Does anyone else cast backwards?

[jimmadsen]

I tend to fish in areas where I don't have a lot of area behind me where my back cast won't get snagged on trees and other debris.

Consequently I have taken to facing the trees/bushes that are behind me, guiding my line/fly into the open slots in the brush then turning forward for my last cast to guide it to the spot on the water where I want to place my fly.

It's not foolproof as far as final placement on the water - but I don't hang up on my back cast at all. I must admit that it looks goofy because it appears that I'm casting into the trees.

Does anyone else do this???

[kbproctor]

Would anyone else admit it if they did?

Whatever works, my friend, whatever works.

[sagefisher]

jimmadsen,

I have done that when the situation calls for it. Not often and not as a standard rule of thumb. But, when you have some water you want to cast to and you can only reach it with a long cast and there is only a small slot open behind you, then yes, it is a very acceptable way of casting.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[flybugpa]

Yep , forced to do it alot, or when the need arrives. Its not gonna hurt to teach yourself to cast with the opposite hand also.
best,
heinrich

[James Smith]

I certainly do that when the conditions call for that approach. While I may sacrafice some accuracy in my forward cast, I'm not spending all of my time trying to retreive my fly from the branches of a tree.

Jim Smith

[shorthaul]

Yep---When casting from a boat, I use it when I have right shoulder wind (casting right handed) and put the backcast downwind so it doesnt end up over the boat or on me.

[Poke 'Em]

Quite often. I often fish narrow streams, where the only way to cast is either sidearm or at an angle (halfway between overhead and sidearm), so as to keep my fly over the water and out of the brush. Usually, it's much easier to cast backwards than it is to try to cross the stream so that I can turn my body.

[Bluegill222]

I usually don't do it to avoid brush, but since my backcast has more power than the forward stroke, I use it a lot when fishing into the wind. And yes, I get weird looks from folks who see me apparently casting at the bank.

[Gig]

Quite often. I often fish narrow streams, where the only way to cast is either sidearm or at an angle (halfway between overhead and sidearm), so as to keep my fly over the water and out of the brush. Usually, it's much easier to cast backwards than it is to try to cross the stream so that I can turn my body.

I do the same for the reason above

[ScottP]

Yep---When casting from a boat, I use it when I have right shoulder wind (casting right handed) and put the backcast downwind so it doesnt end up over the boat or on me.

Definitely from a boat; when we've fished down at Harker's Island, fish can pop up anywhere and if the wind is blowing from a bad angle, or your casting to some breaking fish at 2 o'clock and suddenly a baitfish ball explodes at 8 o'clock, you don't always have time to turn around. You just let what would normally be a backcast become your real cast. It works pretty well, or at least gets the job done as often as not.

Regards,
Scott