Have a look at this!!

[tweedside]

Posted by one of your worthiest members on a new UK board......the advice is sorely needed over here - as is a line weight reference system compatible with others! Might I suggest something based on a grain-window basis be adopted by all line makers for their spey lines?

http://www.salmonfishingforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43

Well done Fred....I am sure that the ensuing sections will be very informative.

[Sloan Craven]

Are you refering to the RIO info our dear Fred posted? Fred is a super helpful guy, but I wish you had asked for this information before, as its pretty common knowledge. Looks like a cool site over there.


http://www.rajeffsports.com/modules/webspeychart.htm

http://www.flylines.com/Flylines_AirfloSpecifications_Speylines.cfm

[fredaevans]

Sloan, thanks for adding the Airflo info, had forgotten that Mr. R had one up and going. I'll post the link over to the UK board. Good board by the way; suggest you consider adding yourself to its membership.

Fred

[Sloan Craven]

I did, its nice to get a different perspective from another culture of anglers.

[fredaevans]

I did, its nice to get a different perspective from another culture of anglers. Now there's the understatement of the week!

What name (same?) do you post under?
Fred

(I'm the 'same-old, same-old') fredaevans.)

[robertstackleco]

I have found that Speyfishing is a somewhat misunderstood concept in the northeast. I have tried to explain it to my fellow-anglers in the following way:Basically, it's a type of flyfishing that was perfected in the 1800's to deal with the difficult conditions encountered when fishing the River Spey in Scotland---big brawling water and trees right to the waterline. It consists of fishing with a long long flyrod with no backcast behind you. Every casting motion is performed in front of the angler or at his side. The TRUE Spey rod enables the angler to fish in Waltz time which allows the caster time to perform the Spey movements. Thee-quarters Waltz time also seems to be the rhythm of the rivers and defines the speed of the current in the areas where a fish will take a fly. Most of today's rod manufacturers equate power with speed. This is the challenge for the rodmaker! A true Speyrod has SLOW power, best exemplified by the Greenheart flyrods of yesteryear. Too fast of a flyrod does not give the fisher enough time to complete the Spey movements without hurrying them along and putting pressure on the caster. The extra length of the Spey rod enables the angler to cast long distances as well as to mend and control those long lengths of line. (Some of the Scottish gillies routinely cast 140 ft. without much effort!). This feat requires a flyrod that bends into the cork. Otherwise, whatever percentage of the rod that does not flex, must be made up by the effort of the angler. It's analogous to hiring an employee who will only do 50% of his job thereby forcing his employer to work harder. In my years of searching, I have found very few true Spey rods and I truly treasure them. I would very much like to hear from other fishers of the long long rod, especially those on the West coast. When fishing the Snoqualmie I met a long rod angler who demonsrated the use of faster rods and the techniques developed on West coast rivers for deep fishing. I was very impressed and would therefore welcome more dialogue with West coast Spey fishers. Please go to the website: www.robertstackleco.com. Also visit the eBay Store: Custom-Made by Roberts. I'm new to blogging so I hope my post was of interest and I appreciate your time in reading it. Sincerely, Capt. Bob

[Sloan Craven]

Now there's the understatement of the week!

What name (same?) do you post under?
Fred

(I'm the 'same-old, same-old') fredaevans.)

I just use 'Sloan' over there. Haven't really posted much though.

[FT]

This stuff about TRUE SPEY rods having to be slow, full-flex rods that bend to the cork or you can't make a proper spey cast is nonsense and nothing new. Back in the 1800's and early 1900's there were many arguments about what constituted true spey rods. Some folks held that faster, stiffer, stronger rods were the true (or best) rods for spey casting, while other held that slow, bend to the cork are the only way to properly do spey casting.

And just like today, both camps were correct because good spey casts can be made with faster, stiffer rods and with slow, full-flex, bend to the cork ones. It depends on what one likes and prefers in rod action as far as which type is best for you. This hasn't changed in 150 years that it has been mentioned and argued about in print.

In fact, the competition 18' Carron rods that the current spey distance world record holders use are not slow, full-flex rods. They are fast recovering, more mid-flex, with strong tips and reserve power in the butt rods. Granted, they are not stiff, very fast flexible tip rods like Sage TCR's, but they are not slow, full flex, bend to the cork rods like the old Sage 9140-4 'traditional' or Greenheart either.