Speycast.co.uk is a dedicated instruction and information resource for speycasters of all levels and abilities. Updated features of the site will soon include our new online Spey Shop, which includes our own range of branded Speycast clothing. Sponsored by Loop Tackle Design, the site also includes updated instruction articles and video downloads in the Online Instruction section. Since Speycast was first launched in 2001, the instruction pages have been extremely popular with all levels of Speycasters around the world. 2006 sees the expansion of this information resource to incorporate the ever-increasing range of new casts evolving in our sport.

Designed by World Team Speycasting Champion Eoin Fairgrieve, the new range of Loop Classic Spey Rods and Lines have been developed specifically to enhance and maximise all levels of casting ability from novice through to advanced speycasters.

Eoin Fairgrieve was a member of the Scottish Speycasting Team that took first place at the inaugural Emerald World Masters Championships held in Ireland. This recent event, which attracted international teams from all over the world, was held at Carton House near Dublin and was part of the fly casting and bait casting bi-annual ICSF World Championships. The blue-ribbon event of the Championships was the team spey distance event, attracting the world’s best speycasters. The Scottish team, whose main sponsors were the Clydesdale Bank and Glasgow Angling Centre, consisted of Ian Gordon, Bill Drury, Gary Scott, Eoin Fairgrieve and the current world record-holder, Scott Mackenzie from Inverness.

Each competitor had five minutes to cast an 18ft double-handed rods and competition Spey lines as far as possible, with the best two casts recorded as their overall score. Scott Mackenzie cast first for Scotland and registered the longest cast of the entire Championship with 60.98 metres. Ian Gordon from Speyside cast next for Scotland and registered 57.37 metres as his longest cast. Gary Scott from Bishopbridge cast 51.67 metres. Spey ghillie, Bill Drury registered 54.43 as his longest cast. With some very good team performances from all the competing countries, the winner of the competition was not decided until the very last man had cast. This unenviable task fell to Eoin Fairgrieve, who needed to cast over 50 metres for Scotland to win the World Championship. Eoin’s longest casts was recorded at 55.60 metres and the following day at the official awards ceremony, Scotland were crowned the first-ever world champions.

"To represent our country and to be crowned world champions was simply amazing. The Scottish team had to beat the best casters in the world to win this prestigious event and I’m extremely proud to have been part of a team, whose average cast during the Championship was 55 metres (60 yards) As a team, we would like to extend our great thanks to our major sponsor, the Clydesdale Bank as well as Glasgow Angling Centre and Promotif for sponsoring our team clothing” Eoin Fairgrieve

Results

1st Team Scotland 553.00

2nd Team UK 529.87

3rd Team Ireland 519.44

4th Team Norway 517.22

5th Team USA 430.80

6th Team Poland 333.94

We are delighted to announce Eoin Fairgrieve's Centre of Excellence has just secured the lease on the Sunlaws salmon beat of the River Teviot for 2007. Located 3 miles upstream of the world famous Junction Pool at Kelso, the beat is 1.8 miles long (1 mile doublebank) and has 11 named salmon pools. With a selection of fast, streamy pools and slow moving dubs, this beat is an excellent teaching environment to learn all aspects of doublehand casting and salmon fishing techniques.

As well as the teaching activities at Sunlaws, the Centre will also offer day and weekly fishing lets to anglers that would just like to fish this very photogenic water during the course of the season. The beat can accommodate a maximum of 4 rods, with prices starting from £30 per day. For further information contact eoin@speycast.co.uk