My interest in traditional casting began on the rivers of North Wales in the late 1970s, where tight banks, fast water, and limited space made conventional back casting difficult. Like many anglers, I was taught the accepted view that modern Spey casting originated in Scotland.

 

However, time spent on Welsh rivers, together with research into early angling literature, revealed a more complex story. Historical references show that several D-loop methods — including Welsh, Scottish Underhand, and Metropolitan techniques — were already established by the mid-nineteenth century. The term Spey Cast appears later, reflecting the recognition of a regional style rather than the beginning of the method itself.

 

Celtic Fly Casts brings together historical sources, practical demonstrations, and field experience to explore how these river techniques developed and how they shaped modern casting. The aim is not to promote a single origin story, but to understand how practical solutions evolved independently on different rivers and were later recorded in print.

 

Because the written record shows when these methods were named — but the rivers show how they were truly developed.