Casting Column

I just read Castwells column on casting and have to respectfully disagree with him. There is a large amount of very good casting books, videos and articals out there. Yes, I have seen some that are bad, even worse than useless, but those are the minority.

If anyone out there wants to really learn how to cast all they need to do is get a video by either Lefty, Mel or Joan. All of these have excellent videos on casting.They explain not just the how, but the why of the components of the cast. As a full time guide in Montana this is an important subject to me. Each year I see hundreds of fishermen, very, very few of them can cast 20 to 30 feet. Granted you can catch fish all day casting 20 to 30 feet from a drift boat, but then accuracy comes into play. I have also had a surprisingly large number of so called experienced fly fishermen who could barely keep their flies out of my oar sweep.

Castwell made a very good point though. The best time and place to learn to cast is in the yard, away from water and fish. The worst place to try to learn is in a drift boat, on a river in 20 knot wind.

It amazes me that someone would spend thousands of dollars to get to a destination fishing location, as much as a grand on a rod, reel and line, hundreds of dollars for a guided trip and not spend 20 bucks on a good casting video by Lefty, Joan or Mel. Yes, there are some excelent videos and books out there.

What there is a shortage of is fishermen that will devote the time and effort to really learn how to cast. You do not need to cast like Lefty to catch fish and have fun, but darn it, you should be able to hit the broad side of a barn from the inside at 30 feet. And no, that $650.00 rod will not make you a good caster. A very simple understanding of the basics and practice will make you a good caster.

flybop,
Thank you. As one who casts a lot in the back yard and can see/feel/appreciate the results, your input is appreciated.

After 6-7 yrs. I still sometimes think and refer to myself as a newby. Then I get next to some "experienced" guys and think I need to stop telling myself that now.

It doesn't take a lifetime to be able to handle techniques well enough to catch fish but the better you are at presentation the more fun it all becomes. Man, I love it.

Jeremy.

To boaf of you. I Confess haven't read JC's casting info....yet. But this thread surely reminds me I need to. Where can one get the video's recommended?

I grew up where no one fished with a fly rod. I saved up coke bottles and turned them in for 2 cents apiece till I got $6.75 and bought a 6' fiberglass rod and auto reel with floating line. I spent so much time with that, that I could cast under tree overhangs, intentionally cast over a log and dangle a fly, intentionally bounce a fly off a log or land it on a rock.....etc. Life took me away from that. Now 50 years later I take up fly fishing for trout...and my body memory does not want to adjust to the new rods...ie graphite....9'...fast action. Point being I really really need to practice and learn how to use today's rods.....or go back to fiberglass or maybe even bamboo.

Gemrod

And just where the heck is this barn!? :roll: Ours must be over 30' cause we ain't been able to hit the wall yet! No wind to speak of though. :wink:
....lee s.

Gemrod. Just go to Amazon or google and enter, Lefty Kreh, Joan Wulf or Mel Krieger. I have always been a Lefty fan, but the other 2 have great learning to cast videos. If you can find it, my favorite casting video is an older one by Lefty called something like, "Fundamentals of Fly Casting".

I too learned on an old, cheap fiberglass rod. I was around 10 when I started and I fished like a fool. By the time I was getting out of high school I was a pretty good caster. But, I was young and had all the time in the world to learn by myself with a few lessons here and there. However, I still go over casting videos, and yes, I practice regularly. Fortunately I have the good fortune to "practice" on the Yellowstone river...

If the new, fast action graphite does not feel right to you by all means switch to a slower rod. There are plenty of very good, moderately priced slower rods out there. I predict that the ever increasing move to faster rods is near an end. Fast rods are unforgiving and just not suited for many fishing situations.

There is no "perfect" rod. Go out and cast as many rods in as many actions as you can. Get the one that suits you and the type of fishing you do most. And, get a good video or two and then practice. I see so many fishermen that will go out and hit buckets of golf balls, but will not go out in the yard and practice casting. And it shows.

Thanks for the advice Flybop. I can't practice in the yard because I live in a very high desert area. Land is scrub junipers, weeds, lava rocks, and goat head bushes. I can see where practicing not on water can put the focus on casting as opposed to fishing. I do have a pond that I can drive to though, that has no fish.....that I can practice casting on. So it's good advice and I thank you for it. Also for the advice to not try to force myself to learn to cast with 9' fast action graphite rods, but to find a rod I like, and fish with it.

Have a good ride.

Gemrod

Picture this. I live in LA (the megaopolis not bayou). I started w/a basic FF video from Whitlock (LLBean production?). I practice in my front yard and cast through my neighbor's yard and to the fence of the next neighbor which measures to 65 feet- yes the lots are small. The city folks around my 'hood think I'm crazy but, vanity is not an issue for me so I keep practicing in front of the house and 3.6 million others. The reward is when I'm complemented on my casting skills from my 90+ y/o fishing partner whose been placing hooks and feathers on water for nearly 80 of those years yet still has patience to correct my technique.
Video is a good start but a good mentor (or teacher) and practice is key.

Well your talk about casting videos got me off my duff and I just listed three in the For Sale forum instead of Ebay ....

Having worked with a few folks at the Idaho Fish-In I'll comment that a one-on-one lesson is still the best.
Most of the folks do read Castwell's column as well as other casting material and vidoes. In one instance, it took just 2 casts for one of the guys to get the roll cast right.

There are tricks to teaching casting and the various parts of it. One is the words you use to convey a particular motion. Down-Up or Pull-Cast-Feed can make a difference in how the student 'sees' the double haul.

Some need to know why and what happens, others just need to feel the tug of the line. It's a matter of personal perception.

No-one is a 'perfect caster' we all make dumb mistakes, one being trying to practice your casting while fishing. If you practice it all becomes automatic and you don't have to even think about it.
(Well it does help to remember to keep your backcast uppeth.)

I suggest ALL casting video's be watched with the sound OFF... you will learn more.

People learn in differnt ways, if you are a audio learner, don't turn off the sound.
I would not turn off the sound regardless as if you use all your senses in learning you have a tendency to learn quicker.
Joe

Sound, off? My problem was that most of the casting videos I have seen are not very exciting (read ZZzzz) that I closed my eyes and just absorbed it all :shock: Go out and make a fishing buddy-preferably one who casts better than you. :wink:

Hard to fake the video part,,,but, close your eyes and absorb the voice? Yikes! Rent any three, sound off on all, it will just confuse you. Watch for two things. The stop and the stop. All the rest is BS and style.

Ms Ladyfisher,

Yes, you are right on. I still remember talking about 10' rods and your advice to me was perhaps I need some casting lessons. You are/were sooooo correct. I do indeed need casting lessons......and practice. You were right then, and you are also correct now. Thanks

Gemrod

The best visual video Ive seen is was done by Chico Fernandaz, who set up a stuido with a black back drop and used a bright orange line. A very well done piece of work.

I remember seeing that video, the set-up was terrific as you could really see the line. Unfortunately Chico's accent is so strong it was hard to understand what he was saying.

Somehow this thread has conjured up a humorous image of JC teaching casting while dressed as a mime and speechless. :lol:

JC speechless? :roll: Yeah right! :wink: However as a mime in tails is quite possible. 8)

Wishful thinking?

Nope, just a humorous mental image.