Gorge Fly Shop Blog: Sage: Spey School

Spey School - Grande Ronde River

SPEY SCHOOL 2018

Join renowned Spey casting instructor and Sage Ambassador Scott O’Donnell and his crew of die-hard steelhead guides at Speywater Lodge for three days of Spey instruction and steelhead fishing. Scott and his crew are master instructors and the Grande Ronde is the best place we know of to learn the art of Spey casting and improve your swing fishing skills.

In addition to the professional instruction and world-class fishing, Sage will have their entire portfolio of Spey rods with matching RIO Spey lines available for you to try. No need to bring gear from home – each and every Sage Spey rod and reel will be on hand for you to test, cast and fish. Try a variety of steelhead Spey rods – from 11’ 5-weights to 14’ 8-weights.

The Sage On The Water Spey School is an incredible opportunity to learn or improve your Spey casting and steelhead fishing with some of the best instructors around, all while fine-tuning a personal setup . All of this along the banks of the beautiful Grande Ronde River outside of Troy, Oregon. If your flying into PDX or traveling through Hood River be sure to stop by the shop.

Casting & Techniques: Learn from some of the finest Northwest steelhead guides.

Over the course of three days you will learn:

Choosing a rod for the fisheries and species you’re targeting
Pairing lines and rods
Line design and uses – Skagit, Scandi, mid-head, long head
Reading steelhead water
Fly tying steelhead patterns
Matching lines with rods and fishing styles
Basic and advanced Spey casting techniques
Basic and advanced swing fishing techniques

Group Size: 8

Dates:
October 10 – 14, 2018
November 4 – 8, 2018

Rate: $2,400 per person for a 4 night/3 day package

Included: Accommodations and meals at lodge, guided fishing, flies and leaders, entire Sage Spey rod lineup, entire Rio Spey line offering.

Not Included: Airfare, rental car, gratuities, fishing licenses, and alcohol.

Itinerary:

Day 1:
3:00PM: Arrive at Speywater Lodge
Cocktail Hour: Introduction to tackle and rigging

Day 2:
8:00AM – Noon: Casting Demonstration and instruction concentrating on Double Spey and Snap T with floating lines and tips. Noon – 1:00PM: Lunch at the lodge

1:00PM – 5:00PM: Guided fishing with professional instructor Cocktail Hour: Line design and uses – skagit, scandi, mid-belly, long line.

Topics covered during guided fishing:

Reading steelhead water
Casting for the type of water
Line / tip choice for the type of water
Fly choice
Fly presentation.

Day 3:
8:00 – 10:00AM: Demonstration on casting skagit, scandi, mid-belly, long line. Introduction to single Spey.
10:00AM – 5:00PM: Guided fishing with professional instructor Cocktail Hour: Choosing a rod for the fisheries and species you’re targeting – pairing lines and rods.

Day 4:
8:00AM – 5:00PM: Guided fishing with professional instructor. Post Dinner: Fly tying demonstration

Day 5:
Depart lodge for home or points beyond.

GRANDE RONDE PERFECT SETUPS

At Spey School, you’ll have access to Sage’s full lineup of Spey rods and reels with all RIO Products’Spey lines to match. This is a great opportunity to create your own Perfect Setup for your home waters, or any fishery you may be visiting in the future. That said, we’ve spent countless days on the Grande Ronde, so if you’re looking for our favorites we feel confident in suggesting the following Perfect Setups for Grande Ronde steelhead.
GRANDE RONDE PERFECT SETUP – SKAGIT / SINK-TIP FISHING
Rod: 6120-4 X
Reel: SPEY Reel 6/7/8
Line: RIO Products Skagit Max Short, 450 grains
Tips: RIO Products InTouch Skagit MOW Tips, Medium.

GRANDE RONDE PERFECT SETUP – SCANDI / FLOATING LINE FISHING
Rod: 6126-4 IGNITER
Reel: SPEY Reel 6/7/8
Line: RIO Products Scandi Shooting Head, 400 grains.

For more Information
Regarding the Sage: Spey School

For more Information
Regarding Sage, RIO or getting geared up, contact us today.