It’s always swing season here at Mystic Outdoors. It doesn’t matter if you live in the heart of steelhead country, or hundreds of miles from the nearest anadromous run. We believe that spey casting is for everyone.

Picking up a two-handed fly rod for the first time can be intimidating. But with patience, practice, and a little bit of help, anyone can learn. Here are 3 reasons we think you should pick up spey casting:

 1. Trout Spey and Micro Spey Options

Spey rods and switch rods have long been associated with big coastal waters for salmon and steelhead. But that’s not the end of the story.

The popularity of trout spey fishing has grown tremendously over the past several years. Try visiting your favorite trout river with a micro spey rod and a box full of soft hackles. Hooking trout on the swing with a two-handed rod will open up a whole new world of fly fishing.

Spey casting for trout is different, it’s fun and it’s incredibly effective. There’s nothing like feeling a hard-hitting strike on a micro spey fly rod. With a trout spey setup, you can reach across rivers and swing flies into otherwise hard-to-reach places. 

2. Your Next Steelhead or Salmon Trip

Spey casting was developed on, and named for, the River Spey in Scotland during the 1800s. While the equipment has changed, the excitement of landing a big salmon or a steelhead on a spey rod certainly has not.

Don’t let the opportunity pass you by. Whether you’re a spey-casting veteran or completely new to two-handed techniques, stay sharp and practice your casts for that next trip to steelhead country. Don’t wait to experience the Deschutes in Oregon, the Great Lakes tributaries, British Columbia, Alaska or even Patagonia. Near and far, there are plenty of opportunities for adventure. Get out there and experience it.

 3. It Will Make You a Better Angler

Spey casting opens up new opportunities. Whether you are swinging for rainbows in the central Rockies, or landing a giant sea run brown trout, spey casting will teach you new techniques and broaden your fly fishing skills.

Spey casting is ideal for waters where back casting is limited. And you’ll be able to reach further across broad bodies of water. No matter how you approach it, spey casting will make you a better all-around angler. 

Mystic Spey and Switch Rods

At Mystic, we believe that spey casting is for everyone. We also believe that a great spey rod shouldn’t cost a fortune. We pride ourselves in developing handcrafted rods, including spey rods, switch rods and micro-spey rods at a reasonable cost.

Spey Casting instructor Lisa Weiner recently said, “Two years ago on my first trip to British Columbia, I chose to take the 13' 3" 8-weight Mystic Spey rod. It did not disappoint. I landed a beautiful Steelhead with it. This rod is capable of fighting a big fish, as well as being a joy to cast over a 10-hour day of fishing. I fished that rod 4 out of the 5 days we were there.”

At a great price point and with an excellent warranty, Mystic Spey and Switch rods are proof that you can fish a top-tier fly rod that’s designed in the U.S., without the typical top-tier price tag.

Click here to learn more about Mystic Spey and Switch Rods.

Ryan McSparran is an outdoor writer based in Colorado and proud to be a part of the team at Mystic Outdoors.