"Myriad choices face the beginning spey angler. What length spey rod? What weight? Skagit or Scandi or Traditional line? What kind of tip do I put on the end? Having options is a good thing: too many can be overwhelming. In the case of picking up a two-handed rod and learning to spey cast, the plethora of options can result in the newbie angler going down a bumpy, winding road with no clear end in sight.
You need someone you can trust with these questions. Internet forums and Facebook groups are full of conflicting opinions. Precious few resources have been available up to this point. Fortunately, Understanding Spey by Pierre Hebert and David Hebert is just that resource.
In my decade of guiding spey casting West Coast steelheaders, mismatched tackle was not a one-off among clients, it was the norm. My mornings would begin with a boat-ramp inspection of my students' gear. The wrong line or tip or combination of the two, mismatched to a rod, being a recipe for poor fly presentation, struggling spey casters and long, frustrating days. As a result, by necessity my tackle bag was full of lines and tips to swap and replace if needed - not what you want to be doing as the sun rises and rested fish await.
Understanding Spey provides the much-needed filter for the murky waters of spey gear choices, the reader coming out the other side with a clear picture of what they need and why, saving time, energy and frustration and allowing the budding angler to focus on simply having fun in their new endeavor. The authors' gracious willingness to share their years of hard-won experience will shave valuable time on your learning curve and increase your enjoyment immensely.
Spey casting and the swung fly - whether for Atlantic salmon, steelhead or trout - is a pursuit full of mystique, tradition, art and grace, which is clearly conveyed in the captivating history and simply stunning photography of David Hebert that lines the pages of equation for spey success; it is also a beauty worthy of a home on everyone's coffee table."
- Zack Williams, Swing the Fly editor/publisher
