WFS 366 – A Spey Casting Lesson with Charles St. Pierre – Northwest Spey, Alec Jackson, Steelhead

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/366

Presented By: FishHound Expeditions, Country Financial, Angler’s Coffee, Range Meal Bars

Sponsors: wetflyswing.com/sponsors

Charles St. Pierre from Northwest Spey Casting is here to teach us how to up Spey game today. This is loaded with a ton of great tips and it’s just too much to put in writing. He breaks it down step by step that you can simply imagine how it works, plus the recommender gear, flies, and everything Spey fishing.

We hear about the story of where he was during the Mount St. Helens eruption and how it affected the fisheries in Northwest Washington. Charles also takes us to the Olympic Peninsula rivers, his favorite waters to fish.

Spey Casting Lessons Show Notes with Charles St. Pierre

05:30 – Charles tells the story of how he remembered Mt St. Helens eruption – the deadliest volcanic eruption in US history (1980)

09:00 – Charles started Spey casting in the mid-90s and began teaching in the late 90s, then started Northwest Spey Casting

11:30 – We had George Cook on the podcast in episode 131 who told us about the NW Spey history

13:30 – For winter and early spring fishing is Skagit sink tip. For late summer, it’s Scandi and early fall presentations

27:35 – Charles explains the angle change in Spey casting

30:15 – Charles breaks down the double Spey in 3 movements:

1. Lift – to bring the fly from downstream up close to the caster within a rod’s length.
2. Reposition – cross your right arms, where your right arm now becomes your upstream hand. Uncross your arms to develop the D-loop and swing your rod tip back down to the downstream side at a slightly rising angle.
3. Then make the forward cast from there.

35:30 – Tip: If you want to develop a good forward cast, you have to develop a good back cast

47:40 – Charle’s favorite way to fish is with a floating line with a long leader, and with either a wet or a dry fly

56:55 – Charles loves fishing the Olympic Peninsula rivers

58:45 – The glaciers in the Olympic Peninsula are almost all gone

59:00 – Winter fishing starts in Olympic Peninsula around Thanksgiving in November

1:05:18 – For lines, Charles uses a Rio mid-belly and some Next Cast and Boss for long lines of 60 feet or more – they work well with 15 to 16-foot rods. For leaders, generally match the length of the rod.

1:08:30 – Charles took fly tying class from Alec Jackson. He learned to tie Skunk Spade and Sock River Grub. His favorite fly for steelhead is a Muddler.

1:15:45 – Charles ties Hobo Spey, Foxy Dog, and custom flies for clients.

1:19:00 – Dave McNeese talked about making a book about his fly fishing life

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/366