Our emphasis is teaching students' clean and comfortable casting techniques. These techniques will be utilized stream side every day and provide the caster with great versatility in dealing with variable conditions such as gusty or high wind, severely limited back cast room, and overhead obstructions.
In order to make sure that you get to work on your Spey casting on BOTH sides of the river, our classes will float a full day on the Deschutes. Drift boats are limited to three students per boat, which means that all of our Spey classes have a 3 to 1 student to instructor ratio. This means that you will have lots of one-on-one time working with each instructor, which gives each student the freedom to excel in the casts at his/her own pace.
Our students save years of trial and error by learning from our easy methods in mastering two-handed line control. Over the last twenty years, through our guide services and national clinics, we have taught hundreds of anglers how to Spey cast. Come learn from some of the best Spey casters and most talented instructors in the industry.
Limited to 6 students: These clinics fill up quickly, so call now to reserve your space. Price includes a streamside deli-style lunch, cold refreshments, and a Deschutes River boaters pass ($8.00 per angler daily).
Deposit and Cancellation or Date Change Policy
For 2009 we have expanded our Spey offerings to cater casters of many different skill levels.
Level I, II, III Clinics are for beginning to intermediate Spey casters who are: 1. New to Spey casting and looking for a strong introduction to the basics of two-handed casting. 2. Have been Spey casting for a couple of years but have not yet mastered the cast off of both shoulders or on both sides of the river. This type of caster can make the line go out on a fairly consistant basis, but only feels truly comfortable with one or two of the many possible Spey casts. 3. A Spey caster who wants to spend a full day casting different Spey rods before buying his/her new or first outfit. 4. A Spey caster who has been casting old-style traditional lines (long-belly, mid-belly, Windcutters, Delta Speys) and would like to try the latest and greatest in Spey lines.
This class will teach you about the different types of Spey lines available today and why it is of critical importance to your Spey casting sucess that your line, rod and reel are balanced. If you come to the class with an unbalanced outfit, we will be sure that you experience casting a perfectly balanced outfit. If you have ever found yourself getting your fly caught in the bushes or grass behind you, or in the trees above you while Spey casting, this class will teach you the proper technique which will help you avoid that frustration on your next trip to the river. You will come away from the class knowing not only how to Spey cast more efficiently and effortlessly, but you will also have an understanding of what happens frequently that causes a cast to fail. By learning the common mistakes that are responsible for most failed Spey casts, you will learn how to self-correct and will thus become a much more consistent Spey caster on the water no matter which way the wind is blowing or what side of the river you are on. After this class you should be able to concentrate a lot more on the pure joy of steelhead fishing because you'll be looking forward to making your next Spey cast.
The Level IV, V Spey casting class is for casters who are already proficient in casting off of both shoulders and on both sides of the river. This level of Spey caster already has a Spey outfit with which he/she has been fishing for a season or more. Spey casters who already have a firm grasp of level I, II, III Spey casting and who may have already been through an introductory Spey curriculum will benefit from this level Spey clinic. In order to take part in this class, an angler must be capable and proficient in the basic double spey, circle cast/snap-t, (left and right shoulder casts) on both sides of the river.
The Spey anglers in this class will be immersed directly into learning and/or perfecting the single Spey and snake roll casts on both sides of the river in tight quarters. Perfecting these casts and casting techniques will open up many more runs and tight spots that you may never have been able to fish before. Anglers will work on controlling loops, managing and shooting running line, and improving distance casting. Not only will casters learn to identify the elements of a great Spey cast, they will come to understand what small inconsistancies in technique can be modified to make every one of their Spey casts great.
Even an angler who has been Spey casting for twenty years will benefit from the helpful tips and small adjustments that will hone his/her Spey cast to the highest level. Afterall, even Tiger Woods still has a golf coach! John and Amy Hazel will be the instructors for all Level IV, V Spey Casting classes.**
The Skagit Casting class will teach students to cast Skagit-style lines with sink tips and weighted flies. These techniques are essential for anglers who wish to fish for steelhead in the broadest conditions throughout the calendar year. Travelling anglers planning to fish in British Columbia steelhead rivers; coastal rivers of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, or California; and the tributaries of the Great Lakes will greatly benefit from learning the fundamentals of Skagit style Casting. You will learn that casting a 14 foot section of T-14 and an articulated leech can be effortless with the proper technique. The class will also cover some fishing techniques such as mending and controlling sink tips while swinging a weighted or unweighted fly. You will also learn how to choose the correct sink tip and fly for each fishing situation - based on structure, water temperature, water speed, and target species.
Those who sign up for this class should come prepared with a Spey rod/reel balanced with the proper Skagit-style line and a variety of sink tips and flies to use during the class. If you do not already have a basic grasp of the double Spey and circle cast/snap-T cast, we suggest you take a Level I, II, III class before taking a Skagit Casting class.
If you are uncertain about which type of Spey casting class is best for you, please feel free to call our fly shop to discuss the details with any of our staff members. We look forward to helping you become the best Spey caster you can be.
**John and Amy Hazel are recognized as two of the finest Spey casting instructors in the world. They have taught Spey casters from around the world for decades and have shared their expertice through many Spey casting instructional DVDs such as: "Introduction to Spey Casting"; "Sage Presents: The Art of Spey Casting"; "Spey Fishing Steelhead"; "Advanced Spey Casting"; and their Spey skills were featured on the 2008 critically acclaimed fly fishing feature film: "DRIFT".
Our emphasis is teaching students' clean and comfortable casting techniques. These techniques will be utilized stream side every day and provide the caster with great versatility in dealing with variable conditions such as gusty or high wind, severely limited back cast room, and overhead obstructions.
