By Andy Fitzhugh

 

                 

On a recent trip to Mexico, I was reminded of the importance of being a good solid caster.  I accompanied anglers with varying degrees of experience ranging from first time saltwater anglers to fishermen with more saltwater experience than I will ever have.  However we all shared the same problem:  casting a large crab pattern in a 10-15 mph wind to nervous and fast moving permit with very little time to think about what was going on.  This situation put a premium on casting ability, and we all failed and succeeded at different times, however, the ratio of success to failure would have greatly increased for each of us with greater casting prowess. 

You do not have to be faced with the challenge of saltwater-flats fishing to appreciate the importance of casting.  Whether you are trying to throw a reach-mend cast to a bank feeder in a slick on the opposite bank or trying to tuck a hopper under an overhanging bank on your favorite small stream, your odds of making the cast and catching the fish are directly related to your ability to actually make the cast.  We often spend hours preparing for a trip by tying exact imitations of the insects we expect to see, tying special leaders, debating over what type of drag system is best in a reel and generally wasting time on issues which all fall to a distant second when you are faced with a casting problem on the stream.  My first piece of advice to new anglers and old ones wanting to get better is to become an accomplished caster.  Here are a few tips to help you on the road to becoming a better caster and, in the end, a better angler.

 

What does it mean to become a competent caster?

 

The late Art Dittman, a flyfisher with more days on the water than any of us will hope to have and a student of the art of casting, once told me that the goal was to become an “automatic caster."  This simply means that the rod is such a comfortable extension of your hand and arm, that when you see a spot you want to cast to, the fly appears there as if by magic.  Much like an outfielder chasing a fly ball, the compensations for current, wind and distance are made subconsciously.  The mechanics and details of the cast are second nature and the focus of your attention is finding the fish and the spot to cast to.  This allows you to become a better angler because you can concentrate on the stream environment rather than the details of making the cast.

 

1.  Practice and take lessons if available:  Practice makes perfect as the saying goes, and the same is true for casting.  You can’t expect to become better if the only practice you get is while fishing, however, there is no substitute for on-stream skills.  The answer is to fish and cast as much as you can.  If you have access to an instructor, take a lesson, because if you practice the same old habits you probably are not going to get much better.  If there is not an instructor in your area you can order Mel Kreiger’s book “The Essence of Casting” or the two-part video series of the same name.  We feel that his approach to casting is the cleanest and most straightforward.

 

2.  Truths of Casting:    There are only a few fundamental truths when it comes to the fly cast, they are:

                  A:  The line goes where the rod tip goes.  If you cast the rod tip in a straight line the line will go straight. If you are getting a left or right hook at the end of the cast you are moving the rod tip in an arc from right to left or left to right during the forward stroke.  Concentrate on moving your hand straight forward or straight back during the cast regardless if you cast sidearm or with a vertical style.

                  B:  The back and forward casts have to be made in a straight line.  If you cast a low backcast, then in order to make a properly shaped loop in the front, you must make a high forward cast and vice-versa.  This means that if you look at the rod from the side during the cast the tip will form a straight line as it bends under the load of the line.  If it bends like a U (essentially high back and forward casts) you will get a tailing loop.  If the tip does not bend enough and looks like a rainbow (low back and forward casts) you will get a big open inefficient loop and your leader will tend to pile at the end of the cast.  If your rod tip bends and describes a straight line (like you are casting inside, and the tip of the rod is being bent by a low ceiling) you will make perfectly formed candy - cane - shaped loops.

                  C:  You have to stop the rod.  The weight of the fly line and the resistance of the line traveling through the air cause the rod to bend and “load,” much like a bow being drawn.  In order to maximize the casting potential of the loaded rod you have to stop the casting stroke and allow the rod to “unload” and propel the line through the air.  If you stop the rod slowly, or do not stop at all, the rod will unload inefficiently, and you will make weak, slow moving, under-powered casts.

                  D:  Smooth application of power.  The power you apply to the rod during the casting stroke, whether on the back or forward cast, must be applied smoothly and in an increasing fashion.  In other words, you should accelerate   the rod through the cast increasing the amount of power right up to the point where you stop the rod.  If you apply power too early in the cast you will cast a tailing loop.

                  E:  Longer cast, longer casting stroke.  To make a longer cast you have to apply more power to the rod.  In order to do this you have to increase the distance you move the rod through the casting stroke.  Think of balancing the amount of power applied with the amount of bend in the rod to achieve the straight tip path described in point B.  Simple rule:  short cast - short stroke, long cast - long stroke.  Too much power in a short stroke causes a tailing loop and too little power in a long stroke causes rainbow - shaped, inefficient loops.

 

3.  Find a rod that fits your casting style comfortably.  Do not buy a certain rod because of the name brand or some desire to fit the stereotype portrayed by that rod.  Think critically about how you cast and how you fish and buy a rod that fits those parameters.  If you have a quick powerful casting stroke you should consider a rod such as the Sage XP, however, if you have a slower casting style you may prefer a rod such as the Winston IM6 series.

 

4.  Practice in close.  Most fish, regardless of type, are caught within about 40 feet of where you are standing.  Get comfortable and confident casting that distance and concentrate on loop shape (remember, your loop shape will always tell you how you are casting).  You will be amazed at how easy it is to cast 75 feet when you can cast a good loop at 30 feet.

 

 

5.  Practice for accuracy.  More fish are caught because you can hit an exact spot rather than cast 80 feet. With a little practice, you should be able to easily get to the point where you can place a fly in a saucer at 30 feet.  

 

 

One of the fundamental differences between the sport of fly fishing and other types of angling is the cast.  Fly - casting is a skill that must be practiced to master, but it is a skill which is attainable by anyone who puts in a little bit of effort.  Perhaps this is one of the great draws to fly fishing.  The blend of a physical skill such as casting with the mental games involved with choosing a fly, a presentation tactic, and a type of water to fish makes fly fishing a sport which hooks anglers for life.  With a little practice you can hone your casting skills and enjoy the sport even more than you do already.