Fly Casting

Basic Fly Casting

Written by Paul S.

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perfecting the fly cast in the upper sierra's

The Basics:

Keep this in mind; most trout taken on a fly rod are hooked within 25 feet of the fisherman. It is a lot easier to cast short distances like this for the beginner, so, don’t be intimidated by what is overemphasized as being the most important aspect to fly fishing - fly casting. Later I’ll talk a little bit about different casting problems and the skills needed to improve all around casting. But, for the beginner, it should take just a little practice to effectively cast a fly short distances. Before you experienced Anglers start tearing me a new one here I am suggesting that it takes more than great casting to catch fish. A beautiful and accurate 80 foot cast will do you no good if there is drag on your drift and you are using the wrong fly. So, since casting is a necessity of fly fishing, let’s talk about the basics of getting the fly to the trout. Oh, yeah, you will need a fly rod.

The Grip:

The most common, comfortable and effective grip in fly fishing is to extend your thumb along the cork, pointing it toward the tip of the rod. Imagine you are holding the rod parallel to the ground with the reel down in its natural position. Your thumb should also be parallel to the ground as it presses against the cork while you hold the fly rod. I like to think of the rod as an extension of my forearm. That thumb continues the line of my arm from my elbow along the rod. It also allows more stopping power on the back cast and more power on the forward cast.

Where to Practice

The best place to work on your casting is on the river. If you don’t have that, go to a casting pond. If you don’t have that, go to a big open field. If you don’t have that, go to a park. If you don’t have that... move. No matter where you end up, make sure there is plenty of room around you. Make sure you are in no danger of hitting people or power lines with your fly fishing gear. Tie on a little bit of yarn to the end of your leader to help you see the full cast and how your actions affect the fly. There are practice leaders made specifically for fly casting. Often a red monofilament is used.

Preparation

Before you start casting your fly rod, make sure the rod is strung up. Several years ago a flyfishing buddy shared with me the loop trick to string up my fly rod and it made my life so much easier. I kick myself for not figuring it out on my own. The truth is, I usually string my rod up streamside and I can’t help but get ahead of myself. I split focus and start looking for fish. This technique usually forces me to restring my rod because I will miss a guide along the way the first time. But, I digress. First, strip out about 15-20 feet of line. Pick up the line you just pulled out at about its half way point and pinch the fly line into a loop. That is the loop that you will put through the guides to string it up. I use this technique with a needle and thread when I do minor stitching repairs. It is much easier to work with the line this way, than with the loose end of the line, or even harder, the smaller leader. Also, if you let go of the loop, the guides will catch the fly line as the loop expands so you don't have to start over.

The Basic Cast

All right, the rod is ready to go. Now, get about 15-20 feet of line through the rod and on the ground. If you just finished stringing your rod, you can just pull it through, or you can wiggle and jiggle (sorry if I get too technical) the rod like a whip to manipulate the fly line out. With that line out, strip out about 20 feet more from the reel and let it fall at your feet.

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