Ian Gordon Salmon Fishing
World Spey Casting Champion and Fishing Tackle innovator!
Ian Gordon is the founder and owner of Speyonline, a renowned salmon fishing service business that has thrived on the principles of exceptional personal service and building long-lasting, trusted relationships with customers.
With over 30 years of experience in both the Salmon fishing, yackle and hospitality business, Ian has successfully grown the company from the ground up, starting from humble beginnings to becoming a trusted name in this industry.
His business centers around 3 things -
Organising Salmon Fishing in Scotland and Iceland
Speycasting and Double Handed Casting and Fishing Instruction
Ian Gordon Cadence Fishing Tackle
What sets Speyonline apart is Ian's commitment to providing top level, hands-on service to every customer. He understands the importance of going beyond to meet their unique requirements, ensuring their satisfaction, and earning their loyalty. Many of Ian’s customers have become personal friends over the years, a testament to Ian's passion for perfection.
Whether it is finding the perfect Salmon Fishing Holiday, or top-level fly casting and Spey Casting Coaching, customers can rely on Ian to deliver an outstanding service.
Ian continues to lead by example, inspiring those he has brought along with him on the journey to uphold the company's values of integrity, reliability, and exceptional service with a focus on building long-term relationships and always going that extra mile. Speyonline has become the go-to choice for individuals seeking reliable and unwavering levels of service.
Ian's journey in fly fishing began at the age of 8 when his father taught him the art. Since then, he has dedicated most of his life to fishing and guiding on the River Spey and Deveron in Scotland, fueling his immense passion for the sport.
At the age of 12, Ian started his fly fishing experience on the Forglen beat of the river Deveron. He then embarked on a 25-year apprenticeship as a Ghillie for the Wills family on the Knockando beat of the River Spey, honing his skills and deepening his understanding of the craft being taught by the best people in the salmon fishing and hospitality business.
Driven by his interest in physics, Ian delved into rod and line design. He initially collaborated with the late Ken Walker, contributing to the development of popular rods like the Double Spey, Powerlite, and Norway Speycaster. His expertise in this field led him to Carron, where he co-founded the company with his friend Jimmy Jack. There, he revolutionized the industry with the groundbreaking Carron Jet-stream line, which set the standard for others to follow. Notably, Carron Rods was the first company to design actions tailored to suit individual customers.
Ian's innovative contributions did not stop there. He later joined Shakespeare, where he revamped the Oracle range of double-handed/Spey rods. He was then entrusted with the task of creating a new range of rods at a different price point, this time for Partridge. The result was the Ian Gordon range of double handers, which included one of the first purpose-built six-piece salmon rods on the market. The Ian Gordon range, comprising rods, reels, and lines, received widespread acclaim for its innovative ideas, such as the introduction of a short trout Spey rod that would later become a switch rod.
Ian's success caught the attention of Hardy, and in 2007, he joined their team. His expertise played a pivotal role in the development of the Hardy Sintrix Zenith double-handed range, which became their best-selling rods ever.
After 13 years at Hardy, Ian decided to pursue a long-held project. Teaming up with his old friend James Robbins, he returned to his true passion of designing bespoke and semi-bespoke products. This venture led him to "Cadence," an online company based in England. Currently, Ian is working on an exciting project that he considers the most interesting and innovative of his career. He is focused on designing rods, reels, and lines that cater to the unique techniques of individual anglers, pushing the boundaries of the salmon tackle market once again.
In addition to his contributions as a tackle innovator, Ian is highly regarded as one of the world's most respected teachers of fly casting with a double-handed rod. During the spring months, he conducts 3-day courses on the River Spey and Deveron, sharing his expertise with aspiring anglers. He also organizes and hosts prime time salmon fishing trips to carefully selected locations in Scotland, Norway, Canada, and Iceland, providing unforgettable experiences for fellow fishing enthusiasts.