Single Spey - Left Shoulder - Right Bank.
I can demonstrate and instruct on a wide variety of Spey Casts and am quite lost without a rod in my hands. Whether it's Overhead, Single or Double Spey, Snake Roll or Snap C-T, and you wish to brush up on a rusty technique or simply start from the beginning, just click on the contact me button on the home page, drop me a line and we’ll arrange a time. I am an Orvis Endorsed Guide, have 3 current Disclosure Scotland Certificates and have been fully trained on First-Aid procedures. As well as offering timely advice to clients on casting techniques as part of my daily routine, I have a growing list of 'after hours' customers and am willing to teach beginners or indeed fine-tune more experienced anglers. I can also supply the tackle if required.
The Training Ground
Snake Roll - Right Bank.
Tackle
If I were to recommend one general-purpose rod to tackle the Spey, it would have to be rated 10/11 and 15’ in length. The line to match the rod would have a mid-length head of around the 60-75’ mark. One advantage of being a ghillie is having the opportunity on a daily basis, to test almost every rod & line combination on the market. One fundamental factor, of which I’m sure, is that there is no rod which suits all. Therefore, one bit of advice that I would offer is that like guns, golf clubs or any personal sporting equipment; if you get a combination that suits your style, stick with it. Most importantly, try before you buy and whilst testing, ignore the manufacturer's label and cost (if possible).
My personal choice of Salmon rod is the 15' Meiser MKS rated 9-11 coupled with either the Carron Jetstream Range, or the Monteith Multi-System. I also have a variety of Rio AFS Shooting Heads, which have a growing popularity, are very user friendly and excellent for sub-surface fishing in the sping and in high water. Flexibility being the key to success!
Rods
Reels
My personal choice is the older click & pawl reels. They have a great drag accompanied by a loud ratchet. I do love the sound of a screaming reel and actually feel that the noise gives you a much clearer understanding of how the fish is fighting. Having said that, there are a wide variety of excellent reels on the market today like the Orvis Battenkill Large Arbour VI pictured below, so very much a personal choice. Do ensure though that the reel is wide enough to cope with a modern spey line and at least 200yards of backing. Feel free again to get in touch for further advice.
Orvis Battenkill Large Arbour VI
My Competitive Trout outfit consists of a pair of Orvis Helios 7 weight rods, accompanied in partucular with the full range of Airflo lines, although I have a few more amongst the 28 lines in my box!
Flies
The Kinermony Killer Flamethrower
Most experienced fly fishermen tie their own flies however these days time is of a premium and some of the fly-tying materials are pretty hard to get a hold of. I would like to highly recommend Duncan Egan's flies to you. Duncan is a professional fly-tyer and an excellent fly fisherman. His flies are second to none and unlike most shop- bought flies, last time and time again. This year, I caught over 20 kelts on one of his Arndilly Monkeys and bearing in mind the sharpness of the kelts teeth, I still have it in my box in as-new condition. Pictured above is the Kinermony Killer Flamethrower which was tested throughout 2010 with exceptional results. The fly is only available from Duncan and for less than the price of a dram of Speyside malt, you can add that extra dimension to your fly box. Finally, a quick question - If you were invited to play golf at St Andrews, would you turn up with a few tattly old balls? I very much doubt it, therefore go and visit Duncan's site and invest in a few flies that really will make a difference.