Cast Development: Single Spey

Of all the casts I've learned up to this point, the single spey has been the most troublesome.

I don't take any comfort in knowing that it's the hardest cast to get down properly, either.

It all goes back to the whole head vs. long belly thing. Sure, I was able to pull off a pretty decent single spey with a Scandi head, but I could never get the anchor stroke and timing down with anything longer.

And it's been eating away at me for a while, to the extent that I've committed to using a Delta in all but the most challenging situations.

As it relates to summer steelheading, traditional (a.ka. "long belly") methodolgy arguably exhibits a more aesthetically pleasing approach to covering water. Prodigious lengths of line, sharp D-loops and a graceful, sweeping casting stroke mark adepts of this style. And on the Sky and rivers like it, lower summer flows offer a novice like me the opportunity to pursue steelhead in the same way spey's ancestors angled for Atlantic salmon.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

There's just one hitch: it all starts with single spey.

Ergo, my committment to the Delta.

Of the numerous milestones I'd like to reach this summer, one of them is to at least hook a steelhead on a clean single spey.

I think I'm almost there, you be the judge (you'll probably have to watch it a few times--sorry again about the quality!):