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Smithwick mentioned the same point I was going to make, "The basic advantages of doing it right are an extreme decrease in the amount of effort needed to make a given cast, and an increase in accuracy. The ability to fish in foul conditions is also greatly augmented."
I belong to a casting club, and many members can hit the 40' target most times, but they do it with open loops or too much arm movement or .. or ... In a breeze they would have trouble and they get tired or sore arms early in the day. They can hit the target but not in ONE backcast. Yes - good casting is the key to being comfortable all day and catching more fish.
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Gentlemen: Lotsa good advice in your responses. I'm almost afraid to take a lesson for fear of being asked " so HOW LONG have you been flyfishing"?.I see that a proper casting method might actually be less strenuous. I fish all day and feel no pain so I must be doin something right.In any case, next fish-in ( maybe Idaho) I'll get a few pointers from "hisself".
Thanks for the responses.
Mark
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I'd rather be in Wyoming!
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Marco, this will be the last Idaho Fish-In - so if you want Castwell's help, try and make it - the next Fish-In we attend will be Michigan '06. We will arrive on Mon/Tues...if that meets your schedule let us know.
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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
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Casting is a little more difficult that most people give it credit for. In fact I'd just about bet that when put to task that a very small percentage of fly casters could actually hit a 30 inch ring at 40 feet on the "first" try. That first try being the "only" shot you are going to get at a rising fish before you put the fish down if you line or spook it.
Not that we all need to be terrific casters to catch fish. Very rarely do you ever need to make such a difficult shot as you described.
However I think it has too often been passed over that since a person can't perform a particular task that they feel they didn't need that skill in the first place. I remember sitting in high school thinking "Who needs this math stuff. I'll never use it later in life"
I would highly suggest that you practice and become skilled in all facets of the sport that you love. If not then just enjoy the fact that there is a lot to learn and maybe just enjoy the experience of being at one with nature.
John
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Just because a subject is to often poorly rendered to its students, doesnt make it intrinsicly more difficult or its students less capable. Learn your way to the other end, the journey is its own reward.
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Captn. Paul Darby
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It's funny, this casting thing.
To many being an "ok caster" as the majority of folks probably are is fine, I guess. I mean, you don't need to be "really" good to actually catch fish. As a good friend says to me with a grin - "...those trout are generous."
Now I'm fortunate. I have -1. a son who taught himself to cast on an old, old fiberglass stick on a lake with a big fly. He had the gift of patience and kept at it, for some reason.
And -2. I"m lucky enough to have come across a fellow who lives close by that actually teaches adults, as well as kids, the casting skills. And he's pretty darn good!
I mention I'm lucky only because my skills do allow me to cast and catch trout and warmwater fish to a fairly decent degree but I have tons of room for improvement.
And it shows, every time I stand next to my son or go over to my friends home. Then I look like, well, damn near disabled!!
I go out on the lawn or school field nearby and cast every week a few times and most every weekend. John's post above brought to mind the essential fact of having a good caster work with you or at the very least having a good caster periodically demonstrate his technique and give you pointers.
Then go home and practice those pointers before they leave your head. My own particular troubles come in the application of power in the stroke, that gentle speed up and sudden stop.
I've read lots ...LOTS... about it and know what I SHOULD do but be danged if I can get there. Then I get some pointers and better yet, the actual demo. on what I need to do and the light comes on!
It takes time. And it takes practice and I'm not so certain it can be accomplished completely by yourself.
I'm talking about getting to the point of someone looking at you and seeing that line shoot effortlessly, parallel to the ground, not having a ripple along it's entire length and not tailing as you apply power and deliver the cast!
It's poetry in motion it is!! And it's not totally elusive but for me, it's been a long time a'comin' and I ain' quite there yet. But it's getting much, much better! Thanks to the help and demo's. I've been lucky enough to receive.
A person needs to have help with some points along the way, not just read and practice. It really has been so much help for me, from my XP's to some recent bamboo's. And the switching between is another story but when you have the basics down it all comes together, graphites or grass!
And when it does it's soooo sweet!
Get some practice every week. Get the basics down and watch your line loop and tippet fly (yarn). These fly rods are wonderful toys!
Geez, I love the cast!
Jeremy.
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Marco
Don't be afraid to take a casting lesson just because you have been fly fishing for some time. A good instructor will point out your strengths and help you with any weaknesses. Kind of like taking the car in for a tune up or going to the doc for a check up.
Dave
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Jim:
I really look forward to being able to talk to you both in person for a change. I try to cast "all" the new rods at the show. If you see something I should take a look at let me know.
Loomis will have a hard time doing much more than they have with the Stream Dance and the new spey line. Although I talked with them last week and apparently Steve is working on a "Proline" of high performance rods. Hopefully I'll get a chance to work with him on a distance rod and a European nymphing rod as well. I don't expect anything on that until next year though.
See you there. Lets have some coffee together.
John
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