Do you watch fishing videos and growl at those fancy casts because you can’t perform them? Don’t worry – you aren’t supposed to, and probably don’t need to! You’ll never cast like Lefty Kreh or Steve Rajeff. You certainly won’t cast like me! I’m not being impolite; it’s a very simple concept: you aren’t Lefty or Rajeff (unless they somehow heard about this page and are reading it… but I’m quite sure you aren’t me!)
Oh, no, I’m not putting myself in the category of these giants. The only similarities between myself and these men is that we both hold in our hands a piece of cork attached to a long stick with a line running through metal pieces attached. We all are individuals and we all cast individually. You will cast like you! (Imagine!) Having said that, take a look at these tips, but remember… you should learn the basics without trying to be someone else.
New article! Having problems with wind knots? The problem may be as simple as changing
speed! No, this isn't a baseball site, but maybe these tips will help.
General Notes
I’m assuming you know the basics about fly casting. If you’re familiar with the basic “10-2” movement and keeping line taut with your line hand, you’ll do just fine.
Rule No. 1 in Duncan’s Flycasting method: don’t work so hard! There is a reason we use rods that are longer than we are tall; it is supposed to do the work for us. I see folks cringing from the idea of fly fishing because they are wary of all the effort that goes into it, and little wonder since I see guys all over the water who look as though they are fighting dragons with a nine-foot graphite spear. Don’t do all that work See the Gear page for a word about the rods, but here we will look at how to let it do the work for you.
A second rule is: get the fly to the target the simplest way possible. This is an extension of Rule No. 1, but it is also important to increasing your enjoyment on the water. Sure, a spey cast looks great and we get a great sense of achievement when we launch a double-haul 125 feet, but is that the best way to both a.) get the fly to the fish and b.) keep our shoulders from crying out in protest to us? Often, we overlook the simple methods in an attempt to be great flycasters or just to look good to the other guys on the river. Before you throw a 70-foot cast behind that rock, see if you can’t sneak a little closer and make it a 40-foot cast. You may save time in the day, and money on Ben-Gay!
Okay, now rule number three: have fun. That’s why you spend ridiculous amounts of money on tackle and drag yourself out of bed at ungodly hours to drive ridiculous “roads” and hike ‘til your back screams for mercy, finally reaching your favorite water to discover that the flow is low and wily old Mr. Brown isn’t taking anything larger than a size 28 Trico spinner with a CDC tail of exactly the right length. This is fun! Don’t sweat all the difficult aspects. Enjoy your time on the water while being observant and you will learn. Take it easy. Relax. Do the best you can and don’t push yourself to be someone you’re not. We all learn at different paces. Fish the way you know is correct and work on improving, but don’t push it! Have fun!
False Casting
Is the line slapping water? Can’t keep your line in the air? False casting is a very misunderstood method. Hopefully this section will help you to work out any problems you might have and tighten your loops along the way.
The easiest way to reduce problems in false casting is so simple that I’m embarrassed to even bring it up, but here it is:do you remember rule No. 1?Apply it here, and we come up with the false casting principal, don’t false cast so much.We tend to do a lot of unnecessary flailing in an attempt to aerialize the maximum amount of line possible.Basically, though, this much false casting only accomplishes the following results:
Wears out our arms
Wears out our tackle
Gives leaders more opportunity to tangle, and
Acts as tree-radar, finding every limb and planting flies in them.
Is it worth it?I’ll leave the decision up to you, but I think you’ll agree with me that an unrefined false cast doesn’t do much that is beneficial to the caster. What to do?
Perhaps we should determine what the purpose of the cast is, and that is simple: to move the line from its current position to a new position.That’s all.Now there are a lot of physics involved, but that’s basically it, so…
Supposing you’re casting to a spot 40 feet away.You have all 40 feet of line out.How many false casts does it take to put the line on target (or close to the target)? Correct: technically, just one.Your fly drifts a few feet.You pick it up before the drag gets bad. How many casts do you have to make to get the fly back where you want it? Right again: one. Don’t throw the line around like a cowboy with a lasso; just pick it up and put it down. If you’re swinging a wet fly or searching with a nymph in big water, give a little line on each false cast, but one or two false casts per presentation is all it takes!
Roll Casting
I use this cast all the time and have wonderful results with it. Although it is generally perceived as a “lowly” form of throwing a fly line, it can be very effective if used to its full potential. Here are a couple things I’ve learned concerning the technique.
The roll cast is most often viewed only as a technique for casting when there is no room for a backcast. It is quite effective for such a situation, but is certainly not limited to it. You may find that when using floating line a roll cast can save your arm! With practice, most balanced rods/lines can roll cast in the area of 55 feet. That’s plenty of room! Try rolling that line out from time to time to save energy. (You may need it later when you find that really tough Brown!) The key to the roll is like any other cast: loop size. You can alter the size of the loop by adjusting the angle of the rod and speed of the rod. For the optimal loop your rod should start with the rod even with the water level. Pick up the rod so your hand is by your ear, allowing the line to slide along the water toward you. The rod should be tilted back at a 30º angle, and be pushed down with increasing speed to about a comfortable 60º. Keeping the rod tip slightly tilted away from the body will also help. That’s the way to get the best distance and accuracy, but play around with the cast to determine better presentations for different situations. For example, when fishing dries I like a wider loop because it “piles” on the water just enough to help combat drag and make mending easier, but without tangling.
The roll cast pickup is hardly used anymore, but I rarely backcast without it. We all know that you don’t need a cork popper to make a good “pop” on the water. A Dark Hendrickson will do just fine when you need it to pick up quietly to return to that picky Rainbow’s lair. Have you gone to pick up that fly and the noise it makes spooks every Salmonid in sight? The roll cast pickup is your solution. Just make that roll cast high like you were rolling to a spot six feet above the fly’s position. When the line picks the fly off the water, start your backcast. Very simple, very quiet, very effective.
Oh, and don’t practice that roll cast on the soccer field. It won’t work!
Troubleshooting
Like I said before… I’m not a casting expert. This page was not designed to solve all your casting problems. There will always be problems because no human will ever perfect their cast completely. Don’t be discouraged, it’s just time to figure out what’s wrong.
Now, I don’t know what problems you might be having with casting… I’ve tried to cover some of the basics here. However, none of us cast perfectly. If you still have a particular problem, there is a great invention which may help you clean up your casting. It won’t be found in any
fly shop, and you can search all your catalogues and never see one. The technological marvel? A camcorder. Shanghai a family member or friend or set the camcorder up yourself, and cast for it. Show the camera your front, back and sides in all the various casts. Perform all the casts you’re having trouble with a few times each at various angles and focal lengths.
When you pop the tape in your VCR, you may automatically notice that you’re dropping your elbow here, flipping your wrist here…. If you don’t notice anything funny, ask someone who knows about casting if they will take a quick look at a segment. Your flyshop manager may be willing, but if he doesn’t have the time, he probably can recommend someone. Sometimes a few Royal Wulffs, a package of Cul De Canard, or some other object will help make a person more willing to take the time. One way or the other, it can’t hurt to repay their time and expertise.
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