Ambidextrous casting

[pillcaster]

I received a newsletter from Capt Chris Newsome (http://www.bayflyfishing.com/) extolling the virtues of being able to cast with either hand/arm. He mentions how advantageous this would be and suggests that this ability would put one in an elite class of FF. Now, I know of no other group of more elite FF than on this site, so I ask,
How many of you can cast proficiently from either side? I have never tried, but I am sure the learning curve would be steep for me......

[Rick Z]

James Castwell got me to casting with my left hand. Not as good as with my right, but lets me cast to many places that I would not be able to cast to with my right hand.
Does take some practice to get used to doing it.

Rick

[Chuck441]

I don't know if I'd call myself proficient from my other side (right side4, in my case), but I do switch hands from time to time on the stream, It's partly to give my left hand and arm a rest, but it also makes some mends and other casts more effective under some conditions. I can reach farther on a reach cast on my right side, for example, if I use my right hand and arm.

Chuck

[John_N]

For those of you casting with both hands, I'm curious: How much more flexibility have you found that gives you vs. simply casting over your off shoulder? I frequently cast right handed over my left side to facilitate certain angles, but am genuinely curious how much more I could do if I was doing it left handed.

[whatfly]

Want to cast from your left? Turnaround.

Perhaps throwing your backcast will not get you in the ranks of the 'elite' (whatever the heck that is supposed to me) but it will get the job done.

[Bluegill Budd]

In New England where I learned to FF casting with your off hand is almost a necessity. Small streams with limited access, too deep or fast to wade and overhanging trees made being able to cast with (in my case) my left hand an advantageous ability. I am proficient left hand casting but not nearly as good with my right hand. I have never attempted a double-haul left handed, but on the small creeks and rivers I fished it was never needed.