Winter Plans

Below Latitude 44°S, winter comes fast. Leaves change from pale yellow to flaming red, then fade fast before they drop. The urge to plan is strong.

It’s time I learned to properly cast double handed. So spey tops my new Winter Plan.

First I need to stock up on a plethora of new gear. An 11″ DH Trout Spey (or Switch) rod in DH4 weight and a longer 13″ DH Spey Rod in DH7 weight start a fresh list. Then there’s a new reel spooled with floating scandi line, another spool of integrated skagit, or do I run with shooting heads. Decisions, decisions. There’s running line to procure, backing to buy. Hovering, intermediate and sinking T-tips, polyleaders, more fluorocarbon tippet because you can never have enough. Finally some of those most excellent leech patterns to browse, send a bunch of Ronan’s Possum Bruisers to the website cart, plus I’ll need a new wading jacket to protect me in the coming months as I toil through torrid weather.

It’s hard to remember back when I bought my first angling gear as a pimply, bandy-legged teen, but the anguish of setting up a gaggle of confusing kit doesn’t diminish over time. I’m reliving that pain, but via online consumerism this time around.

I sign up to the Spey Pages and quickly find a few forum friends to fire dumb questions at. It’s like going back to school really. Oh, those awkward memories are returning now.