarious! :) :)

[Backyard]

I only catch hen's on two handers... damn size queens, always wanting a bigger rod.


:rofl: