Spey Fishing Made Easy : A Beginner’s Guide to Flyfishing Spey

I will begin by prefacing this article that it is not an intensive fishing article on how to Spey fish in Australian waters. This article is more of a generalised overview of Spey fishing with a primary focus on swinging flies for Salmon and Steelhead. Think fly fishing in North America for Steelhead on the West Coast of Canada and Alaska or fishing in European rivers swinging for Atlantic salmon. That being said, the techniques discussed can easily be applied to Australian Streams for trout.

Spey fly fishing is a technique primarily used in rivers and streams for targeting salmon and steelhead. It originated in the River Spey in Scotland, hence the name and has since been adapted to fisheries worldwide. It's characterised by the use of longer two-handed fly rods, typically between 12 and 15 feet in length, which allow anglers to cast farther distances and make longer presentations on the water. The casting technique in Spey fishing involves making a series of fluid motions known as "Spey casts." These casts are designed to efficiently deliver the fly to the desired spot on the water while minimising the need for backcasting space, which is often limited on most rivers and streams. Spey casting utilises the water's surface tension to load the rod, allowing anglers to generate power and distance with minimal effort. This technique allows you to effectively cover heaps of water while swinging flies in search of “that grab”.

The world of Spey fishing can, however, be nuanced and confusing and I hope that this guide can deliver more clarity on the subject. In this guide, I will go over general terms in Spey fishing, the various types of shooting heads, running lines, integrated systems and sink tips and how to swing a fly. By the end, I hope that this article helps you become a more informed and well-rounded Spey angler. 

The Casting Technique: What differentiates Spey lines from Traditional Lines             

Spey lines are specifically designed for the casting technique and use the surface tension of water to load the rod. Think of a Spey cast as a “modified” Roll Cast. Casting uses a series of actions beginning with an anchor placement followed by a sweep to create the D-loop and finishes with a forward stroke, whereupon doing so, the line will shoot out across the river accordingly. If you are new to Spey fishing the only 2 casts you need to learn to start off are the Snap T / Snap C and the Double Spey. There is no need to concern yourself with the Single Spey or Snake-roll just yet. The difference between snap C and T simply refers to the anchor placement and sweep of the cast, which changes depending on which direction the river is flowing. Use a Snap T when you are river left (the river is flowing downstream to your left) and a Snap C when you are river right (the river is flowing downstream to your right). The Double Spey Cast is similar to the Snap T, and is best used when the wind direction is facing downstream. It is a cast that places your anchor on your downstream side eliminating the possibility for wind to push the line/fly into oneself. I find the Snap T to be the most effective cast, however, when the wind picks up I will tend to use a Double Spey more often.

Spey rods are ideal for large river systems where covering water is necessary 

Because the casting style is very different from single-hand overhead casts, Spey set-ups are also different and at times more involved. Instead of one full 90-100ft fly line, Spey lines can be broken up into 3 parts; running line, shooting head and tip. The running line acts as the back half of your traditional fly line. It is typically thin in diameter to allow you to cast long distances, effectively shooting the line out. The shooting head is the mass of the whole system. It is typically much thicker in diameter and carries an aggressive front taper in a much higher grain weight than traditional fly lines. Tips can either be floating or sinking and simply loop onto the end of your shooting head to fit your desired fishing scenario. All three of these pieces are connected via loop-to-loop to create the whole system.

Running Line

Skagit, Scandi, Switch, It can be a bit daunting, but in general, most Spey set-ups follow this order: backing, running line, shooting head and sink-tip. I will touch on tips in more detail later on in the article, for now focusing on the running line and head portion of the set-up. Traditional Spey set-ups include a running line and a shooting head that are not integrated and are two separate entities. 

Running lines come in a myriad of options, yet can be broken down into two different categories: monofilament running line and coated line/fly line.

Mono running lines are as described, a high-end monofilament line ranging from 25lb to 50lb depending on your target species. Lines like the SA Absolute Shooting Line, OPST Lazar Line and Rio Gripshooter are all great options and enable you to cast great distances because they reduce the amount of resistance coming off the water. I generally like to fish a thicker mono running line in the 40-50lb range on my salmon/steelhead setups. When you are fishing in the dead of winter and your hands get cold, I find the thicker diameter running line is much easier to handle. One downside to mono running lines is that they can be prone to kinking and/or picking up a bit of memory. I suggest stretching out your running line before fishing to ensure maximum distance on your cast and fewer tangles.

Coated running lines are essentially a thin-diameter fly line. These lines are great options for someone who wants maximum control while handling their running line. Lines like Rio Connect Core and SA Textured Shooting Line will pick up less memory and their thicker diameters make stripping and handling easier. However, I find you cannot cast as far with a coated running line because of the larger diameters they come in. Remember, the thinner the diameter of the running line, the farther you can cast.

Shooting Heads

Shooting heads can roughly be placed into two categories: Skagit and Scandi. Skagit heads are designed for power, delivering sink tips and larger flies with ease. I would say 90% of people starting off in Spey fishing will begin with a Skagit head as they are the easiest to learn on and the most universal. After working in a fly shop for numerous years, I would say the majority of people new to Spey fishing, walk out of the shop, satisfied with a Skagit head. Scandi lines cater to gentler presentations and elegant Spey casters.

Skagit Heads are short, typically 15ft to 28ft long at most. They are designed with a “punchy” front taper to deliver a mix of sink tips and fly sizes. Lines like the SA Skagit Floater, Rio Skagit Max Launch or Airflo Skagit Scout are all great options when starting out. They are all just over 20 feet long making them easy to cast, packing a lot of grain weight up front in a short compact design. They do an excellent job in almost all steelhead and salmon scenarios. Skagit heads by far are the most universally designed shooting heads, a great option for fishing a number of different tips and various fly sizes.

Diagram of your typical Skagit head spey set up.

Scandi lines are longer, typically 30ft to 40ft long. They are designed to make more graceful presentations and provide a smoother cast. These lines are ideal for lighter presentations and small flies. Scandi lines excel in summer steelhead fisheries where you don’t need to get deep in the water column. Additionally, Scandi lines pair great when skating dry flies for steelhead or Atlantic salmon.

Diagram of your typical Scandi head spey set up and integrated running line set up. (Image needs to be made original)

If you are just starting out, it is helpful to pick a shooting head in the upper part of your Spey rod’s grain window. All rod manufacturers offer what we call a grain window which is the engineered carrying capability of a rod under the load of a line. This is offered in a range and allows you to pick and choose your shooting head grain weight based on a myriad of factors. Picking a shooting head on the higher end of this window will give more forgiveness when casting. More often than not, beginner casters have a tendency to blow their anchors while casting. The extra grain weight will allow you to push through the inconsistencies, providing a more controlled cast when starting off in Spey.

Several companies also offer integrated Spey lines combining the running line and shooting head into one entity. Personally, I am only fond of integrated line systems in a trout Spey configuration. They are awesome for shorter rods and trout applications. I find lines like the Rio Switch Chucker fail to exceed in larger rivers and traditional long Spey casting. I found that I could never get the distance I would have liked. That being said, if you have a switch rod and are interested in fishing indicators for Steelhead, integrated line systems are great. That is because the thicker diameter running line allows you to mend properly and achieve a drag-free drift.

Speaking of Trout Spey, lines like the SA Spey Lite, Rio Trout Spey, or OPST Commando Smooth are awesome for swinging streamers for trout. Most rivers in Australia can be fished using a Trout Spey set up and I find an integrated line to be the most effective method. I often find myself stripping past my shooting head and the integrated systems allow me to easily dump out my head portion of line and re-cast.

A nice bull trout caught on the trout spey. This is one of my favourite methods to target big trout with streamers

Sink Tips - The T System

Unlike single-hand sink tips that are measured in IPS (inches per second), Spey sink tips are measured in a T system. T stands for tungsten in this system and the number refers to grains of tungsten per foot. For example, a 10ft section of T-8 means that there are 8 grains of tungsten per foot of tip for a total of 80 grains. The system can, however, be confusing as there are no sink rates attached to this metric. As a general rule: T-8 sinks at 6-7 ips, T-11 sinks at 7-8 ips, T-14 sinks at 9-10 ips and T-17 at 9-10 ips. I rarely use T-17 and T-14 and find myself generally grabbing a 10ft section of T-8 or T-11 to suit my needs. To simplify this system I like to think of T-8, T-11 and T-14 as “light” “middle” and “fast” and apply that to the run I am fishing. If I am fishing a riffle or shallow run, I use T8, a light tip. If that run starts to get deeper I will gravitate more towards T11, the middle. And finally, if I am fishing a very fast run or deeper pool/bucket I will throw on T14. You need to swing your fly as close to the bottom as possible without snagging, therefore you must understand how fast your tip will sink in accordance with the particular run you are fishing. There are days when I am constantly changing tips or weights of flies in order to get my fly in the “zone”.

Now what length of tip should I use? Tip length depends on the length of your Spey rod and shooting head and you want to match the grain weight accordingly. A longer Spey rod (greater than 14ft) generally requires a heavier grain tip to match the shooting head and extra rod length. A general rule of thumb is that any rod under 12ft, use a 10ft tip. For rods over 12ft long, use a 12ft tip. That being said, these are not strict rules and feel free to find the tip length/combination that works best with the rod and line that you have. Playing around with different grain weight combinations to find that perfect window can be necessary.

How to Swing a Fly

I could write a whole article on its own titled “How to swing flies using a Spey rod” but for now, I will just go over the basics to get you out fishing. In general, I want to aim my cast straight across or a quarter downstream. After casting, I mend my line line upstream removing all of the slack, and high-stick my rod to ease the fly and tip into the swing.

This Coho Salmon was fooled by a larger intruder style fly pattern on the swing.

The key to swinging a fly is having a direct connection to the fly slowing it down as it swings across the river. If you do not mend and high-stick your line (which is floating on top of the water) the shooting head and running line get pushed downstream below the fly and will ruin the swing. Without a mend, you create a bow in the system and your fly will swing across the run too quickly and rise-up in the water column. This means you are giving the fish less chance to see your fly and are no longer in the strike zone 1 foot off the bottom. Most salmon species will not travel a far distance to eat a fly so you want to get as close to them as possible to maximise your success. When swinging flies I want to be touching the bottom every once in a while. If the paint of the dumbbell eyes on my fly isn’t chipping away, that is a sign that I need to get deeper. A quick tip to fix this is to cast further upstream, allowing your fly more time to sink. If that doesn’t work, change tips.

Gear Recommendations 

Trout Spey Options

The Ultimate Trout Spey Package – $2,779.85

• $1,894.95 – Sage Trout Spey HD Rod 11’3” 4 piece
• $764.95 – Sage Trout Spey Reel 3/4/5
• $119.95 – Scientific Anglers Spey Lite Integrated Skagit 270 to 300 Grains

Budget-Friendly Trout Spey Package – $1,278.90

• $599.00 – Primal Run 4wt 11’ 4 piece
• $559.95 – Orvis SSR Disc Spey Reel III
• $119.95 – Scientific Anglers Spey Lite Integrated Skagit 270 to 300 Grains

Steelhead/Salmon Options

The Ultimate Steelhead/Salmon Package $3,449.80

• $2,339.95 – Sage R8 Spey 8wt 13’ 4 Piece
• $989.95 – Sage Spey II Reel 6/7/8
• $79.95 – Airflo Skagit Driver 510 to 570 grains
• $39.95 – Scientific Anglers Flat Mono Shooting Line 42lb

Budget-Friendly Steelhead/Salmon Package – $1,469.80

• $749.95 – Orvis Clearwater 8wt 13’6” 4 piece
• $599.95 – Orvis SSR Disc Spey Reel IV
• $79.95 – Airflo Skagit Driver 510 to 570 grains
• $39.95 – Scientific Anglers Flat Mono Shooting Line 42lb

Chinook Salmon / Large River Options

Ultimate Chinook Package $3,494.80

• $2,339.95 Sage R8 Spey 9wt 14’ 4 piece
• $1,034.95 Sage Spey II Reel 8/9/10
• $79.95 Airflo Skagit Driver 600 to 660 grains
• $39.95 Scientific Anglers Flat Mono Shooting Line 50lb

Budget-Friendly Chinook Package – $1529.80

• $749.95 – Orvis Clearwater 9wt 14’ 5 piece
• $659.95 – Orvis SSR Disc Spey Reel V
• $79.95 – Airflo Skagit Driver 600 to 660 grains
• $39.95 – Scientific Anglers Flat Mono Shooting Line 50lb