The world championship of Spey casting has just wrapped up in California, and the numbers are staggering. Winning casts of 190 feet and four cast totals of over 700 were executed by competitors attending from across the world.
Wikipedia cites: “Spey casting originated in the heart of Scotland in the mid-1800s. The name comes from the River Spey in Scotland, which is where the cast originated, presumably at Gordon Castle Estate and Wester Elchies beat. Therefore, the Spey cast was developed so one could successfully cast on a large river such as the Spey. When Spey casting was introduced, 22-foot rods were used. These rods were made of greenheart, a heavy wood imported from British Guyana. Today, rods are only 12 to 15 feet in length, and can toss a line up to 80 feet.”
After the results of last weeks Spey-O-Rama competition, however, it looks like the Wikipedia entry will need some updating. The Golden Gate Angling and Casting club reported that competition Runner-Up Gerard Downey of Ireland delivered the competition’s longest cast of 190 feet, with Oregon’s Travis Johnson winning the overall men’s title with a four-cast total of 711 feet. Whitney Gould won her fourth Spey-O-Rama women’s title with style, setting all-time Spey-O-Rama records for long cast (150 feet) and four-cast total (559 feet). BC’s Kara Knight was runner up for the third consecutive year.
Spey casting with two-handed rods has come into it’s own in the US in the last ten years, with anglers now realizing the superior reach…
