Do you underhand scandi?

This weekend in Omak we held a spey fishing clinic, instructed by Klaus Frimor from Loop Tackle and Clearwater Steelhead Syndicate. Klaus is one of the best "scandi" casters in the world, and we are very happy to have the opportunity to learn from him. Thank you Klaus, for the visit from Denmark!

The scandi cast is short for Scandinavian, the cast's country of origin where the line was developed. Klaus has mastered the underhand casting style, using longer shooting heads connected to running lines. This setup can be fished as floating or sinking, depending on the water being fished. Underhand casting is nearly effortless when done right, and truly uses the dynamic action of the rod to propel flies great distance with little to no room for a backcast. Scandi lines are the line of choice for most anglers fishing the Snake River’s fall runs of steelhead. This tactic is also deadly on upper Columbia tributaries in the fall when small light flies are the weapon of choice.

We had a great turnout of anglers ranging from young to old, from new fishers to old pros, and I think it is safe to say that everyone in attendance learned a great deal! We had demo rods available from Loop and Echo, as well as a few of our personal rods. We learned about line choices, mending, casting, and fishing, as well as when and where to uses these different tactics. 

After the clinic, we went back to North 40 Outfitters for a barbecue which included some fresh Okanogan River Chinook salmon, talk about some good "free range" food! It just doesn't get much better than a fresh Chinook prepared by the guys in Omak. Thanks! We all made new friends this weekend in Omak and we will be hosting more clinics in the future so check the website often or ask the guys in your local shop!

Spey fishing, and especially scandi casting has a wide variety of applications in your fishing arsenal. It excels in tight quarters like a tree lined river, as well has long distance presentations (think fishing dry flies on a large lake). One of my favorite non-steelhead applications for underhand scandi casting is swinging soft hackles in the summer on big rivers like the Kootenai or Clark Fork, allowing me to cover vast amounts of water and turn many fish I would not be able to reach with my single hand rods!

And don't forget to wear a hoodie and put your hands in your pocket when you Skagit cast, it is very important!