Which Stance for Fly Casting

The stance you use for casting can influence the movements that follow, such as how you move your casting arm and add force with your shoulder and body.  As with grips, each stance provides somewhat different advantages and disadvantages.


The Squared Stance


When starting from square one with beginning students using a squared stance, facing the target without dropping either foot back is a good idea. Why? The biggest advantage of this stance is its simplicity in relationship to the alignment of the casting arm.  Without moving your body, you can easily attain an elbow-forward arm position throughout the casting movements.  Such simplification of primary movements is important in achieving the consistency for which we strive and a building block for good form. Once good form and timing is achieved the squared stance is the preferred stance.


The Casting Side Dropped Back Stance


Another good option is the casting side dropped back position. This is often the second step for beginning casters once they have their elbow- forward arm position form down. If right handed, you drop your right foot back, as if preparing to throw a ball. It is recommended to start the students with the casting side dropped back 45 degrees.  The main advantage of this stance is in developing timing.

With the casting side dropped back position you are able to watch your back cast to see when to start the forward cast.  One thing to watch out for is that this stance may lead to rotating that side forward during the forward cast. This additional body turning sometimes rotates a caster’s arm and fly rod out of alignment, thus angling the fly line away from the intended direction. Having to realign your arm and rod for the forward cast can also complicate the movement, particularly if using an elbow forward half-throwing motion. So be aware and don't lose good form.

Although timing can be taught in various ways, it is said that most students, in fact, do learn timing best by turning to see the fly line straightening in back. However, it is probably best to have them drop the casting side back just enough to see the back cast, a peak so to speak, then return them to a squared stance when the timing has been corrected. Remember turning to watch a back cast is usually done when practicing, and seldom done when we’re out fishing.  I heard the expression. “Watching your back cast is bad form, except in bear country”.


If you’re casting a slow full flexing action rod, like a bamboo or older graphite, opening up your stance can be used with a lengthened hand movement for better form. 


How About the Stance for Long Distance Casting?


When it’s time to start practicing long distance casting it’s time to go back to dropping the casting side back.  Watching the loops coming off the rod tip on a back cast is the best way I know to learn how and where to stop the rod butt to form small loops in a long line on the back cast.  By this time, arm alignment should be fairly well ingrained.  This open stance offers another distance advantage, inviting long hand movements for a wider casting arc.


The Casting Side Forward Stance

Occasionally I’ll see a person casting to a specific fish and attempting to get a really accurate cast, using a stance with the casting side and foot forward, rather than back.  It is said that turning the casting side forward enhances accuracy by bringing the hand and arm that directs the cast into closer alignment with the eyes and the target.

Summary

It’s not a bad idea to start students with the grip and stance that works best for most people.  If you are a beginner, try the squared stance, with your thumb providing support behind the forward cast.  If you find yourself having trouble with timing, drop your casting side back enough to make it easier to watch your back cast.

If you are more experienced, I would encourage you to experiment with these grips and stances, considering the trade-offs in each change you make. Perhaps you will find something that works better with your cast than what you have been doing.

Casting Around the Clock

It’s time to add some presentation casts to your arsenal. The three casts that are the basis of good presentations are the "Wiggle Cast", the "Reach Cast" and the combination of the two, the "Wiggle Reach Cast". We can use these presentation casts to start “Fishing around the Clock”. This is a descriptive term for the ability to present the fly from any angle to a fish in moving water.

Right now on the Lower Yuba River we are starting to get decent hatches of PMD’s. Most of the time you’ll be presenting PMD duns and emergers on water that is at least somewhat smooth. This requires delicate rods, light lines and long leaders. A 5 weight is a good all around choice. Extend your leader to 12 to 15 feet long which includes tippet at least 2 to 4 feet long. Use delicate tippets like 5x. Use a "Duncan Loop" or an "Open Mono Loop Knot" to attach your flies. I like throwing "Double Dries, using a dun pattern and trailing an emerger about 18" or 20" behind. If the fish are really spooky I clip off the trailer.

You will need to present your flies without alarming your prey. You don’t want the fish to scatter from your line, leader and fly sailing over their heads and smacking down onto the water in their cone of vision. To be successful you must put the fly right onto the trout’s feeding lane without alarming them. How do we solve this problem? This is where putting "Fishing around the Clock" really pays off.

The Clock

Think of your position in relation to the trout you are stalking as a position around the clock with the trout in the center (See Illustration Above). You will be somewhere around the outside of the circle at a moderate casting range. Not too close, not too far. There is probably a best place to make your presentation. Your position is critical. The type of presentation cast you will need to make will differ from what position around the clock you are stationed.

Presenting from Downstream

If you‘re in the downward third of the clock 4:00, 5:00, 7:00 & 8 o’clock, you will be making your cast to the trout up and across stream. This will require an slight upstream, “Reach Cast” or more advanced casts, the “Positive or Negative Curve Cast”. We'll get to the Curve Casts at a later time. Using either of these casts will enable the trout to see the fly first, with the leader just seconds after it has decided to take your fly. This is the plan anyway. A word of caution, the downstream position is the hardest to accomplish a delicate presentation over selectively rising trout.

If you’re positioned in the 6 o’clock position this is even harder. You will need to present the fly in such a way that the leader attached to the fly doesn’t land right on the trout's head. As described above, it’s like throwing a small rock on the trout’s head, no good. You need to use a big “Reach Mend” to have the leader angling towards the bank which will enable the fly to be presented first.

Presenting From Directly Across

When you find yourself in a position to present your fly from directly across from the trout, this would be from the 3:00 or the 9:00 position you will want to add the “Reach Cast”. Aim your cast directly at the place you want the fly to land, ideally two to four feet upstream from the trout. As the straight line cast is delivered and starts to unfold towards the target, tip the rod over in the upstream direction and "reach" upstream. This is really an “Aerial Reach Mend”. When the fly lands, follow the drift with the rod tip.  This will keep the fly from dragging and the fly will enter the trout’s window ahead of the leader and line.

Presenting From Upstream

When presenting your fly to trout feeding on mayfly duns and emergers, probably the best position to take on smooth water conditions, is at an angle upstream from the trout. This would be from 1:00, 2:00, 10:00 and 11 o’clock. It definitely works best when you’re off to the side a bit. This is where the “Wiggle Cast” really excels. Aim about two to four feet upstream from the feeding fish. As you deliver the cast wiggle or wobble the rod tip back and forth horizontally as the line lays out. This will result in the line landing on the water in a series of serpentine curves. As the fly floats downstream toward the trout, the curves will feed out for a frag free drift.

Once you've mastered the "Wiggle Cast" you can add the "Reach Wiggle" which is doing both. This works especially well if you have heavier currents between you and the targeted trout. To execute the Reach Wiggle Cast you deliver the forward cast as normal, as the forward cast is furling out toward the target, tip the rod upstream for the reach mend and at the same time add the horizontal wobbles of the tip to add wiggles to the line. This may take a little time to get down, but it is worth the practice.

If the trout refuses the fly on either of these presentation casts, tip your rod toward the side or the bank after it has passed the trout. Let the current swing the fly well away from the trout before you pick up to cast again.

Presenting From Directly Upstream


When presenting the fly from directly upstream from the 12:00 position you typically only get one chance. If the fly is refused the leader and then the line follows and you can’t lift them off the water without spooking the run. You really want to avoid this presentation if possible. If you can't move more to the side and this is your only play, you can use the wiggle cast from this position.

The “Puddle Cast” is more accurate then the Wiggle cast and you may want to try it. The “Puddle Cast” is executed by throwing a high inclining cast on the forward stroke and then immediately dropping the rod tip. This will result in killing the forward momentum of the forward cast and cause it to puddle down to the water in a series of “S” shaped curves. Again if possible, it is best used from the 12:30 to 1:00 or the 11:00 to 11:30 position and only from the 12:00 position if absolutely necessary.


Learn the different presentation casts are when and where to use them and you’ll soon be catching those difficult trout.

The Five Essentials of a Great Fly Cast

A big mistake that many anglers make is that they only practice their casting when they go out fishing. When you have a fly tied on you are concentrating on finding and catching fish not practicing a casting stroke. Fly casting is like golf in that the people that become very good golfers spent a lot of time practicing before they go out and play. It’s the repetition that improves their game. Remember fishing is not called practicing and you must practice your casting stroke before you head out fishing.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

The Five Essentials

There are a number of fairly easy principals that apply to all fly casts. These principals are the same whether you are casting a 4 weight or a 9 weight rod. They all apply to maintaining great casting form and throwing tight loops.

The following 5 Essentials for a Good Cast are the essentials that are taught with the FFF Certified Casting Professional program. Mastering these principals will make you a better fly caster. Remember an efficient cast is the one that delivers that fly to it target with the least amount of energy expended. I like to refer to this as having good form.

There are many benefits to achieving good form including increased accuracy and increased distance. It takes very little effort to increase you distance as long as you have good form. Improved control, gives you the ability to execute achieve more beneficial presentation casts. Also, when an angler casts efficiently, fatigue is reduced as is the potential for strain of your shoulder, forearm and wrist.

Take some time in your weekly routine and find a nice stretch of grass in your yard, school or park and practice these “5 Essentials”. I’d also recommend purchasing the DVD “Casts That Catch Fish” by “On the Fly Productions” and watching it closely. 


Do both and you will soon become a really proficient fly caster and throwing great loops.

Essential #1 – Eliminate Slack

The first essential focuses on keeping slack in your line to a minimum. This means that the line should be kept under tension at all times during the cast. There are many problems associated with slack line. The most common is that the rod won’t begin to load or it will unload prematurely. Another problem with having slack in the system is that some portion of the casting stroke is going to be robbed of efficiency by having to tension up the excess slack line again before attempting to get the rod to load in mid stroke.

An example of managing slack is the simple act of lifting the line off the water. If you start with the rod tip low and you strip out all the slack and tension things up, as soon as you raise the rod up you are starting to load it and accelerate the fly line. This is good! 


Alternately, if you start with your rod tip high with heap of slack on the water in front of you, you have to move the fly rod quite a way to take all that slack out. You’re likely to run out of casting stroke causing the loop to collapse on your head. This is bad!

The elimination of slack is also effected by timing which brings us to “Essential # 2”.

Essential # 2 – Timing

At the beginning and end of each stroke there is a pause just long enough to let the line fully straighten out in the air behind you before you start the stroke in the opposite direction. That pause needs to be directly proportional to the amount of line you have outside the rod tip.

The longer the line you have outside your rod tip, the longer it’s going to take the line to straighten out fully in the air. There is a simple rule or mantra we need to remember.

Long Line = Long Pause

Medium Line = Medium Pause

Short Line = Short Pause

There are a few things you can do to check to see if your timing is correct or not.

Number One. Probably the easiest thing to do is just to look over your shoulder and see the line straightening out behind you. Take a peak as the line unfurls behind you. Watch and wait.

Number Two. If your timing is too short, it’s likely you are going to hear that whip-cracking noise. This is the one where you will be losing flies when you are fishing. You normally are going to hear this on your backcast behind you. If your timing is way too short, you’re going to be introducing a lot of slack into the system, the rod is going to unload and the line is going to collapse in a heap around your ears.

Number Three. Alternatively if your timing is too slow, and you are pausing too long, gravity is going to take over and your line is going to fall to the ground or water behind you. When practicing that’s usually going to mean that you’re going to end up hooking the grass behind you. If you were fishing you’d be snagging the rocks and bushes behind you and you’re going to lose more flies.

What is Right? By contrast you are going to know when you timing is right, when you’ll actually start to feel a little tug on the tip of the fly rod as the taunt line starts to bend and load the rod. A loaded rod is simply a bent rod. The rod bends against the weight and inertia of the fly line.

“Note” Learning to load and unload a fly rod efficiently is probably the single most important aspect of learning to fly cast.

Essential Number Three – The Variable Casting Stroke

The casting stroke can be thought of as the total distance the rod tip moves through during each stroke. This is the path of the rod tip. Think of the distance in a straight line of the rod tip.

The casting arc can be thought of as the angle the rod or the rod butt travels through each stroke. Think of a protractor or a pie of pie.

The total stroke incorporates the sort of piston like movement of your forearm. The backwards and forward movement of the rod is call “translation” (the distance in a straight line). The rotation at either end with the wrist is called “rotation” (base of the casting arc). Those two things combined make up a casting stroke. As mentioned you can think of this casting stroke and visualize it as a piece of pie.

One key to performing really nice loops is to get that rod tip moving in as straight a line as possible. In order to do that you’ve got to employ a casting arc that accommodates the bend you have in the rod. Put another way the longer line you have out the longer your casting arc is going to have to be or a larger piece of pie.

This is a vital concept that you have to get your head around. It’s called the “Variable Casting Stroke”.

For instance a short cast of say 15 feet is going to be performed with a short casting stroke. A small piece of pie. A medium cast of say 30 feet is going to be performed with a medium casting stroke. A medium piece of pie. While a longer cast of say, 45 feet, is going to have a longer casting stroke. A big piece of pie. You hungry yet?

There is a simple rule that ties this all together.

Long Line = Long Stroke

Medium Line = Medium Stroke

Short Line = Short Stroke

Tailing loops result from too narrow a casting arc. Big wide open loops are caused by too wide of a casting stroke.

At this point, it is time to put two of the essentials together. We previously talked about pause and timing.

Short Line + Short Stroke (Small Piece of Pie) + Short pause

Medium Line + Medium Stroke (Medium Piece of Pie) + Medium pause

Long Line + Long Stroke (Big Piece of Pie) + Long Pause

Essential Number 4 – Application of Power

The fourth essential has to do with application of power. The power should be applied smoothly throughout the stroke. By that we mean from the moment you start, right through to the stop, power should be applied smoothly. This is called “constant acceleration”. Start slowly and finish fast.

Think about throwing a dart. You start slow, accelerate to the point you stop and release the dart to the target. If you do it right, bulls eye.

Another good one is to imagine a ripe tomato placed on the tip of your fly rod. If you wanted to throw the tomato forward in front of you would have to accelerate the tip forward slowly and progressively to a stop to fling the tomato forward or the tip would slice through the tomato and end up on your head.

The next question is “How much power do you need to apply?” The answer almost always is, “Just enough power to nicely aerialize the line and allow it to turn over.” No more, no less. Many casters use far too much power in their stroke, and it’s probably one of the most common faults in fly casting. It’s also one of the main causes for tailing loops.

Try taking some power out of your casts and you will greatly improve your loops. Work on “Constant Acceleration or Progressive Power”.

Essential #5 – Straight Line Path

The fifth and last essential is to maintain a straight line path of the rod tip. Remember, the line always follows the rod tip, therefore if you can keep the rod tip traveling in a really nice straight line and employ crisp absolute stops, you’re going to get really nice loops. This Essential #5 is very closely related to essential number 3 which was the “Variable Casting Arc.”

Straight Line Tip Path + Rod Tip Stopped High = Tight Loops

In most cases a tight loop is desirable. A tight loop is much more aerodynamically efficient than a large rounded loop. A tight loop is easier to control and also much more accurate.

Large Convex Tip Path – Large Round Loops

Large open loops are much more difficult to control and are more air and wind resistant. Large rounded loops are created when we scribe a convex arch (an upward arch) with the rod tip.

Tip: If you find yourself getting caught up in the grass behind you, it’s a sure sign that you are dropping your rod tip far too far back on your backcast. Try casting back higher, aiming your cast high up in the sky on the backcast and this should clear this up.

Concave Tip Path = Closed or Tailing Loops

Another path the rod tip can travel is the concave path (up down and up). The concave rod tip path can leads to closed or tailing loops which can end up with tangles and flies hitting the rod.

Stopping the Rod

The stop is the single most important aspect in becoming an expert caster. 


The more efficient and crisper you can make the stops, the more effective and efficient your loops are going to be. The straight line path of the rod tip and a crisp efficient stop is what governs loop shape. The crisper and more complete that you can make the rod stop, the better your loops are going to be.

Although it almost sounds counter intuitive, crisp stops can be achieved without overpowering the cast. Many beginners find this a difficult concept to understand and try to put too much power into the stroke thinking that they are going to get a hard crisp stop by doing so. It just isn’t necessary. 


Practice with the minimum power, maintaining constant acceleration of power and then apply crisp, tight stops and you will get really good loops.

Casting Tip - Let the Current do the Dirty Work

When wading on the Lower Yuba and nymphing with indicators and multiple shot, banging out false casts with a nymphing rigg can lead to more time spent untangling than fishing.

Instead of picking up and false casting let the current do the dirty work. This technique works for beginners as well as seasoned veterans and will enable both to make accurate casts, avoid tangles and catch fish.

Next time you’re out fishing try this;

• Stand perpendicular to the current, facing downstream, and toss out your line out in front of you so it feeds out downstream until the desired length is achieved.
• When you have the right amount of line our and the flies are skittering on the surface. With your rod tip pointed at the flies;
• Lift the rod tip slowly up to the 2:00 position and stop. I mean really STOP! Then WAIT!
• Turn and stand roughly parallel with the current, facing across and slightly upstream, look upstream and fix your eyes on the target area upstream you want to cast towards.
• Bring the rod smoothing forward, SNAP IT to a STOP, and aim the cast through your thumb.
• If done correctly the cast will unfurl and your fly or flies will land in the targeted zone..

You're now fishing. The key is the pause. Let the fly line stretch out downstream, let the flies skitter, Lift the tip and stop, set it up, and let it fly.

Let the current be your friend.

Casting Tip - Roll Casting for Sucess

It seems like the roll cast is used so often, whether you fishing with bushes behind you, doing a roll pickup to re-deliver a dry fly or re-casting a nymph rigg when you're drifting down the river in a boat, that it should be on the top of everyone's list to practice and master. So basic and such an important technique to have at your call when you need it.


I’ll never forget the casting video with Mel Kreiger, when he explains that the delivery stroke/snap when making a roll cast is like cutting of the head of a chicken with a hatchet. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean.

Once you start using the roll cast you’ll notice that you use it more often than you realize. That's the key it should be second nature, something you don't have to think about.

The roll cast has two big advantages,

(1) it is a more stealthy cast as opposed to false casting over rising fish

(2) It enables you to present a cast with obstacles directly behind you like, willows, brush or a peanut gallery of people watching you, hopefully people that aren't laughing at you.

What are the keys to making a good roll cast?.

• After pointing your rod at the flys strip in excess line until you are tight to your flies.

• Gradually accelerate the rod backwards , drawing the line and flies towards you to build up speed and resistance.

• As the rod tip and the line moves behind your shoulder, raise the tip up to a 1:00 position with your hand ending up by your ear.

• Stop the Rod at that position

• Change Direction and cast forward to your target looking through your thumb at the target.

• Unfurl the cast to the targeted area.

Sounds easy, but there are a few common mistakes that we are all guilty of from time to time, such as;

• Starting the roll cast with too much loose line on the water.

• The rod tip is pointed straight up at the sky and in the wrong position to load properly.

Things to Remember.

(1) Retrieve the rod tip from a low position and keep noticeable tension on the line as it slices through the current.
(2) With this motion and when the time is right, lift the rod tip skyward
(3) Snap the rod forward and unfurling the line to your target.

Practice this stroke and get it down and you won’t be sorry that you spent the extra time..

Casting Practice - The Wiggle Cast

As I’ve stated before, I’ve always been a fan of Dave Hughes, his books introduced me to two casting techniques, the wiggle cast and the reach cast. By adding these two casts to your game you can just about present a dry fly, emerger or dry dropper combination in any situation. If you get a handle on these two techniques and combine them with a reach wiggle you’ll really have something going.

I’m going to go over the essence of the wiggle cast here.

The “wiggle” cast is also referred to as the “serpentine” cast, or a “S” cast. I learned it as the wiggle, so I’ll stick with it. As they say, “That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it”.

The essence of the cast is to place several coils or wiggles in the line as you complete the forward cast. Once accomplished, during the precious seconds that it takes for the complex currents to work the coils out of the line, your fly will have extra drag free drift while in the targeted zone. If you add a reach mend to the wiggle you'll get even more time in the zone.

As with many other casting tips, the line always follows the motion of the rod tip and it applies to the wiggle cast. When delivering the cast simply wiggle the rod tip sideways back and forth. The quicker you start the wiggle after the stop of the rod and beginning the drift forward to the target, the closer the wiggles will be to the end of your fly line. This is what you are shooting for.

If your wiggles do not reach the tip of the fly line, the best thing to do is to practice on the lawn, work on the timing until you get it down. It just takes practice.

Putting the Wiggle to use on the River
When on the river and putting the wiggle cast into practice, the cast works well when casting upstream or quartering upstream, but is a very serviceable cast at almost any angle.

The upstream wiggle cast requires establishing a position either straight across or off to the side of the targeted fish. The closer you can stealthily wade to get into position within reason the better, thirty or forty feet is desirable. Make a normal cast targeting a spot two to four or five feet above the targeted fish. While the loop of the cast lays out reach lay your rod over upstream, the reach cast, and at the same wiggle the rod tip briskly to add the serpentine colis to the line as it lands. This is the reach wiggle cast.

The downstream wiggle cast is a great technique to add to your arsenal. The downstream wiggle cast calls for a casting position anywhere from an arc of 30 to 60 degrees upstream from the trout. Don't position yourself so that you are directly upstream from a working trout. You may get away with it one time but then you'll be done. Pick up the cast one time and the fish will be headed downstream like a freight train. Stay to the side.

Make measuring forecasts well of to the side. You'll need to add extra line into your cast to make up for the wiggle and reach of your presentation cast. Aim your cast two to five feet above the position of the targeted fish and wiggle your rod tip briskly while the line loop unfolds. That should give you a nice drag free drift for your presentation.

Summary

Get out on the lawn, work on this and you will have success on the water. Tie the wiggle/reach cast to the tactics of stealthy wading and wading into the correct position to present your fly, and you will have trout dancing on your line.

“I guarantee it”.

Casting Practice - 40 feet in 4 seconds

I’ve always been a fan of Dave Hughes and have a ton of his books in my library. I’ve got one of them that I highlighted as I read it and he talks about the benefits of carefully and stealthily moving in position to make a shorter more accurate cast. This has stuck with me throughout my fishing career. I’ve never been a long distance caster and probably never will. So long to bone fishing.

If you can deliver a 40 foot cast when Mr. Trout raises his head to have a snack and put it on his nose you will be successful. Here is a drill to make you more accurate with you're presentation delivery.

Set Up

I set up a place on my lawn to do this drill and made 8 hoops that are 4 foot diameter, out of 1" diameter poly water pipe. I bought straight PVC connectors to join the hoops. Cut the pipe to lenght, pressed them together and was ready to go in about 30 minutes.

This drill is to hone these skills.

The Drill

(1) Find a nice grass area with a friend and lay out a course with targets. Take turns with this drill

(2) Place ten targets at a distance of 40 feet from a fixed casting position that are numbers 1 through 10. You can make 4 foot diameter hoops pretty easily out of inexpensive poly sprinkler pipe, sort of a homemade hula hoop.

(3) Have your partner call out random numbers.

(4) You have 4 seconds and one cast to put your fly within 2 feet of the target.

(5) Not fast enough, no good. Not close enough, no good.

Remember – Your cast doesn’t have to be long, it has to be on time and accurate.

Work on this and your casting accuracy will definitely improve. Once you think you've got it down and a reach cast on your delivery. Then a reach wiggle. You get the picture.

Have some fun with it!

Tuning Up Your cast - The Newspaper Drill

I'd posted a the video from Kirk Deeter earlier and decided to add the tip to it and have them both in one place.

Here’s a drill to take out on the lawn to groove a straight rod path.

This drill helps you control the rod path and reinforces the principle that your line follows your rod path.If your aim tends to be wild and the path of the line seems to be roving all over the place, the problem can probably be traced to the fact that your casting arm is flailing around away from your body.To fix this, you need to embrace a compact, short stroke.

Here’s the drill.

• Place a folded newspaper in the armpit of your casting arm.
• Practice your straight line casting stroke.
• If the newspaper falls from under your armpit, your arm is wobbling too wide.
• Concentrate of compact shorter strokes.

That’s it! Groove this and your line will cast straighter and truer.


Here's a video from Kirk Deeter with a demo of this drill

Casting Tip - Applied Power - Too Much, Too Soon

I just started helping a local high school teach their students the art of fly casting. Many casting errors are traced to these two main causes, breaking the wrist and incorrectly applied power at the pickup of the line off the water and in this case the grass.

We’ll concentrate on the second problem here. Many anglers start their cast by picking up the line with their rod parallel to the water and then applying too much power, with too much slack line on the water. This creates an extremely large loop and will not load the rod properly. The angler spends the rest of the cast sequence trying to tighten up the loop. Bad start equals bad delivery in most cases.

The cure of this malady is to begin the cast by stripping in excess line, and then smoothly lifting the rod tip to 10:00, not 1:00. This sets the rod up for a short, quick power stroke.

Try this next time you're on the water and you'll see a difference.

Casting Tune-up "Stop that Rod!"

The trees are leafing out, the flowers are popping and spring time is around the corner. It’s about time to put away the shot and indicators and start thinking about throwing dries and soft hackles.

It’s funny, but I’m sort of a "stick to it" type of guy. This fall and winter I’ve been throwing nymphs and a few streamers with my switch rod and haven’t taken my dry rod out of its case but a couple of times. It’s been mainly nymphs under indicator or just with a tight line. Anyway you look at it, I’ve been “chucking lead”. I’m usually running three nymphs, and anyone that does much of this knows that if you don’t throw an open loop it’s going to be a real pain in the neck, literally.

So, I’ve got to make the transition to throwing dries and tighten up my loops and get the rust out of my presentation casting.

Anyone that fishes with me, knows that I’m like that guy that gets pulled over by the patrolman for not coming to a complete stop at the stop sign. My forward cast sort of just drifts though the stop. It always takes me a little time out on the lawn or on the river “Not Fishing” to get my loops tighter and my presentation casting in sink. It’s just not an automatic thing with me. I can get there, but I’ve got to put some work into it to get where it looks and feels like I know what I’m doing.

With this in mind, I recently read an article by Kirk Deeter and Charlie Meyers. They have just published a book titled “The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing”. It’s on my list for sure. The article was called “20 tips to help you cast Straighter, Longer and with more Accuracy”. I’ll give you a condensed version of some of their pointers. Maybe 10 instead of 20.

(1) Dare to be Different - Just because your casting style doesn’t look like your buddies, it’s not a problem. It just has to work for you, not anyone else. There are certain physical laws pertaining to loading and unloading the fly rod that must be adhered to, and the timing is critical, no matter what your stroke looks like. It’s the end result that counts.

(2) It starts with the grip – If you have ever received lessons in golf, most swing flaws can be traced to your hands and how you hold the club. This holds true with your fly cast. You need a firm grip. The line goes where the rod tip goes. (Burn this into your brain). Because of this, hold your thumb on top of the grip, and snap your casts, Visualize looking “through” your casting thumbnail, odds are that the line will unfurl right through that window.

(3) Point Your Shots - As stated in (#2), the fly line and thus the fly follows the rod tip. Taking this one step further, the Rod Tip Follows the Thumb. So long as you keep your thumb (or index finger if you cast with it on top) pointed at the target your cast will go where you want it to go.

(4) “10 and 2 is too little too late – As we have heard from the beginning of our fly casting learning curve, our cast is to be imagined as if your rod moves along an imaginary clock face, with the forward cast stopping at 10 o’clock, and the backcast stopping at 2 o’clock. In reality, when we start casting, we are pretty much oblivious to this imaginary clock. It is advised to instead change the time zones to one o’clock on the backcast. If you try changing your way of thinking to “10 to 1” you may have better luck.

(5) Don’t get Cocky ( Your Wrist is what we’re talking about) – If you’re casting and you hear the noise of your line slapping the water behind you, it is often because your wrist is cocking too far back. As it relates to fly casting, the wrist versus arm equation is a difficult balance to master, let alone explain. Remember the arm is the engine, the wrist is the steering wheel. This pertains to aiming the cast, not powering the cast. Continuing the comparison to driving, if you let your wrist power your cast you will crash. A few simple fixes to help capture the right feel are; (a) Get a large rubber band, wrap it around your casting wrist, and then insert the rod butt inside that rubber band when you practice on the lawn. If you find that the rubber band is flexing too much, odds are you are breaking your wrist too far. (b) If you are wearing a long sleeve shirt, tuck the reel butt inside your cuff. This can really sharpen up and help you regain your stoke.

(6) Stop! …For Good Cast – Like I mentioned, this tip seems like it is shouting out to me. Often a little voice in my head says “What’s so important about stopping the rod anyway?” This is what’s up. Always remember that the stop is the key component, the one that makes all casting motion work. A good cast is built by gradually accelerating the rod forward, and stopping it precisely, then changing directions and gradually accelerating the rod backwards, and stopping it again to change course. If you don’t stop the rod crisply on the forward and backward strokes – if you just slush your way forward and back (wait a minute. Have you been watching me?) with no precise rhyme or reason – you can not load the rod. Your cast will droop, sag, flutter and die. The stop is as important a concern as any motion or power in your cast. Moral of this story. Stop with authority, forward and back, and you will cast farther straighter and more accurately. Amen!

(7) Hitting the Wall – This one’s for me, being a carpenter for most of my life. Think about a hammer and a nail when loading and unloading your rod. Imagine yourself between two walls, with nails on both. Using a two headed hammer, pretend to smack the nails, first on the back cast, and again when the hand comes forward. Each time you hit the wall the hammer stops cold. This is the stop motion that in fly casting causes the rod to unload briskly. In you stop cold, the line will shoot forward powerfully, with a tight loop. If you don’t stop hard and slush your rod through the stop, the line loses speed and distance and the loop will open up, making it susceptible to wind. To get full power from your rod, hit the nail on the head. So, I’ve got a new mantra. “Nail on head, nail on head…..”

(8) Watch that thumb – Another trick to help you stop the rod in the correct position, is to keep your casting thumb in your peripheral vision at all times. Lose sight of your thumb, and your going back too far. Simple as that!

(9) Throw a drink in my face – A good description of the gradual, controlled acceleration motion, that is the foundation of any good fly cast was offered by casting legend Steve Rajeff. Imagine throwing a glass of water toward another person. You don’t just chuck it. You lift it off the table, accelerate as you aim and then stop suddenly to let the liquid fly. Imagine that when you make you cast.

(10) Say Hello to good casting – Here is another tip to get used to starting and stopping the rod at the correct angles. Imagine you’re using an old wall telephone, standing a couple of feet away. Say hello when you bring your rod hand smartly back beside your ear, keeping your arm perpendicular, and then whisper goodbye as the phone returns to the cradle. Again, perform this with crisp stops and starts.

I know what I’ll be whispering to myself when I go to sleep tonight “Stop that rod….Stop that Rod…..”

Clay

The Casting Grip

When starting to learn to fly cast the first cast that is taught is an overhead cast, we all try to move the flyline back and forth along a straight path as effortlessly as possible. But before you start casting you’ve got to pick up a fly rod and hold it. How do we hold it? Holding a fly rod in your hand is referred to as the “Grip”. So we should be asking, how do we grip it. As we develop our own casting style it will have a lot do with how we stand and hold the rod and which grip we use.

Why do different fly fishers grip the rod differently? Why have different grips developed over time? One obvious reason is that hand sizes vary, but beyond that, more advanced anglers change their grips in order for their fly rod to perform different tasks. For example, someone who fishes mostly small streams with short, delicate casts is likely to prefer a grip that enhances sensitivity and increased feel of the rod tip. Yet a fly fisher who fishes heavy rods and lines might look for a grip that provides the strength to force a bend into a stiff rod.

When deciding on what grip works best for you there is a decision to be made between sensitivity and strength. The comfort of a grip is also important, but seems to care of itself, people seldom continue to cast with a grip that feels uncomfortable.

Thumb on Top Grip

The Thumb on Top Grip is recommended for beginning students because it provides the best balance of strength and sensitivity throughout a broad range of casting distances. It is the one that I use all the time and typically recommend.

The thumb on top grip is very similar to how you would grip a screw driver.

What happens when you cast with a thumb on top grip? When starting the cast with the tip pointed at the water or the ground when practicing, a thumb-on top grip will typically be rotated upward during the back cast to provide thumb support behind the forward cast.  A word of caution, you need to be careful of not getting “wristy” with this grip.

Some people however turn their hands outward during the back cast and may make the forward cast with the reel out to the side.  This further complicates the notion of this grip, because the hand position during the cast is then different from the one taught to start the movements. Thus, those who rotate their hands outward may grasp the rod with the thumb on top, but make the forward cast with the thumb off to the side.  This would be considered to be a variation once you start the forward cast. Not all bad, just a variation.

Some people like to use the thumb as a directional guide on the forward cast. This is where the expression “point your thumb towards your target” comes from.

The Extended Fore Finger Grip

Another grip that sometimes is useful is the Extended Fore Finger grip. For example, if a caster is applying excessive force, changing to the Extended Fore Finger Grip will work for a more sensitive feel of the rod.

Although extending the forefinger is generally regarded in casting literature as a weak grip, some very well known casters use versions of it to throw impressively long casts with trout-weight rods.  Yet most of these casters, if not all, switch to a stronger grip when using heavier, stiffer rods.  Advocates of the extended-forefinger grip claim another advantage, that of eliminating excessive ‘wristiness’ in students.

The Extended Fore Finger Grip is not as robust or comfortable as the thumb on top grip. The Extended Finger on top is often used by many fly fishers when using lighter equipment on small streams and rivers. The proponents of this grip feel that it provides them with a better pivot point for accurate presentations.

The V Grip or Palm Out Grip

The V grip entails placing the thumb to the side of the rod handle. As a result the handle dissects the space between the thumb and the index finger. It is said by some expert fly casters that this grip provides “the most complete overall level of control.

There is some disagreement as to which is the strongest grip.  One grip may bring stronger muscles into play, whereas another provides more rigid support from the hand.





What Kind of Pressure with the Grip

Some people cast with variations of these distinctive grips.  Yet with any grip, it is possible to hold the rod too tightly.  One guideline for checking this is to think of holding the rod as if holding a bird in the hand, tightly enough to keep it from escaping, but not so tight as to squeeze it.

Summary

Try these three grips and see what feel right for you. Get out on the lawn and practice and then you should be able to make the best choice.

Teaching and Learning To Fly Cast

How do we teach someone to cast a fly. How do we learn to cast a fly? That’s not a simple question.

I’ve been doing fly fishing techniques clinics, educational guiding as well as doing fly casting workshops. At the casting workshops it seems like there is always one person attending a workshop who asks questions like, "How long should I pause?” or “How long should my stroke be? " It seems they are asking for an absolute answer. The answer should be it's not an absolute because it depends on how much line you are carrying. You really need to watch each student cast and determine the best course of action. Should we go back to the beginning and build the cast from the beginning. In a lot of cases the answer is yes. You need to start with good form.

Most casting flaws tie to the lack of basic good form and bio-mechanics. In most cases there just isn’t one definite answer to solve a problem. In fly casting many factors dictate the end result. A fly casting instructor must be able to identify problems with the form and mechanics of the cast and explain how to solve them. This isn't easy.

Fly Casting instructors’ perspectives are very similar to golf instructors. A golf instructor will often say to a student, "We've got to rebuild your stroke from the beginning."  With fly casting it's often the same, we need to rebuild the mechanics of the stoke.

In golf, most of the “how to” information comes from pros who unquestionably play well.  However these pros seldom agree on such basics as grip, stance, and ball position.Our fly fishing world is very similar.  Professional fly casting instructors have different styles and forms but they all seem to have a teaching method to get the job done. Their end results are almost exactly the same, but their routes to getting there may have differences. They all teach solid bio mechanics.

Obviously most professional fly fishing instructors, however convoluted their path to becoming a teacher, have gained a lot of experience and have had lots of successes, first with fishing and then in teaching. The doing, fishing, came first.

In relation to us non professional fly casting teachers, I’m certain that the majority first learned to cast a fly and to fish, and then later attempted to analyze and communicate their acquired skills. That’s my path for sure. I learned to fly cast and catch fish. A do it yourself, bang away at it kind of thing. Over time I sort of figured it out by doing not by analysis of good form. Things are changing!

In retrospect, I think that one of the most beneficial things someone could do, fly casting instructors and students alike, is to study good fly casting form and understand the bio mechanics of what constitutes good form. Learn the essentials required to execute a good cast and then practice these essentials. Having an instructor that can communicate these essentials in a way that makes them understandable can make all the difference. As fly casting instructors we need to work on being good communicators. As students we must become good listeners. We both should study the FFF's recommended "Five Essentials to a Good Cast". That will assure that we get started down the right road.

So in summary, become a student of the sport, seek knowledge, learn what constitutes good form and make it your own. As an instructor inspire your students to new heights.

Good Luck and Tight Loops.

By the way, here's a link to the "5 Essentials"

http://flyfishingtraditions.blogspot.com/2012/02/five-essentials-of-great-fly-cast.html

Fly Casting - The Endless Persuit

I've recently started getting more involved with teaching fly casting. I'm organizing fly casting workshops for our local fly fishing club, the Gold Country Fly Fishers. For myself it's been a personal pursuit for my whole life of fly fishing up to this time. I don't mean the teaching, I'm talking about figuring out how to become a better fly caster myself.

You know what, teaching makes you a better fly caster. I've found myself spending many hours practicing myself to prepare myself to teach a group and there are new discoveries and light bulbs going off all the time. I mean when everyone talks about stopping the rod, where the heck are you supposed to stop it? How firm? You sort of know the answers intuitively from fishing for so many years but how do you get it out of your intuition and break it down into spoken words and explain it? These are things that you just have to get right in your head before you start trying to teach it and explain it to someone else.

I'm going to document my journey as a fly casting instructor here on this blog and hopefully my journey will be beneficial to anyone else who has a yearning to teach fly casting or anyone that is learning to cast a fly. I'll be preparing to take the test to become a FFF Certified Casting Instructor while I'm at it. Do I really care if I'm certified, not really. Life for me has always been proof is in doing. I'm just going to head that direction and see where it takes me.

I'll be posting stories about the how to become a better fly casting instructor as well as the how to's. I'll share casting drills and ways to practice out on your lawn or ball field. I'll get technical when I need and keep it light when I can.  Hopefully we'll all get better being fly casting instructors and fly casters alike.

Enjoy the ride!