Originally Posted by
Bill Kiene semi-retired
RSK,
Amazing, you lived the entire history of two-handed/Spey casting/fishing on the West Coast.
I am not a good Spey caster/fisher but I know the history well because my job was to have the right inventory for my fly shop.
I also had the right staff who were Steelheaders so when Spey came along they all got deep into it.
My staff were an pretty much very serious Spey fishers so I relied on them to help me have the right and cutting-edge inventory.
One of the first to get the Spey bug was Jeff Putnam, over 30 years ago, at the beginning.
He has recently moved up on the middle Rogue River to teach and guide Spey fishing for Steelhead
We had top Spey casters, like Simon Gawesworth, come to the shop and give us and our customers lessons.
Mike McCune grew up at our shop as well and has become a famous Alaskan and Pacific North West SH guide.
He and his comrades have worked with Sage and Rio to develop the smaller rods and the short Skagit with their tip system.
We also had Dough Duncan who worked for us, who is a long rod, long line, Spey caster who fishes the Snake every Fall.
About 20 years ago we were the largest Spey/Two-handed dealer in California due to our staff.
Oregon and Washington had and still has the best Spey/Two-handed fly shops.
Today, Fly Fishing Specialties in Sacramento is the top Spey/Two-hand shop in California.
Fly fishing for Stripers and Spey/Two-hand casting/fishing were the two best things that happened to our fly shop.
In both venues, you are still actually fly casting without a "bobber.'
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