Does anyone use a spey rod around here? I am thinking of getting one just for the hell of it. I just don't know if I would use it much except maybe on the coast.

thoughts

Who makes a reasonably price one?

Don't buy one unless you are wanting to either impress your friends, or chase salmon/steelheads.

Oh yeah, but if you HAVE to have one, I'd recomend Sage Z axis.

Cabelas makes some as well, around the $200 mark.

I always thought a spey rod would really do well at denison dam on the wall you could zing out the streamer for sure

You guys are too quick to discourage me. I mean I don't need another rod, but I might need to add a rod to my collection.

Just kicking around the idea.

I am getting one, probably a Echo 2-hander for throwing streamers to stripers on the Arkansas River here in Tulsa. I also want to learn so that when I head to fish Alaska or somewhere similar I can take advantage of knowing how to throw one.

my first thought would be Red River, Texoma, it would kick butt there although just any bank fishing it would be good.

If you are wanting one, get one. Who knows? You may love it better than a regular flyrod.

Just in my opinion, and I have used a Spey rod before, I didn't care for them.

You can just flat reach out and touch someone with a spey rod without having to put out much effort to make the cast. My daughter loves her spey rod. I've played with them a little but I haven't spent enough time to decide if I like them or not.

I think the Red River below the dam is a perfect place to use a spey rod, especially when the flood gates are open and you have to fish from the bank.

TFO's spey rods are as reasonably priced as anyone. The Pro series is around $300 and the Deer Creek is about $350. They both cast good and the Deer Creek looks good too.

Taylor has the Deer Creek 5/6 wt 12'6" rod and a 7 wt line works great on it. I think this smaller size is about right for the Red River. The heavier weight rods will cast further, but I'm not sure that you need the heavier rods around here.

Have fun,
Rex

I think the concensus is complete, Red River it is. That and booming casts waaay out on Texoma etc.

Taylor Walker is a spey instructor, Al Crise as well. I bet TFO has some deals on spey rods

I have several Spey rods, all Sages, in line weights 5-10 and lengths 12 to 15 ft. In the right hands, and in the right situation, they can be wonderful tools. But they take lots of practice to master, and specialty lines to make them work.

They are best on large rivers or other bodies of moving water, where you are swinging big streamers or skating big dry flies. They do give you extra distance and control, if properly balanced with the right lines and terminal rigs.

Having taken several trips where I used my Spey rods, and having had many days of Spey casting instruction by experts, I can tell you it is not something you can take up casually, or practice infrequently, and hope for much success.

That said, some of the best one-handed casters I know are people who have incorporated the Spey or two-handed casting skills and techniques into their repertoire of one-handed skills. So whether you opt for the two-handed rods, reels, and lines or not, learning those skills can help all your fly fishing.

Actually, no, Taylor is not a spey instructor. She is a casting instructor for single hand fly rods, but not 2 handed fly rods.

The only 2 handed rod instructor that I know in Texas is Gary Davidson down in the Houston area. He is supposed to be at the casting clinic in Keller this weekend. There are several others that can help get you started, but I wouldn't call them expert instructors. Spey instructors are rare in this part of the world.

Actually, Mick is one of the most knowledgable spey guys that I'm aware of in the DFW area.

Rex.

Up for fresh look.