Q.......What is the biggest challenge to the new “Spey Fishermen”, and how can it be overcome?

A.......Swinging flies is a percentage game – the longer I can fish my fly effectively and the more water I can cover in a day will guarantee me a better chance of more hook ups. For this reason the starting point for any new spey angler is to seek help from their fly shop to find a well balanced rod and line outfit that suits their fishing needs and take some casting lessons. You don’t need to cast 100 feet! If you make good, short casts and turn the leader over straight the fly will fish well, early in the swing and cover more water with a good presentation. It’s much better to make a good short cast than a poor long cast.

Q.......What techniques do you utilize to manipulate the fly during the swing? (To control depth and impart action).

A.......I consider these techniques when obtaining depth and use a combination of all methods, depending on the fishing situation;

Angle of cast – I cast square if I want to give my system more time to sink. A square cast with an early mend will give lots of time to sink the fly and line. But, time spent sinking in time lost swinging the fly.

Mending – I will use an up stream mend very early in the swing to add slack and allow my fly and head to sink. I try to avoid over mending, because you need tension to swim and add action to the fly.

Rod position – By holding my rod tip high after the cast I can avoid a belly forming and can feed line into the swing by lowering my rod as the fly comes around. This will slow the swing down a little and help to keep the fly deep. I will combine the high rod technique with 3 rod positions to adjust the speed of the fly; point the rod at the fly to maintain a speed similar to the current, lead the fly to speed it up and lastly follow behind the fly to slow it down.

Sink rate of line – Fishing the correct sink rate line allows me to cast out and let it swing with out too much mending and often no mend at all. I want my fly swimming ASAP. When boat fishing we can fish heavier lines than a wading angler. I prefer a full sinking shooting head rather than a sink tip attached to a floating belly. The floating belly will always lift the fly when it comes under tension during the swing.

Leader and fly – Fly sink rate is an important consideration. You can increase or decrease depth by changing this around. A sparsely tied fly will sink much faster than a heavily dressed pattern. Combine this with added weight and you can design a fly that will sink very quickly. Leader design can affect sink rate also. For depth I use a thin diameter fluorocarbon because it sinks 3x faster than mono. A longer leader will add depth if combined with a heavy, sparse fly, so I extend my leader to around 7 feet and use a thinner diameter – normally 12lb fluoro.

Q.......Could you briefly explain a versatile set up for swinging on the Muskegon? (Rod length, line, leader and fly).

A.......Rod – 14 feet 9 weight with a med/fast action – A good length for wading and easier to cast fast sinking lines and big flies than a switch rod - A good choice for a new spey angler, simply because the longer rod is easier to cast than a short one.

Line – Guideline DDC connect 9/10 cut back to 39 feet. This line has an intermediate belly that will get down and stay down, with sinking tips to match most conditions on the Muskegon. This line will turn over a large heavy fly and is easy for a beginner to make good casts.

Leader – 6-7 feet, 2 feet 20lb butt and 5 feet 12lb fluoro. Some guys like a 3 foot leader, but 6-7 feet will help the anchor stay stuck and if you fish a weighted fly it will sink faster than the short leader.

Fly – I exclusively fish Temple dogs in different sizes and different weights, but sculpins and leeches would be my second choice.

Q.......How would you change your approach if wading as opposed to fishing from a boat?

A.......Wading - fish a slower sink rate line because on the deck of a boat you are standing high above the water. Don’t wade too deep as you will add 10 feet to your cast by backing out to knee depth rather than waist deep and it’s safer.

Q.......What is your favorite fly currently?

A.......Temple dog - TTS tube, lined with Frodin size small and a yellow, olive and black wing with rainbow flashabou, finished off with jungle cock cheeks and a turbo cone.

Thanks to Pete for taking the time to answer these questions!

Pete is a Spey specialist guiding on the Muskegon River. Give Pete a call at 616-304-2009 to book a trip or casting lessons. Pete is an FFF certified Master Casting Instructor and Two Hand Casting Instructor.