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Oh sure, we all know what blind casting
is. It's when you are just pitching it
out there, nothing rising, nothing seems
to be going on, you're just 'casting blindly.'
It's a cast of many things, eager anticipation,
frustration, boredom or perhaps simply nothing
else to do but cast the fly out there. Pounding
them up and hunting them up are a couple of
phrases sometimes associated with blind casting.
But, a lot of fish have been caught by the method.
Sometimes even when an idea may not sound like
the best one in the book, given a chance and
some time it may be alright anyway. Yes, I am
leading you again. This is about blind casting,
real blind casting, casting blind.
Yes you can. In fact it's a known fact that
when we shut down one of our senses often
the others will ratchet up a notch or two.
Fly casting is like that. And at this time
of year we have a lot of guys trying to learn
how to cast a long stick. And they are doing
it with no help at all. No coach, guru or fly
shop. In fact they are trying to learn just
the way most of us did. Hey, young'uns, don't
get excited. Back in the 'good ol' days' they
hadn't invented casting lessons. It was not
considered chic to take lessons for everything.
Mostly we just went out and did whatever it was
there was to do. If (when) we messed up, we
tried to figure out how not to the next time.
So, for you new guys (no old-timers here please)
(you're supposed to know this stuff already) here
are two things to help screw up your casting
even more than it is already. Oops, I mean to
keep you from screwing up your casting even
more than it already is. Try these things, they
may help. I know they work, if they do not work
for you, it is not the method, it's you. Go
back and do them until you get them right.
Most of you mush-heads can't pitch a back-cast
to save yourselves from laughter. Ok, so that
was harsh, deal with it for now. I will apologize
later, I'm on a roll now. To fix those big, wide
open, useless circle type of back casts put your
feet together, stand straight, shoulders back,
chin up, (smile, this is supposed to be fun) rod
in rod hand, about 25 or so feet of fly line out
in front on the water/ground/rooftop. Assuming
you're right handed and really your mother was
right, you should be, if not you have an emotional
problem, hold the rod in your right hand (pointy
end low and out in front of you), smartly (big
assumption on my part here) bring the rod back
toward your face stopping just short of your nose
(with practice this will become less painful),
and notice how your biceps muscle is big and bulgy.
Make a few casts back out in front, returning to
the NQOTN place, (Not Quite On The Nose) This
sudden and almost violent, at least it is
supposed to be, stop may help your pathetic
back cast to make a nice pretty narrow loop
(that is what you are trying for) instead of
the big dorkie one.
Now let's assume you are not able to perform
the above delicate maneuver but still insist
on learning to fly cast. There is one chance
left for you. One. Do Not screw this one or
you are lost altogether. You never will know
the thrills of losing flies, falling in,
breaking very pricy rods and trying not to
cry in public. Things that all real men strive
for. Get a bag.
That's all right, I will wait. Dee, de, de,
dum, dumty dum; good, ya got one? [for this
I will assume we are outside and have a fly
rod etc.] Insert your pointy little head,
point end up, into the bag. As an alternate
method, hold your pointy little head firm
and cram the bag down over the point.
"Ok, now cast! I mean it. Strip out some fly
line. I don't care if you can see how much
or not. Some, however much you think is some.
Alright, now start whipping the rod back and
forth a bit. Come on now, you gotta get the
line outta the rod. Harder. There, now you
have some out and going back and forth. Let
out more of it! Yes, more of it. CAREFUL!
You'll hit yourself that way! Get the rod
over to the side a little. There, that's
better; keep going. Harder. Feel the line
on the back cast, huh? Feel it tug a little
just before you come forward? See, (oops) I
mean, I told you that this would work. Now,
keep casting and make the casts nice and
strong so you can really feel the line
tugging in both directions. Now, there, that
wasn't so hard was it? Whew, I knew it would
work. Now you understand how a loaded rod casts
and feels.
I will tell you this. Right now. Right at this
moment, you, as new as you are to fly fishing
know a thing about casting that darn few know
or have ever even given any thought to over
many decades of casting. And too, remember,
now that our casting is even better, heck ya
can do that blindfolded!" ~ JC
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