“Dr. Spey” Joins Cortland Line Company
OutdoorHub 02.07.14
His name is virtually synonymous with Spey casting science and innovation. Now, Dr. Way Yin – aka “Dr. Spey” – brings his expertise to Cortland Line Company, an industry leader in line technology.
Dr. Yin joins Cortland as a member of its Pro Staff and an advisor to its Research & Development group. Internationally recognized as a fly fishing expert, Dr. Yin developed the first “unified” theories linking the mechanics and physics of overhead casting to Spey casting. He is widely credited as the first person to decode the art of Spey casting – reducing its complex mechanics into simple scientific terms.
Dr. Yin’s ongoing study of technological advances in materials and in-depth analysis of tapers has kept him on the cutting edge of fly line development for the past 15 years.
“His contributions to the industry have been pivotal, and his innovative approach to product design will be a great R&D asset for the new Cortland as we prepare to celebrate our 100th year,” said Randy Brown, Cortland’s chief executive officer. “We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Yin join us at Cortland.”
Spey casters around the world have already benefited from Dr. Yin’s expertise: He designed the first modern long-belly Spey line, was instrumental in the design of many groundbreaking Spey line tapers, and personally designed the fly line used to smash Alexander Grant’s 110-year-old Spey distance record. He holds Master Instructor Certifications in single-handed casting with the International Federation of Fly Fishers (U.S.) and the Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors (U.K.); and he was the first American to hold joint Master Instructor Certifications in the U.S. and U.K. A former distance-casting champion, Dr. Yin is a licensed guide in Washington and Oregon.
When he isn’t holding a Spey rod, Dr. Yin stays busy treating patients at Bellingham Spine Pain Specialists, which he founded in 2000. He received his M.D. from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and trained in General Surgery and Anesthesiology at the University of Washington.
“I am really excited to be working with the new team at Cortland,” Dr. Yin said. “Their legacy of experimenting with new materials, applying new technologies and making quality fly lines will be a perfect fit. They are the ones who suggested I get closely involved in developing new products to address specific niches – and that really gets me juiced!”
