REPOST: Love this video shot by John and Mike several years ago. Worth the watch again nd again. Enjoy if you are viewing after the turkey this Thursday!
If you haven’t had a chance to attend one of our clinics with Mike McCune – and wife Whitney Gould – this will give you an idea what it’s like to spend the day with him on the water. For those who don’t know, Mike is a longtime AK/WA/OR/CA Steelhead, Salmon and Trout guide. and one of the Godfathers of Skagit Casting and line design. We’re fortunate to have mike spend a little time with us each spring. Some of our staff go spend a little time with him each fall on the Grande Ronde as Dewey and Braden did last month.
Mike and I like to shoot these short videos while out on the river. No plan really, just pull the boat over, turn on the camera and let Mike share some knowledge from years of fishing and guiding. We usually pick a topic that we falls under “frequently asked questions”. He’s an excellent communicator and his visually descriptive terminology will help you become a better caster. I like to keep the camera close so you can watch his hands and feel the rhythm. Most viewers would prefer to watch a wide angle speycast shot from a distance, fluorescent line booming a hundred fifty feet over the water. But you’ll learn more by watching what happens inside the circle.
Here, Mike shows us how to perform the Perry Poke. To be specific, a downstream shoulder, right-handed, river left Perry Poke. Mike also shares some thoughts on ultra-short Skagit Trout heads, anchor point importance and more. When I go fishing with Mike here on the Missouri, this is the cast I see him performing most often. It’s a simple and effective cast. As Mike says, “it’s a good fishing cast”. Agreed.
If you’re interested in improving your spey casting skill set, watch it at least once. After that, turn off the volume and just watch Mike’s hands over and over again.
