On the road in wandering I've found the surf casters. Their cults form in places like Montauk, Tybee island, Fire island, Newport Beach, and Kalalock. Big rods, big reels, big lures, and long casts. Its a formula for success. Success to a fisherman ... Fishing.
The idea is big water, big empty water filled with fish. Wait... What?The beaches of Lake Michigan in my case, or the mighty Muskegon River.
The idea, in all its glory, of course has a wingman, the long cast. Dressed for success with an important tool, a big rod.
I was afraid of Spey rods because of all the big numbers and I'm not just talking about the ones written on the rods. When you talk about big Spey rods you must also talk about big reels and those have big numbers to. I just didn't want to face Spey like a man. So I didn't I convinced myself that a big spinning rod and reel would satisfy me. Maybe some big lures to go with it.
So in my usual way I started surfing the web. What gear would I need to surf cast. (Lake Michigan)
Clearly, I have a disorder that involves being different. (Another story some other time)
There isn't any info out there about this silly thing, surf casting a lake. Who does that? Next best thing, Atlantic coast surf casting.
Stripers are just big bass, really big bass and salmon are ocean fish anyway so the gear has to be close enough. Right?
So in my usual way I got back on the web and promptly found a 12' vintage glass surf rod. A Garcia. Then I set to finding an enormous spinning reel, a DAM Quick 550n. (your nuts if you think I'm gonna learn to use a bait caster on top of it all) I had a few other spinning rods in the shop covered in saw dust and cobwebs even a reel attached to one. I dug them out and lined them up. 
I'm like a kid in a candy store with my new gear and my big plan. Wide eyed and naïve. "I'm gonna catch big fish on the big water," grinning ear to ear.
I loaded up my spinning gear (that sounds strange) and headed to the lake hoping no one would be there. I definitely didn't want other fishermen to see that I had no idea what I was doing. I was fine but my ego was taking this hard.
Who knew, 2 PM on a 85+ degree Thursday, the only fisherman besides me is a 12 year old with his escort, mom.
It's the middle of summer the water is too hot the Sun is too bright and there are too many people on the pier. I fished and found that I still wasn't satisfied.
I'm cutting this fishing story off right there because I could go on but this is about gear.
Spey Spey Spey !!!
Calling me.
Me being who I am wanted fiberglass. How many rod manufactures are rolling fiberglass these days. Well, a growing number but seems that not very many of the companies are rolling big glass. Most aren't even rolling switch length. I didn't want a short rod. I wanted full Spey length I wanted 15'. That's just where I was. Compensation for shortcomings? Maybe.
Honestly, I was having my very first reservations about fiberglass being the best rod material available. I love the deep bend feel of glass both in the cast and when there is a fish on, but I was beginning to think maybe it wouldn't cast as far as I wanted it to.
In addition there aren't as many guys as you would imagine selling used fiberglass Spey rods.
I wasn't gonna drop those big numbers on something I may hate casting.
I quested onward. Scouring for sale adds on all the major pages and FB but the right fit wasn't out there. I thought to myself, "I'm not gonna find this rod until I spend $1000." Not gonna happen right now!
Then, a rod dangled on the web in front of my face and I pulled the trigger.
It's not glass. it's not vintage. I don't care. I'm going to learn to Spey cast! I can't wait to get it in my hand.
Naïvely grinning ear to ear, "I'm gonna catch big fish on big water!"
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