Traditional Spey fishing is closely associated with steelhead, salmon, and big rivers. It's a popular fly fishing technique in the Pacific Northwest that requires long rods, special lines, and specific casts. However, in recent years, anglers have applied this once big-river-specific tactic to target smaller fish on (usually) smaller waters.
The technique is called trout Spey, which is also sometimes referred to as “micro Spey.” While it has similarities when anglers fish with so-called “switch rods”—longer rods that theoretically can be cast either one-handed or two-handed—micro Spey fishing is essentially a scaled-down version of the traditional two-handed casting technique that got its start nearly two centuries ago on Scottish Atlantic salmon rivers, including the River Spey.
Micro Spey fishing isn’t gaining traction in fly fishing because gear companies want to sell more rods, reels, and lines. It’s popular because a growing number of fly anglers are finding that it’s versatile, fun, and effective. And, if you’re already a Spey angler who chases steelhead and salmon, it’s also a great way to keep the skills fresh when those big critters aren’t running. Here's everything you need to know to get started in trout Spey fishing, including gear, tactics, techniques, and application.
Spey Basics
Spey fishing differs from traditional fly fishing in several ways. The primary difference is that Spey rods are longer than regular fly rods—traditional Spey rods can sometimes be as long as 15 or 16 feet—and are designed to be cast with two hands. There’s a longer grip atop the reel seat, and the addition of a butt section of rod for the second, bottom hand. In the single-handed casting that most of us are used to, we use false casts to load the rod with the weight of the line. Roll casts, on the other hand, are the heart of Spey fishing, with tension between the line and the water loading the rod.
Spey fly lines feature a heavier head and a running line. With only the head of the fly line out of the rod tip, the angler executes the chosen cast (there are many different types of Spey casts) and the heavier head section flies toward the target, pulling the running line behind it as it goes. The longer rod allows for much longer casts than single-hand rods.
There are two types of Spey heads. Heavier Skagit heads are best for bombing streamers, while lighter Scandinavian, or “Scandi” heads are best for more subtle approaches such as swinging wet flies or even skating dry flies. In both cases, additional leaders and tippets are needed, with the specifics determined by the method used, be it swinging streamers or soft hackles, fishing nymphs under an indicator, or skating dries. Because the casting action is in front of the angler, eliminating a backcast prevents digging flies out of shoreline trees and brush and can be a huge advantage on tight streams where backcasts are not possible or practical.
Scaling Down to Micro Spey
Trout Spey fishing is just a smaller, lighter version of the technique Scottish salmon anglers have been using for nearly two centuries. It has taken off in the U.S. over the past decade, and many of the top fly rod manufacturers have added trout/micro Spey sticks to their offerings.
Just like with traditional fly rods, trout/micro Spey rods are designated by line weight. That said, a 3-weight trout/micro Spey rod does not have the same power as a 3-weight one-hander. The general rule of thumb is to add three to a trout/micro Spey rod’s designated weight to get the one-hand equivalent. So, a 3-weight trout Spey would be equivalent to a 6-weight one-handed rod. For smaller fish on smaller waters, a 1- to 3-weight rod is usually appropriate. Bigger fish and flies call for sizing up to a 3- to 5-weight micro/trout Spey rod. Rods on the larger end of the trout Spey spectrum are strong enough to handle Great Lakes steelhead. For reels, you need to match the reel size to the single-hand equivalent number to better balance with the longer, heavier Spey rod and to better accommodate beefier Spey lines.
Techniques
Micro/trout Spey excels when swinging streamers or wet flies in runs with consistent depth and current. Cast 45 degrees downstream, then execute an upstream or downstream mend, depending on how you want to work the fly or flies through the run. Take a step downstream (or pull out a bit more running line) and repeat. It’s a great way to cover a lot of water and there is something addictive about feeling that tug when a fish hits.
While swinging with a Spey rig is a delight, micro/trout Spey rigs can also be used to fish nymphs under an indicator. Casting can be a bit clunky, but that extra rod length helps with mending for long drag-free drifts. The micro/trout Spey approach falls short with most dry fly fishing, particularly an upstream presentation. But it can be a hoot for skating flies during a caddis or salmonfly hatch. Tie on an emerger below your dry and don’t be surprised by double hookups. A trout Spey rig can also work in hopper/dropper situations in a pinch.
As mentioned above, there are several different Spey casts, from a simple roll cast to somewhat more complicated single- and double-Spey casts to even more exotic techniques such as a cast known as a “snap T" (see below). There are many great how-to casting videos online, but the best way to learn the different casts is to connect with a mentor or guide.
Not Just for Trout
My favorite micro Spey rig is my Sage Trout Spey 3-weight. It’s a bit heavy for small soft hackles but great for beefy streamers and double nymph rigs under an indicator when fishing good-sized rivers for bigger trout. I’ve caught as many smallmouth bass as I have trout on that trout Spey rod. Swinging streamers or hellgrammite-imitating black Wooly buggers or leeches through riffles on hot summer evenings here in Virginia is so fun it almost seems like it should be illegal.
While a trout/micro Spey rig would normally be a terrible way to fish pocket water, it can work with a bit of creativity. If I want to carry just one rod on a day fishing a river with a lot of swinging water but also some good pocket water, I bring along a Euro nymph leader so I can tightline fish nymphs in those pockets. A micro/trout Spey rod won’t be as sensitive as a true Euro nymph rod, so the approach requires heavy nymphs and, ideally, big and aggressive fish. On a trip to Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island a few years ago, I crushed dolly varden while tight-lining egg flies through pocket water. And when I got to swinging water, it was easy to change leaders and flies.
A micro Spey rig can also work well in certain saltwater situations, such as fishing cuts and channels with good tidal current flow. A few years ago I had a lot of fun catching ladyfish on an outflowing tidal creek on an Alabama beach. A borrowed single-hand rod worked fine, but as I stood in the warm surf, I couldn’t help thinking it would have been even more fun—and possibly even more productive—if I’d made longer casts and better swings with a micro Spey rig.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to fly fishing. But the versatility and effectiveness of fishing with a micro/trout Spey outfit make it a technique that avid fly anglers should try.
