The nice weather has not only allowed for more fishing adventures this spring, but it has permitted the girls and I to take some time for casting practice. I thought this would be a great time to give some tips on fly casting for anyone who may be interested in getting started. When I first started, I used trial and error to figure out the best casting style for me while picking up tips and tricks from other fishermen along the way. There were many frustrating days on the water. Catching fish and consistent improvement kept me coming back for more. Here are my tips for becoming a proficient fly caster:
1: Don't be afraid to fail: This is going to happen. Sorry, it's true. You must be willing to accept that you are not going to start your fly casting career like Brad Pitt from A River Runs Through It. You will fail and you will learn from your mistakes. Take the good with the bad and become better for it.
2: Get out on the water: I can't say enough about casting in the backyard, or in an open field to get the basics of timing and rhythm down. It is invaluable. There are, however, too many intricate details about casting on water that makes it an entirely different game. When I was coaching basketball we promoted the "practice like you play" philosophy. Make practice and your energy level as close to game time situation as possible. I promote the same for fly casting. If you are not on the water, you are missing a very important element that will greatly influence your casting. And you won't catch any fish...Get out on the water to practice...
3: Shake hands with the rod/Keep a straight wrist: This is a two in one tip combo platter. When you first hold a fly rod, act like you are shaking hands with it. That's the grip you want to use. Also notice how firm your wrist is when you give a firm hand shake. It should be the same while you are casting. When you go into your fly casting motion, remember not to break your wrist. Breaking the wrist will lead to over extending the rod and creating problems for your fly line in the backcast.
4: 10 and 2: Tip #3 leads into this perfectly and is the next step in the fly casting process. You've heard it all before in driving and in fly casting. The old adage of 10 and 2 works, so please use it. This is especially important if you plan on doing a lot of false casting (where your line is in the air for multiple casts). Your fly rod is an extension of your arm, so just make sure you stop your arm and wrist at 2 o'clock on the backcast and 10 o'clock on the forward cast. This will give you the nice loops in your fly line and prevent tangles.
5: Slow, accelerate, stop: Rather than whipping fly line around, I like to consider casting as PULLING the line off the water and PUSHING it back on. Only the same amount of force used while pulling is needed to push the line back onto the water. Don't feel like you need to throw it out as hard as you can. Think of this tip while you are pulling and pushing. When coming off the water, so it to yourself, "slow, accelerate, stop". Slowly pull the line off the water while you accelerate (its ok to use a little muscle here) into your backcast and stop abruptly at the 2 o'clock position. Repeat step one when you are bringing the line forward. Wait for the line to load (see tip 6) slowing begin bringing the line forward, accelerate into the forward cast and stop abruptly at the 10 o'clock position or laying the fly line out on the water be bringing your rod to a horizontal position.
6: Slow Down!!: Out of all of these tips, this and keeping the wrist straight are by far the hardest habits to break. Whenever someone new gets a fly rod in their hands they instinctively want to whip it back and forth as fast as possible. Slow down. Allow the line to load (let the loop straiten out) on the backcast before coming forward with your line. When you begin your cast, try saying to yourself, "I love South Dakota" before coming forward with your line again. That is all the time your line needs to load up before you bring it forward again. Be patient and let the flyrod do all the work. Again, only the same amount of force used to bring the line back is needed to bring the line forward again. Let the rod do its thing. That's what it was designed to do.
7: We talkin bout practice man...: The best way to become better at fly casting is the practice the fundamentals. Get a practice casting rod to start. Try and do it every day, even if it's for one minute. The more you practice the fundamentals, the better you will become. Don't be to high and mighty to ask for help either. Great painters weren't born good at painting, they're good because they paint a lot.
Everyone's cast is a bit different, and you'll likely find little tips and tricks that help you become a better fly caster. Take these tips out on the water next time you go out to practice. Hopefully they will prevent frustration and help get you on top of your game in no time. Now go fishing!!
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