Border Game Angling

Short Fly Fishing Breaks.

For those of you I have not yet had the good fortune to meet, my name is Clive Mitchelhill and I am a fully qualified, full time game angling Instructor living in Cumbria (UK), specialising in fly casting and fly fishing techniques. I mention both, because in my opinion they really are two separate entities.

That said I am also a firm believer that without realising your full casting potential you cannot reap the benefits that this can bring to your fishing, and ultimately improve your success as an angler.

I have been a very keen angler for over 50 years now, and an active member of the Association of Advanced Professional Game angling Instructors (AAPGAI). I hold all of their qualifications in both Single and Double handed casting disciplines and also hold all of the Federation of Fly Fishers International casting qualifications (FFI).

Throughout my fishing career I have employed a variety of baits and lures to produce the desired results, which has not only given me a better understanding of my quarry, but has also given me a unique insight into their preferred environments, and therefore where you are likely to find them in ever changing conditions, especially when it involves river fishing. However, I have to admit, that over the years nothing has given me greater pleasure, or been more rewarding, than my fly fishing endeavours, during which time I have discovered a few more things along the way (which, I might add, is an ongoing process).

For that reason, l would like to share some of these discoveries with you, and initially, I would like to share my knowledge of a group of casts known as the Spey casts, so called, (as many of you will already know) because they originated on the banks of the River Spey in Scotland, where large sections of the river are tree lined, creating many natural obstacles behind the angler, making the overhead cast very difficult to execute at times.

However, this is not the only reason why (in certain situations) we need to be able to produce, (as well as understand) a good Spey cast, especially in difficult situations on running water. So over a series of articles, which I have labelled, Six Of The Best, I would like to explain these casts further.

Before reading through the individual casts, here is a little Food for Thought!

Checking for obstacles behind, and considering the elements, are important considerations that are often overlooked prior to casting your fly on the water. The main element in question is wind, but not only the fact that it may be a windy day, but also the direction in which the wind is blowing. This will be a major factor in the choice of cast you will require for a safe and efficient presentation of your fly. When considering wind direction, you must also take into account the direction in which it is blowing in relation to the flow of the river, (if on a river) i.e., is it an upstream wind, or is it a downstream wind? Already we have given ourselves three things to take into consideration when approaching the river, and that’s before we even get started:

All of these factors will have a bearing on the way in which we decide to tackle the job in hand, but first and foremost, making the right decision will allow us to enjoy our day’s fishing in a safe and relaxing manner.

Another compelling reason for us to learn these Spey casting techniques, (of which there are several) is that they can potentially improve our success rate, as they will allow us to deliver a fly safely and effectively into areas that are often inaccessible to anglers with a limited range of casts in their armoury. It is only now that your own fly fishing techniques will begin to evolve and your confidence will grow. This is when fly casting begins its transition into fly fishing.

Over the course of these six casts (shown in the links on the casting page) I will be elaborating on this brief introduction and hopefully providing a better understanding of the advantages of Spey Casting. I am also very aware that there are already many good Spey casters out there and it is far from my intension to teach Granny how to suck eggs, but hopefully within the following casting explanations there may be something for everyone, (however small).

There is often a big difference between being able to cast well and understanding the mechanics of what you are trying to achieve, ultimately improving your technique. So if you are new to Spey casting, I would suggest starting from the beginning with the basic roll cast, as this is the corner stone to a successful Spey casting technique. However, if you are a seasoned caster, you may have a specific cast that interests you more, and therefore you can choose to visit that cast which can be found within the more in depth links on The Casts page. That said, regardless of which cast is your favourite, it may be beneficial to start from the Roll Cast (in more depth) link first anyway, as these casts are laid out in order for a reason, so reading them in order will give you a much better understanding of the mechanics of casting and help you to build up the bigger picture.

Whichever you choose, I hope you enjoy the experience!