Down to the River

As I went down in the river to spey
Studying about that good old way
And who shall swing thy muddler round
Good Lord, show me the way ! 

O brothers let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
Come on brothers let's go down,
Down in the river to spey. 

(my apologies to Allison Krauss)

So Shox McSteel and I went down to the river to practice heaving line with our two handers as a salve for the confounding itch that comes in the weeks prior to a pending fishing trip.  I loaded my 13'6" Croix with a 480 grain compact scandi and started flailing.  Every once in a while I'd feel a decent load and I'd get 20' or 30' of backing to the water. My loops were always open and poorly formed and no matter what I did I couldn't get the loop on point.  As our two hour session ended I asked if I might try his Sage 7126.  Being the guy that he is, he obliged.  I transferred my Nautilus to the Sage, stripped in the running line, dropped my anchor, formed as good a "D" loop as I could and let it go... and it went.  The running line bucked against the reel and the loop was waaay tighter than I'd managed (ever) before.  I peeled some more line off the reel and soaked that on the next cast.  I've always said that the rod doesn't make the caster...I need to rethink that.  I played around and was impressed by the light and even swing weight as well as the ability to really feel the load.  I may be a two hand neophyte but I know what I like and it's tough to argue with a tight loop and an extra 20'.