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[dave c]

While I do not judge people's preference for different fishing methods I am curious about a tactic that I have seen many spey fishers use.  I have walked onto many runs over the last few years and for some reason the majority of spey fishermen I see seem to prefer to stand up to waist deep in water while fishing.  During steelhead season when walking onto a run it baffles me why this tactic is used.  I have caught my fair share of steelhead in water close to shore which is froggy and 3 feet or less!  The exact type of water the spey fishermen prefer to stand in.  I get frustrated in that since I am fishing upstream of these fishermen, it's safe to assume that they have already covered the water that I am about to fish and that any fish sitting in that water would have been spooked long ago and no longer around,  also any fish moving up the froggy water has also been spooked. It has gotten to the point where I will move on to another spot if there is a spey guy below me wading that deep.  I suppose I have just answered my own question.

[MetalAndFeathers]

I spey fish but im usually standing shin to knee deep depending on the run.
Most guys ive seen fishing that deep are usually new and think that they should be far from shore to make "big casts"like the snap t.
Its pretty much because they think that they dont have enough space.

[wizard]

I see this alot, not just from one style of fisherman either.  I think it's mostly a matter of ignorance or inexperience? 
I was thinking people who sockeye "fish" and want to try their hand at steelheading go to the river with the same mentality where you have to stand out in the water up past your knees and cast out into the fastest current.
People would catch more fish if they, in most cases, stayed out of the water, shortened their casts/drifts, fished closer in and covered more water. 
Many fisherman are by passing fish in shallow holding spots, or giving their presence away to the fish before they even cast their lines...as a fisherman who prefers to fish relatively shallow it is frusterating to see guys out to their waists and frothing up water that would otherwise hold fish.

[dave c]

I spey fish but im usually standing shin to knee deep depending on the run.
Most guys ive seen fishing that deep are usually new and think that they should be far from shore to make "big casts"like the snap t.
Its pretty much because they think that they dont have enough space.

Yes I have noticed that guys that are more proficient at casting don't seem to wade so deep.  It just seems counterproductive to me to stand in water which is known to hold fish.

[HOOK]

There is never a need when spey fishing to go deeper than your knees in the Vedder. Your better to learn to cast further if you feel the need to reach the other shore. Instead its better practice to fish a comfortable casting distance and fish it well. I too have caught fish in very close to shore on both gear and fly.

Only times you'll catch me up to my waist (or deeper) is if I need to get out of a dead current along shore to reach the swinging water (think the Thompson). Off the top of my head there is nowhere on the Vedder like this. I prefer to stay ankles deep or even stand barely in the water when I'm spey fishing.

On a side note - there is also the practice of wading out deep enough that when your fly is hanging downstream it isn't hooking bottom and therefore still fishing because steelhead have a tendency to grab near shore. I have seen this technique used on a few different videos however I think its more specific to certain places

[Noahs Arc]

I just bit my tongue about 6 times.
Yes... Those guys are counter productive...

[Flytech]

Knee deep is about as deep as I ever like to go. Waist deep is a tad bit ridiculous, I see s few very popular ladies who tend to go in waist deep. Maybe they see these people do it and think it's the way.

[Fish Assassin]

It's the mentality that fish are always on the other side.

[Every Day]

It's a common theme with fly fisherman... I have ever understood it. Doesn't matter if they are single hand fishing, spey fishing or the like, they just like to get in the water and go for it. Whenever I go steelheading on the fly with with fly fishing buddies, I'm constantly reaming them to stay out of the water. I catch a tonne of my fish on the fly in the slower water in close, on a dry line, just as my fly swings into "dead water."

Just the other day I razzed someone I knew who posted a video of them catching a fish, in water up near their chest (literally the middle of the river). The reply was that the method (wading out to your chest) is needed for Czech nymphing. Now I understand the basics behind it, fish in close and work your way out after covering the water in front of you. Still can't figure out though, why they need to get that 1 fish in the middle, when they could instead cover more water only wading out knee to waist deep, and working down instead of out. From personal experience, and observations of trout, salmon, steelhead and bottom fish, they all prefer slower water closer to shore, rather than the middle of the river.

On their own personal river with no one else fishing, I guess wading out to the middle is completely fine. I feel like it's definitely poor etiquette to wade out to where fish are sitting on popular rivers. If they feel the need to go knee deep, have at er, but waist deep or more is uncalled for.

Plus add on the fact that you are now standing in the middle of a river, in current... I don't care how good of a wader you are or "think" you are, things can happen, and do happen fast, even in slow moving water. I don't think I've seen a single one of these fisherman wading that far wearing a life jacket... If I was doing that sort of wading/standing for long periods in deep current, that would definitely be something I'd be wearing.

[kanuckle head]

IMO wading that deep would give ya disadvantage in forming a D loop in a proper cast, & yes spooking the quarry for others fishing around you

I do agree with HOOK that I have waded bigger systems waist deep on rivers like the T that is 10 folds bigger than a local river like the Vedder which is counter productive wading that deep, and just painfully pissing others wanting to fish near you

I run and gun the Vedder and rarely get my feet wet........what I dislike the most is gear or fly, is a fence post fisherman or a low-hole'r, but in this day & age this is the norm on this river system   

[RalphH]

While one does need to be in the water to spey cast to effect it is actually much easier to cast when most of your body is out of the water - ankle to knee deep has been mentioned.

Generally fly casting is  yields limited distance compared to gear and even then most anglers can't manage much distance beyond 50 or 60 feet ( even though they may get 10 to 20 feet of line off the top of the rod  most falls as slack) so wading deeply may be a way of reaching farther. As mentioned getting the fly to dangle in water of good depth may also be a reason people wade a little deeper than they should. 

[clarkii]

Just the other day I razzed someone I knew who posted a video of them catching a fish, in water up near their chest (literally the middle of the river). The reply was that the method (wading out to your chest) is needed for Czech nymphing. Now I understand the basics behind it, fish in close and work your way out after covering the water in front of you. Still can't figure out though, why they need to get that 1 fish in the middle, when they could instead cover more water only wading out knee to waist deep, and working down instead of out. From personal experience, and observations of trout, salmon, steelhead and bottom fish, they all prefer slower water closer to shore, rather than the middle of the river.

Here.  This was posted on said video.

"To have good sensitivity, sometimes you have to be real close to your fly. 20' can be a good distance. It sounds illogical at first, but you would be surprised that 99% of the time fish are blissfully ignorant of you standing 15' away. If they weren't, herons would starve to death pretty quick... but what you sacrifice in secrecy, you gain in terms of bite detection. And it is quite startling (as we mostly know) how many bites go undetected. Getting close amazingly gains a lot of advantages.

Mind you, you always fish your way out... so you fish the close shore and cover that thoroughly, then move out gradually to cover the waist deep water. In right conditions, it is very effective."

[joshhowat]

Why complain.

Just catch a fish behind them.

[RalphH]

Virtually every nymphing technique is short lining. This wasn't invented with Czech or any other Euro-nymphing method. Short line nymphing has been the standard method to catch steelhead in the Great Lakes for decades.

[Spawn Sack]

I've gotten into the spey scene in the last year and would like to chime in here. This has kind of already been said, but for anyone out there who does not understand a water loaded cast, one NEEDS to basicially stand in a least a BIT of water (ankle to knee deep or so) to effectively get their spey line to load on the water. In other words, the cast is almost impossible to execute standing back a few feet from shore where one would typically stand to gear fish.

I find this a bit frustrating myself when I head out with the spey rod for steelhead as I know they are often a few feet from shore in the froggy water I remedy this by starting at the head of the run, wading out only as far as I need to so I can effectively cast, and trying to cover the water in tight as best as I can by starting my casts short and progressively shooting more line.

IMO, and as mentioned by others, in only rare circumstances is it necessary to be wading WAY out there, and I can see how this would annoy other fishermen! Myself included if I am gear fishing which I do 50% or so of the time. The other day I was fishing Lickman and there was a spey guy WAY out there, in somewhat fast water, up to his waist, bombing his line 3/4 across the river. Like Dave C, I thought to myself, what the f**k is that guy doing!? There was really no good reason to be out that far, plus it did not look safe - and how in the hell would you land a fish out there by yourself anyway?!

Anyway, as a gear fisherman myself I can understand others frustration at times with guys unecessarily wading way the hell out there (usually fly guys), but please understand that for the spey cast to work one can't be up on the rocks!