Trout Spey? Perhaps this is unconventional for trout and unconventional for Spey, but when stepping aside from tradition, it makes perfect sense.
There has been a growing trend among trout anglers to apply Spey tactics to trout waters. Admittedly, I looked at this practice with suspicion. However, when considering some of the many reasons anglers cast a Spey rod, from covering big water to getting distance without space for a backcast, a Spey rod has a perfect fit for trout ventures. And it’s fun.
Thomas & Thomas is famously loyal to tradition. Yet, as many anglers have recently noticed, T&T has recently been breaking out into cutting edge design and innovation in fly rod manufacturing (while remaining loyal to its tradition). A case in point: the Thomas & Thomas DNA TroutSpey.
The DNA TroutSpey from Thomas & Thomas is rod series that honors the T&T legacy while making advancements in the trout Spey movement. I had the pleasure of fishing the 11’9″ 5-weight TroutSpey, and the rod lived up to every hope I could have. Without question, fishing this rod was a true delight. Fishing a Spey rod is almost like combining two separate but related hobbies: fly fishing and Spey casting. In fact, at the Golden Gate Angling & Casting Club in San Francisco where I often cast, there are several members who are proficient casters who have never once fished. To apply Spey casting to trout angling might be a new direction I take my fishing.
The DNA TroutSpey felt perfectly light and balanced and was the ideal length for taking on trout waters. With its “progressive” taper, long casts came with ease, mending was nearly effortless, and throughout my time fishing this rod, I was able to enjoy the beautiful practice of Spey casting on a home water for trout.
Not just dabbling in the idea of a trout Spey rod, the DNA TroutSpey comes in an 11’9 5-weight as well as 11’6″ 3 and 4-weight models. (Could you imagine trout on a 3-weight Spey?!) And in addition to the fine casting and fishing, this rod is beautifully crafted. In fact, the first thing I noticed about the rod was its beautiful hardware, including a gorgeous reel seat and finely cut and engraved aluminum. Mighty fine.
To check out more about the Thomas & Thomas DNA TroutSpey, please click here.
– Tim Harden
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What line do you recommend pairing with this?