Casting Hand?

[Madpiper]

I single hand cast with my left hand ( RH Retrieve) and am finding it most comfortable to cast spey with my RH top and LH bottom (reel set for RH retrieve) Do I have everything correct for me and is this a normal to cast with your leading hand opposite that of a single hand?

 

Thanks!

[daxlarsen]

I don't spey, but it's gonna be the same as any other sport, I'm right handed, baseball bat is swung right handed, hockey is left handed, golf is right handed, fishing is right handed. I'm sure whichever way is most comfortable and natural for you is the correct way

[BBBrownie]

Whatever feels comfortable for you and executes the best cast! Some guys/gals switch hands depending on which side of the river they are on so that the same casts can be made from both sides. Switching hands doesn't work for me very well, so I just have prefered casts for each side of the river/wind conditions. There really aren't "rules" unless you impose them on yourself. Do whatever gets the job done and provides you with the experience you are looking for.

[Jayhad]

would you be more comfortable fishing from the other side of the river, I know this sounds strange but you maybe fishing with the river coming from left to right and while learning it might be easier to learn on the other side. I fish right handed, spey casting for me was much easier to learn on the west side of the river. After casting a while I figured the mechanics of casting on the east side. you may want to try switching up sides.

[Madpiper]

I guess what I was after is my reel loading: If I'm casting with my right hand on top and currently my reel is loaded RH Retrieve, then upon catching a fish I would then have to switch my left hand from bottom to top in order to reel in the fish. Is this the typical setup or should I have my reel set up to retrieve LH? I'm currently fishing on the West side of the river as well.

 

Thanks

[headscan]

Go with the way you feel most comfortable. There are guys who insist that if you cast right hand up you should reel right as well because if you reel left then when you're holding your rod on the swing the reel handle will be against your side and you might lose a fish, or when you cast your running line might get caught on the handle. I tried changing my spey reels to right hand retrieve but I just can't reel right-handed. Now I reel left on my two-handed rods and haven't noticed any issues.

 

There are a bunch of casting clinics coming up - some free demos and some paid instruction - and I'd really recommend you check some of those out.

[ogilvie]

I single hand cast with my left hand ( RH Retrieve) and am finding it most comfortable to cast spey with my RH top and LH bottom (reel set for RH retrieve) Do I have everything correct for me and is this a normal to cast with your leading hand opposite that of a single hand?

 

Thanks!

You have everything as it should be for you...there was a time when 85% of fly casters cast right and reel right...these num,bers have significantly reduced over the past 20 years because of the availability of right and left hand retreive reels. My favorite way to Spey cast has been for many years is Cackhanded -off the wrong shoulder...my stroke is much shorter and the muscle memory is set for this...but do learn to use both hands high...better for teh mind!

C