Spey: The Energy

Spey casting, or spey fishing; what is it all about? It is about so many different things both tangible and things that are created within our own minds and worlds. It is an energy of sorts that is so hard to describe. It isn’t just about the history or the cast or the rod or the fishing method or the take or the flies or even the fish. It is about everything together and the energy that is created by experiencing and feeling all of those things and being part of something. How many times has somebody said to you “it isn’t about the fish”? The phrase is uttered by many anglers both to justify a fruitless day of fishing or just as a philosophical reflection on fishing as a whole. In spey casting circles the phrase couldn’t be more true, as this method and style and everything that surround it so captivate anglers that the fish are just the end result and serve as justification to make more spey casts and to experience new places, new fish and new friends. The fish are what brought us there; but are not why we are there at all. Granted, we wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for the fish drawing us there in the first place. Spey casting is extremely fun in and of itself, but without a purpose it eventually loses its draw. Eventually you want to be on a big river or in the pounding surf or somewhere where there is an invisible force pulling you there. When you are in this element, the energy and feeling can almost be overwhelming. Interaction with other people, who share this passion, fuels this energy and many anglers chase it for a lifetime. This energy or force isn’t isolated to spey casting and spey fishing, but is extremely strong among people that choose to pursue such a specific aspect of our sport. For me, that is what it is all about and what will always keep me coming back. It is what keeps me alive and what will always feed my desire for more.