Spey What?

If you missed our November general meeting at Sacred Waters Brewing Company you missed a doozy. We were joined by Bill Pfieffer, MTU Outreach Coordinator, who just happens to be a licensed fishing guide and an expert on Spey Fishing for Trout. Which, coincidently, was the name of our program.

Spey fishing, as you may or may not know, originated in Scotland on the River Spey several hundred years ago as a way to fish for Atlantic salmon on big rivers with dense vegetation and steep banks. The Scots developed a method using long (15′-18′) rods which allowed them to present their flies at some distance without having to make a traditional backcast. When flyfishing came to America spey fishing came with it. First used back east on Atlantic salmon, spey fishing eventually made its way to the Pacific Northwest where it has become a staple of steelhead fisherman for many years. Watching an accomplished spey caster swing a large streamer through one of the storied Canadian steelhead rivers is a thing of beauty. In the last couple of decades spey fishing has begun to catch on with inland trout anglers as well and today it’s not uncommon to see two-handed rods showing up on some of our best Montana trout streams, even up here in the Flathead.

Bill took the better part of an hour and broke through the veil of mystery surrounding spey fishing to give us all the how to’s and where for’s of this “retro” approach to fly fishing.

From where to fish to how to cast to the nitty gritty of fly line and leader design, Bill covered it all. His excellent talk was punctuated with slides and some exceptional videos showing a spey caster in action. A lot of his information, especially regarding reading the water, choosing where and how to fish it, and what flies to use, was applicable to any fly fisherman whether you use a spey or a single-handed rod.

Close to three dozen FVTU members and guests were there to hear Bill’s presentation. The use of two-handed rods is really catching on and generating a lot of interest among trout fishermen. We’re lucky to have a resource like Bill working with MTU and available to our chapter.

I suspect the timing of this subject couldn’t have been much better and a number of members left with plans to ask Santa for a two-handed rod for Christmas!

Speaking of CHRISTMAS! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the annual FVTU Christmas Party coming up on Thursday, December 19, at Bias Brewing, downtown Kalispell, starting at 5:00 PM. (Note, this is not our usual meeting day, time, or place). The FVTU Christmas party is a fun filled evening for the entire family. We traditionally have some games and a fantastic bucket raffle where you might be able to find that special gift to put under the tree. Food and drink is available at Bias Brewing so come have dinner while you enjoy the fun. See you there!