Grand River Spey Clave June 26, 2010 - Bean Park, Paris Ontario 8:00am to 4:00pm

Demonstrations and instruction in Traditional, Skagit, and Scandinavian Spey Techniques:

Courtney demonstrating how to cast
  • Rick Kustich - Scott.
  • Francois Blanchette - Loop.
  • Neil Houlding - Guideline.
  • Courtney Ogilvie - Snowbee.
  • Peter Charles - Guideline.
  • Marty Tannahill - Loomis.
  • Larry Halyk - River etiquette and River stewardship.
  • Something for Single Handers - Free Casting Instruction with Doug Swift

To view pictures from last years event, click here.



There will be free hands-on instruction by the presenters and experienced casters for anyone interested. All you have to do is ask. This will be a great time to try out some of the latest gear and test drive what might be your next rod or line purchase. These Claves are for all fly fisherman or or those who want to be! It's fun and free;it does not get any better then that.

Rods and pro staff from Rio Lines, Guideline, Snowbee, G.Loomis, Sage, Redington, Orvis, Loop,Winston Rods, The Spey Co., and Beulah Fly Rods.


Lunch Time

As with the previous event the entire day including lunch is free with hamburgers, smoked sausages, pop, and water.


For those needing a place to stay please check out the Accomodations page.


For anyone looking to add to their fly fishing collectables, Ted ∓ Nancy Clarke from Clarkes Angling Collectibles (ntclarke@sympatico.ca) will be there with a small inventory of books and antique spey tackle, etc. for sale.


There will be a silent auction this year instead of a raffle, some items listed below. To view contributers to the silent auction please visit our Supporters page.


Click Here to Download the Flyer

Casting Time

This years donations will go to Friends of the Grand River

I am in the process of procuring donations for the raffle.If anyone has an item they wish to donate please contact me.

Donations so far are:

  • Loop Opti Switch Rod 10'7", 6wt. (app.value $800.00)
  • Loop Opti Switch Rod 10'7", 8wt. (app.value $800.00)
  • Winston Boron Spey Rod (app.value $1,000.00)
  • Doug Swift-4hours casting instructions(Approx. value $150.00)

Courtney Ogilvie

Courtney Ogilvie

You just never know who you might bump into on the Waterways of Canada,Rivers,Lakes and and Ocean(s) alike."Born in Moncton,New Brunswick...Courtney Ogilvie from an early age attempted to outfish his Grandmother at every chance, "How can my Grandmother possibly outfish me,"I'm 10!" perhaps this is what drives this passionate flyfisher and creative fly tyer.

Now living on Vancouver Island with his wife Val,also a fly fisher and tyer,Courtney is always in search of better techniques,flies,lines and rods.A student of nearly 50 years with fly rod in hand has led him across Canada,the U.S.A.,Europe and into the North.Weened on Dry Fly Fishing for Atlantics on the mighty Mirimachi an automatic comparison has moved his interests to Pacific Steelhead znd Salt Water Fly-caught Salmon since 1994. In 2006 Snowbee Canada via Ogilvie Outfitting was brought into the mainstream fly fishing community in Western Canada.

In 2007,Nile Creek Fly Shop was created out of demand for a real fly shop on Vancouver Island,serving both the Salt Water and Fresh Water components.Of course Spey Casting has widely become a special interest,often you will find Courtney instructing at many Spey Gatherings across Canada.An avid outdoor writer,photographer and guide is this man.

Click Here to Visit Courtney's Site

Neil Houlding

Neil Houlding

Fly-fishing has always been Neil Houlding's life long pursuit. By 18 years of age, Neil's passion for a two-hand rod had already begun to coalesce. He spent many hours honing his skills on rivers such as the Lune and Ribble not far from his home in Lancashire, England.

Moving to Canada, he continued his pursuit of fishing the fly. His travels have taken him as far as the Gaula River in Norway and the River Spey in Scotland.

Neil is an accomplished Guide, who is also a certified casting instructor with the Fly Fishing Federation. Attaining the CI and THCI certification, and furthermore, coached the inaugural "World Youth Fly-Fishing Championships" in Wales.

Neil has applied his enthusiasm and ability as a teacher. His talents haven't gone unnoticed in the industry. Neil has worked closely with the G. Loomis focus group on the design of their Roaring River Two-hand rod project.

Click Here to Email Neil

Peter Charles

Peter Charles

Peter has been fishing since the age of six (a long, long time ago) and bought his first fly rod in 1969. He has been fishing for trout, bass, and steelhead in this area since moving here in 1988. Currently he is a member of Guideline's Power Team.

He will be bringing a suite of Guideline rods, reels, and lines for people to try, plus he will be conducting a demonstration on the Underhand cast and how it's best employed to fish our waters. This casting approach is also quite useful for people with physical ailments such as bad shoulders, that might otherwise interfere with their casting. He will demonstrate a couple of styles of Underhand casting plus demonstrate how to lift sinktip and full sinking lines. He will be available all day to answer your questions and assist you with your fishing gear.

Click Here to Visit Peter's Site

Francois Blanchet

Francois Blanchet

Originally from Quebec, Francois Blanchet is fluent in both English and French.

Despite his young age, Frank has 7 years guiding experience in the Whistler area and has been a fulltime guide for about 4 years. He is an incredibly skilled flycaster and is a certified casting instructor with the FFF. An accomplished speycaster, Frank is very much a student of technique. It is with the discipline of his martial arts background that Frankie has approached speycasting and the result is he is considered one of the cleanest casters around.

Frank has the ability to make anyone laugh and is a truly awesome guide and instructor. Frank spent the summer of 2004 and 2005 guiding on the famous Cascapedia River in Quebec where he opened many eyes with our western technique and modern approach to casting and fishing two handed rods.

He has been competing many times at the spey-o-rama in San Francisco and is renowned for the"spey dance" at the dance clubs.

He now is the representative for Loop across America and is working on a video filmed by the Trout Bums. This new video will be about the underhand casting in America and its application for steelhead fishing.

Rick Kustich

Rick Kustich

Rick Kustich is co-author of the acclaimed book Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead and has fly fished for steelhead in the Great Lakes region for almost thirty years. He is a writer, photographer, and fly tyer. He has written three other fly fishing books, is a regular contributor to both national and regional publications, and recently introduced his first DVD. For nearly ten years Rick owned and operated the Oak Orchard Fly Shop in Williamsville, New York. He lives on the banks of the Niagara River in Grand Island, New York.

Larry Halyk

Larry Halyk

Larry has landed hundreds of steelhead since his first one in 1969, but he remembers every one taken on a swinging fly like it was yesterday. A fly fisher since the age of 15, he left the family farm a few years later to earn Bachelor's and Master's degrees in aquatic ecology. Prior to his current position as a stewardship coordinator, Larry was the MNR biologist responsible for the introduction of brown trout to the Grand River tailwater. As the senior management biologist for the MNR Lake Erie Unit, he chaired an international panel that developed a management policy for Lake Erie steelhead.

Despite the concerted efforts of some of the best instructors around, Larry considers himself an average spey caster at best. That doesn't stop him from getting his share of steelhead while fishing behind those same instructors in rotation. Experiences gained while at the forefront of the fisheries management, stream restoration, and spey casting frontiers in Ontario and beyond have given Larry lots of observations to share during his talk on river etiquette and river stewardship.

Larry is a Pro-Staff for the First Cast Fly Shop.

Mike Barrand

Mike Berrand

Mike Barrand has been fishing all his life but considers the last 7 years the most exciting. This is when he picked up his first fly rod. The single/double hand rod has brought him to many beautiful destinations including Vancouver Island and Newfoundland. Not only has it taken him to some great places, it has also allowed him to work with world class companies such as Loop and Eumer. Currently Mike is honing his teaching skills, working towards his FFF (Federation of Fly Fishers) CI and THCI certifications.

During Randy’s Clave, Mike will be tying Eumer tube flies and answering questions about Loop and Eumer products. He will also be available for one on one help for anyone who is having issues with their casting.

Aside from this, don’t be afraid to come say hello as Mike loves to talk about fishing!

Marty Tannahil

Marty Tannahill

An ardent angler for over 50 Years, I am a relative newcomer to fly-fishing. For the past 20 years, I have concentrated on developing as a competent fly caster. To that end, I am a Master Certified Casting Instructor with the FFF and I am currently challenging myself as I pursue the THCI. Regularly, I teach fly-casting to groups and individuals. Providing fishing and casting instruction while on wilderness canoe trips is my passion. The Nottawasaga River is close to my home and I am addicted to pursuing the wild strain of steelhead that it produces. My other passion is instructing whitewater paddling and wilderness canoe tripping. Being around moving water seems to be a theme with me.

Retired from the health care field, I’m able to devote much of my time to outdoor pursuits. I am associated with G-Loomis and Airflo as a member of their Pro Staff.

Something for Single Handers-Free Casting Instruction with Doug Swift

Doug Swift

Doug grew up on the banks of the Grand river, just outside Fergus. He has been a fishing fanatic for over 50 years and turned to fly fishing exclusively for the past 16 years.

His early years on the river were spent chasing the wild browns and rainbows that were in the Grand at that time.

Doug enjoys the casting side of the sport as much as the fishing. He spends the available fishing seasons fly roding for trout, steelhead,bass,pike,walleye and just about any other worthy species. He has recently taken up the challenge of the two handed rod and now spends the steelhead season swinging flies for these silver beauties up and down the lower Nottawasaga River near his home in Wasaga Beach. When not chasing steelhead Doug spends his summers fly fishing at his cottage near Temagami in northern Ontario.

Doug is a FFF certified casting instructor and is working toward the masters level of the instructor program. He is prostaff for Loomis fly rods.

Click Here to visit Doug's site

Randy Wilson - Organizer

Randy Wilson

Randy grew up fishing the Grand for smallmouth,pike and carp and has been fishing for more than 35 years, fly fishing over 15 years. In the last few years Randy has become a fanatic for spey fishing. He spends most time fishing lower Grand, Maitland, Ganaraska and Saugeen for steelhead and salmon with his favorite spey pattern - the "Lady Caroline".

Conatact Information:

Phone: 519-497-9731

Email: randyflyfisher@rogers.com

Getting to the Park

From Hamilton:

403 west to Rest Acres Road North towards Paris.Right on Powerline Road,Left on Mile Hill Roadstay on it around the curve(turns into Old Mill0,Left on Race Street, Bean Park is about 300m up on the right.

From London:

401 East to 403 East. Exit on rest Acres Road North towards Paris.From here the directions are the same as above.

From Cambridge:

Hwy.#24 South towards Brantford.Right on Govenor's Road to Paris.Go over Grand River Bridge.Take next left onto Ball Street.Left on Spencer Street. Spencer dead ends at bean Park.

Picture Gallery