Fly Fishing Traditions Schools, Workshops and Individual Instruction

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Use of the Bottom Hand and the Underhand Spey Casting Technique

This is a video clip of Goran Anderson showing us the "Underhand Cast". The cast uses almost entirely the bottom hand. The top hand has very little drift. It is one on the distinct styles of spey casting. This is good to practice using a long belly line like an Airflo Delta or a Rio Short Head Spey line.

With this and most of the different styles of casting you need to train yourself to eliminate a dominant top hand. Single handed casters rely on the dominant hand to orchestrate a cast. When starting two handed casting we are ingrained to use our dominate hand, for a right handed caster this would be the right hand. Using the top hand for power is BAD! We have used our right hand for most of our fishing career and it's hard to stop using it. The upper hand, needs to be the fulcrum, or the pivot. The lower hand is in the drivers seat. The pull with lower hand also pulls against the load created by the back loop and the line anchored to the waters surface. Loading the rod in this manner is technically a Class 1 lever, the strongest. The top hand job is to stop the rod which will "Flip the Tip" and off the cast will fly. Figure how to apply this power correctly and you are on your way.


  

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Have any Questions or Comments? Let me know, Clay.