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For fly fishers, the real difference isn't the country a cast came from or what it's called-it's which method works best for fishing conditions. The Welsh Throw and the Spey cast are both classic forms of D-loop casting, developed to deliver a fly when a traditional back cast isn’t possible. At first glance they look very similar. Both use the water to anchor the line, both form a D-loop to load the rod, and both were shaped by the demands of salmon fishing. The real difference between them, however, isn’t about where they came from. It’s about the practical conditions they were designed to handle — space, river size, wind direction, and even the type of fly line being used. Understanding these differences helps anglers choose the right method for the situation and gives useful insight into how modern D-loop casting evolved. What the two methods share Both the Welsh Throw and the Spey cast are built around the same basic principle. Instead of making a full aerial back cast, the line is repositioned on the water. The resistance of the anchored line helps load the rod, and that stored energy is then released in the forward delivery. This combination of water anchoring and controlled repositioning forms the foundation of modern D-loop style casting. A solution for confined rivers The Welsh Throw developed on narrow rivers where space behind the angler was limited or completely blocked by high banks, steep valley sides, or overhanging trees. Because of these restrictions: The line remains in front of or slightly to the side of the angler The D-loop stays compact and forward Nothing travels behind the caster The movement is controlled and efficient, designed specifically for situations where there is little room to work. A method for wider water Spey-style casting developed in environments where anglers often worked larger rivers and longer lines. In these situations, allowing the D-loop to form behind the angler made it easier to reposition the line and generate power for the forward cast. Loop size can vary depending on the space available, but the key difference is that the method allows the loop to develop behind the caster. The influence of fly line design Fly line design plays an important role in how each method performs. The Welsh Throw was traditionally used with a continuous tapered line. This forward taper helps energy transfer progressively through the line, making it easier to lift and turn over a compact D-loop in front of the angler. Without that taper, forming an efficient forward loop becomes much more difficult. Early Spey-style casting was commonly associated with double taper lines. These distribute weight more evenly along their length and tend to work best when the loop is allowed to extend beside or behind the caster. In practical terms: Continuous taper supports compact forward loops Double taper work more effectively when the loop can extend behind Wind and line direction Another important difference is the direction the line travels during the setup and delivery. With the Welsh Throw, the line remains on the downstream side throughout the movement. Because the line does not cross the angler’s body, the method works particularly well in downstream wind, where the wind helps keep the line safely away. Spey-style casts reposition the line by sweeping it from the downstream side to the upstream side before forming the D-loop. This makes the technique more comfortable and safer when casting into upstream wind. Once again, the differences reflect practical fishing conditions rather than theory. Different conditions, different solutions When viewed together, the distinction becomes clear. The Welsh Throw is well suited to: Narrow rivers and tight banks Limited or no space behind the angler Downstream wind conditions Continuous tapered lines Spey casting is well suited to: Wider rivers and deeper wading Situations where space exists behind the caster Upstream wind conditions Longer or double taper lines Both methods solve the same problem — casting without a back cast — but they do so in ways shaped by their environment. Why this still matters today Modern anglers often focus on technique alone, but these methods were developed as practical solutions to real conditions. If space behind you is restricted, a compact forward approach may be the most effective option. If you’re wading with room to work and the wind coming upstream, a Spey-style repositioning may be the better choice. Rather than competing methods, the Welsh Throw and the Spey cast represent different approaches to the same challenge — and together they form part of the foundation of modern D-loop casting. Frequently asked Is the Welsh Throw the same as the Spey cast? No, both methods uses the same D-loop principle but developed as a separate techniques to solve different fishing solutions. Which came first? Historical sources show that several D-loop methods were already in use by the mid-19th century, with the term “Spey cast” appearing later as a regional name. Does line type affect the cast? Yes. Continuous tapered lines support compact forward loops, while double taper lines are better suited to longer loops behind the angler. In simple terms The real difference between the Welsh Throw and the Spey cast isn’t about tradition or location. It comes down to space, wind, river size, and line design. Understanding those practical origins helps anglers apply the right method for the conditions — and offers a clearer picture of how D-loop casting developed over time. Tight Lines Steven Pugh

In the narrow valleys of South Wales, where rivers thread through steep, wooded banks, long backcasts were impossible. Anglers found a clever solution: a line whose heaviest mass sat right at the rod tip , tapering gradually backward. That tip-weighted line loaded the rod and with a double-motion, short stroke cast , sending the fly forward even in the tightest water. It was an elegant system, but exquisitely fragile. Early Welsh writers insisted that if the rod was light, the line must be light, if rod be heavy so must the line . In practice, every rod demanded its own line, built to match its exact action. If a rod broke, or the silk line frayed — as it inevitably did — there was no simple replacement. Each new line had to be hand-braided, tapered, and dressed  specifically for that rod. Craft, beauty, and precision came at a cost. The textile trades of South Wales made such lines possible. The Cambrian Woollen Mill  in Powys, built around 1820, was already turning to flannel weaving and wool processing. The Melin Tregwynt  mill in Pembrokeshire had shifted from corn milling to textiles in the early 19th century. And the Esgair Moel Woollen Mill , built in the 1760s, was still active, handling every stage from fleece to finished cloth. Though these mills worked primarily with wool, the skills of spinning, braiding, and finishing  could be adapted to silk imported from England. Creative anglers or local craftsmen could commission bespoke silk lines , even if the material itself was rare and expensive. Even later, in the late 19th century, Alexander Grant  tried to tailor-make continuous tapered lines to match his rods. While his rods themselves were highly successful, the matching of continuous tapered lines to each rod proved difficult — the results were not as forgiving or reliable as simpler designs. Compared with more forgiving innovations — the Scottish level line , the rocket taper  (a level line with a short five-foot taper at each end), or the double taper  with long, gradual tapers — the Welsh system demanded perfection. Those simpler lines could be reversed, adjusted,   If a rod felt unbalanced, you could just strip in a yard or let one out or used across multiple rods. Each break or worn section of a Welsh throw line, by contrast, meant days of costly replacement. That is why the “dancing line” of Wales faded into history , while forgiving line designs endured. Today, mass-produced synthetic lines come in every imaginable taper, ready off the shelf. Matching rod and line has never been easier. But in the early 1800s, along the banks of the Tywi, the Usk, the Taff, the Wye, and the rivers of Mid and North Wales , every rod required its own hand-braided silk line , perfectly weighted and tapered. The line that danced once may have disappeared, but in modern revival, its elegance and ingenuity are remembered — and can now be cast again. By Steven Pugh

The underhand Scottish cast, often simply called the underhand throw , has a history that predates the Spey cast by a good decade and a half. First appearing in the mid-1800s, it began life as an aerial side loop — a deceptively simple move that would go on to influence a famous cast. George Kelso, writing in the late 1800s, still described the underhand cast in use, proof that it hadn’t faded away with the rise of Spey the cast. In fact, the real overlap between the underhand and the Spey cast didn’t come until the 1930s, showing just how long the two techniques coexisted. How the Underhand Worked In the underhand cast, as the fly strikes the water, it first drifts backward, trailing behind the caster before lifting vertically and swinging up over the angler’s head. This motion allows anglers to push a cast well beyond 90°, effectively creating either an upstream or downstream throw. The trick, of course, is distance: to get that upstream angle, the cast demands a little more room off to the side of the angler. That challenge led the Spey fishermen to refine and adapt it for their own needs, fishing against the natural current of the river. From Underhand to Spey Edward Fitzgibbon noted how Spey fishermen preferred to approach salmon from behind, working from the tail of a pool to its head. They shortened the D-loop by anchoring not only the fly but the leader and part of the line in front of the caster — a neat adaptation of the underhand style. Over time, this adjustment reshaped the cast into what we now call the Spey. The change was subtle but effective, shifting from a wide upstream sweep of up to 140° into a more compact motion. The shift also reflected changing angling values: salmon fishing upstream was increasingly frowned upon as unsporting, even if it was practical. Competition and the Welsh Throw Not all casts evolved the same way. Take the Welsh throw : even in the early 1800s, it could hit 90° angles, and it remains virtually unchanged today. The rod, the line, the motion — all the same now as they were two centuries ago. And when it came to competition, line choice could make or break an angler. Alexander Grant, competing on the River Ness, famously used an extraordinarily long Welsh-tapered line. Against others armed with basic “pencil-tapered” or level lines, Grant had a huge advantage. It’s not unlike today’s Spey-O-Rama: imagine one competitor with a sleek, continuous-tapered head tied to fine running line, and others stuck with clunky double tapers. They wouldn't really stood a chance. Why It Still Matters Even now, the underhand cast, with its ability to make a 140° change in direction, remains a highly useful technique. Personally, I still rely on it when trout fishing — not only because it’s effective for working upstream, but also because it keeps alive a tradition that reaches back nearly two centuries. The underhand cast, born as an aerial side loop, gave rise to the Spey cast — and the Welsh throw still holds its ground unchanged. Taken together, they form a living timeline of our tradition all around the world.