Upcoming Spey Clinic Sessions
FFI Master Instructor · Bryson City, NC · Tuckasegee River
Spey Elite Casting Clinic
Two-Handed Fly Casting School — Great Smoky Mountains
The Spey Elite Casting Clinic in Bryson City, North Carolina is an intensive 2-day program covering switch rod and Spey casting mechanics, anchor placement, D-loop formation, and advanced two-handed casting techniques — $1,550, taught by our credentialed instructor team, which includes FFI Master Casting Instructors. Instructors vary by session. All two-handed rods and lines provided. Classes are taught by our team of credentialed instructors, which includes 2026 Women's World Fly Casting Champion Whitney Gould. Instructors vary by session.
Southeast's Premier Spey Instruction
The most powerful, elegant cast in fly fishing is closer than you think.
Most anglers who watch Spey casting for the first time feel one of two things: pure inspiration or quiet intimidation. The sweeping D-loop, the effortless distance, the way a well-executed cast unrolls across a wide river like it was pulled from the water itself — it looks like something reserved for a very specific kind of angler.
It isn't. With the right instruction, two-handed casting is not only learnable but transformational — opening up water, techniques, and a dimension of fly fishing that single-hand anglers never access. The barrier is not talent or experience. It is instruction.
The Spey Elite Casting Clinic in Bryson City, North Carolina is the Southeast's premier destination for two-handed fly casting instruction. Whether you are picking up a switch rod for the first time, looking to refine mechanics you've been working on for years, or pursuing FFI Two-Handed Casting Instructor certification, this clinic delivers.
Who This Clinic Is For
If you've ever watched someone Spey cast and thought — I want to do that — this weekend is your answer.
- Single-hand casters ready to add a powerful new dimension to their fly fishing
- Trout anglers wanting to reach water and make presentations currently beyond their range
- Steelhead and salmon anglers building the foundational skills the pursuit demands
- Guides and shop staff pursuing FFI Two-Handed Casting Instructor certification
- Anyone who has attempted Spey casting on their own and hit a frustrating wall
Full Curriculum
What You Will Learn
Two full days covering every major system and cast — from anchor fundamentals to FFI certification preparation.
Anchor Placement & D-Loop Formation
The foundation every Spey cast is built on. Most self-taught two-handed casters struggle here without knowing it — and every downstream problem traces back to this one upstream cause. Get anchor placement right and the rest of the cast begins to make sense immediately.
Skagit Casting
Short, powerful, and built for heavy flies, sink tips, and tight bankside quarters. The Skagit system is the workhorse of Spey fishing — practical, adaptable, and devastatingly effective when executed correctly.
Scandi Casting
Long, elegant, and built for distance and delicacy on open water. Understanding when to reach for Skagit versus Scandi — and why — is as important as mastering both systems.
Switch Rod Techniques
The versatile bridge between single-hand and full Spey. An increasingly essential tool for trout anglers on big water and one of the fastest-growing disciplines in the sport.
Sustained Anchor Casts
Snake roll, Perry Poke, Snap-T, Double Spey — each cast has its conditions, its logic, and its specific advantages. You will learn not just how to execute each one but precisely when and why to reach for it.
Running Line & Shooting Head Systems
How different head configurations change casting behavior, and how to adjust your technique to match the system you are fishing — a critical skill most anglers never fully develop.
Aerial Mending & Presentation
Getting the fly to the fish is only half the job. Two-handed rod mending opens up drift presentations and current management that single-hand anglers simply cannot achieve. This alone is worth the weekend.
FFI Two-Handed Certification Preparation
For candidates pursuing the credential — complete task preparation, mock testing, and diagnostic feedback from FFI Level 2 examiners with a near-100% certification pass rate over many years.
The Venue
One of the finest Spey teaching venues in the eastern United States.
The Tuckasegee River running through Bryson City, North Carolina is wide enough for full Spey casting, varied enough to practice every anchor position and presentation angle, and beautiful enough to make every hour on the water feel like a privilege.
Bryson City sits within easy reach of Asheville, Cherokee, and the heart of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Many participants extend their stay to fish the surrounding water — some of the finest wild trout streams in the eastern United States.
The Instruction Team
Credentialed two-handed casting instruction.
The clinic draws on the work of Mac Brown, North Carolina's only FFI Master Casting Instructor and an FFI Level 2 examiner with decades of two-handed casting experience. Our credentialed instructor team includes FFI Master Casting Instructors and brings a near-100% certification pass rate for CI and MCI candidates over many years. Instructors vary by session.
World-class guest instructors with international Spey credentials join select clinics throughout the year — bringing perspectives shaped by steelhead rivers in the Pacific Northwest and Atlantic salmon runs in Iceland.
On Our Instructor Team
Whitney Gould — 2026 Women's World Fly Casting Champion. Overall women's world champion at the 2026 World Flycasting Championships in Vinadio, Italy (four gold medals) and eight-time Spey-O-Rama women's world Spey casting champion.
Instructors vary by session.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
FFI Certification Resources
Official FFI Two-Handed Exam Documents
Download the current official exam evaluation forms for both the THCI and THMCI certifications.
Southeast's Premier Two-Handed Instruction
Spey Elite Casting Clinic
The Tuckasegee River. The Southeast's finest Spey teaching venue. Limited enrollment.