Most anglers think of spey rods as tools for giant rivers and salmon or steelhead. The truth is, trout spey is one of the most exciting ways to fish right here in Colorado, Wyoming and beyond. It’s not just effective, it’s immersive, rewarding, and a whole lot of fun.

With so much water surrounding us, there are lots of locales to utilize trout spey outfits on. First, on the Cache la Poudre, light spey rods turn pocket water and fast runs into perfect swing water for soft hackles and smaller streamers. The Colorado River, with its broad riffles and tailouts, comes alive when you keep your fly swinging in the zone with a two-hander. While the Miracle Mile and Grey Reef offer wide, classic runs where two-handed rods cover water with ease. The Mile is where we even hold our spey school. This allows us to teach you how to approach larger water, read runs and fish effectively with the 2 hander.

What makes trout spey unique is more than just the fish you’re trying to catch, it’s the cast. Each swing starts with anchor placement, builds with the sweep and load of the rod, and finishes as your line shoots across the river. It’s rhythmic and focused, and when a trout grabs mid-swing, the jolt is unforgettable.

The gear, while different from the single hand game, is easily approachable for all anglers. Two- to four-weight spey rods paired with balanced reels are perfect for local waters. Scandi lines make delicate presentations; Skagit heads paired with sink tips carry bigger streamers deep. Flies don’t need to be fancy, soft hackles, leeches, and simple streamers pulse with life when swung. Utilizing both Scandi lines and Skagit allows you to cover the water column top to bottom effectively and maximize the fun as well. From heavy hitting grabs on large streamers with Skagit lines, to slurping down a skated caddis on Scandi setups, trout spey is undeniably fun and addicting.

Perhaps the best part: everything you learn with spey casting carries over to single-hand rods. Better line control, smoother casts, and more efficiency on the water.

Trout spey isn’t just another technique, it’s an experience. It slows you down, draws you into the flow of the river, and delivers some of the most thrilling takes you’ll ever feel. So grab a two-hander, head for your local river, and discover why we love trout spey so much.

At St. Peter’s Fly Shop, trout spey is one of our favorite ways to fish, and we love sharing it with the community. We offer spey lessons on both the Cache la Poudre and the Miracle Mile, private spey casting lessons, and guided trips tailored specifically to trout spey. Whether it’s your first time holding a two-hander or you’re fine-tuning your cast, our team can help you unlock the rhythm of the swing.