Introduction

I was flattered when a couple of friends suggested I write a book about Spey fishing.  The world has plenty of books on the topic and an uncountable number of people who know more about fly fishing and Spey casting than do I.  It raises the question of what I could contribute to the field if I wrote a book.  It would have to be something few people are writing about for otherwise, there is no contribution I could make.

My recent interest is using a Trout Spey, which are light and short rods, suitable for the trout found in the reservoirs in the NE corner of Nevada where I live.  My fly-fishing specialty, though not so much as Brian Chan, Phile Rowley, or Denny Rickards is fishing stillwater for trout.  The picture above is an 18" trout caught at South Fork Reservoir near Elko Nevada with a Trout Spey.

Trout Spey rods are gaining in popularity but not in common use; stillwater trout fishing is a mystery to many anglers.  Put the two together and it is a space that is not occupied by many anglers.  Therefore, it seems worthwhile to capture my experiences and lessons in a blog on the subject of stillwater fly fishing with trout Spey rods.  The subject of the blog is a bit narrow as I will be talking about using Spey techniques with a one-handed rod but that's OK as the main focus will the trout Spey rod.

Being no expert in the prime subjects of casting and stillwater fishing, the target audience will be

• beginning fishers whose primary opportunities will be ponds, lakes and reservoirs 
• intermediate anglers who want to learn to fish stillwater with two-handed rods
• anglers who want to use a two-handed rod in a stillwater scenario for Spey-casting practice
• anglers who want to have fun with a two-handed rod

What will we cover?
Basic Gear:  Waders, boots, sunglasses, boats, hat, nets, tools, nets, rods, reels and lines
Spey Confusion:  For traditional trout fishers the language of Spey casting, lines, rods, and casting styles are a mystery.
Bugs:  Some ideas about the bugs in stillwater
Stillwater Rhythm:  Talks about seasons, their effect on the water, and the trout's response to it.
Casting:  A key success factor for fly fishing
Finding Trout:
Fishing Techniques:
etc:

How will I do this?  It will be a combination of writing about my learning experiences, my fishing experiences, or the things I find in articles, magazines, other blogs, or in video form.  The goal here is not to reinvent what others know but rather to package what is known into an expanded tutorial for fly fishing stillwater with Spey techniques and two-handed rods.

Credits:
As I neared retirement, I began thinking of what to do with the time, which turned out to solve itself.  In any case, I met Joe Doucette, owner of Elko Fly Shop, at an event in town.  He taught me to tie flies, helped me to select good gear, taught me to use it, and took a picture of one happy angler with his first trout on a fly rod.
Bob Thibault and Joe Gates, are local volunteers who help Joe with his classes, who greatly accelerated my learning curves.
Many guides helped me to improve my skills and freely gave me their knowlege of a lifetime on the water.  Julie Meisner, in particular, helped me catch my first steelhead on a Spey rod, a thrill almost as great as my first trout on a fly rod.  When I was struggling with my casting, she introduced me to one great casting teacher.
Rick Williams, on Julie's recommendation, took me as a student and gave me a firm foundation on which to build my two-handed skills.
Chris Gerono, a wild-man guide, showed me a ton of tricks and helped me to become more fishy.
Thanks to all the Ruby Mountain Fly Fishers who have helped me along this journey.