An upslale agrument

[Ray Kunz]

In my family we have a retired semi-pro ball player who wants to start fly fishing and thinks casting well will be a piece of cake.
I contend that skillful casting requires just as much skill as pitching a baseball. Will I win?

[smij]

Can you pitch?

[bikebum]

Most true atheletes that can master one sport can shorten the training to become proficient at another. Michael Jorden was a great golfer and so so baseball player, Bo Jackson could have been a hall of famer in Baseball and was an amazing running back, just 2 really bad examples. So the gist of where I am going is...Maybe. If he can translate his eye hand coordination it took to become good at baseball to the concept of casting line and not a weightless fly then he may pick it up quickly, on the other hand if he can't wrap his mind around the concept no amount of physical gifts will shorten the learning curve

[James Smith]

Sorry, but I would not equate casting a fly rod to be even remotely near the level of skill required to be a pitcher in any league higher than single-A High school. The difference between high school baseball and college level is a major jump in talent and skills required. The difference between college and the minor leagues is an even larger jump in talent and skills. Anyone who makes it even to the minor leagues in Major League baseball is one heck of an athlete; period. I will bet that this person picks up a fly rod and if he listens to the person teaching him, he will be casting fairly well in an afternoon. I'm not saying he's going to be a top level talent in casting right off the bat (no pun intended), but he will certainly be good enough to catch plenty of fish in all but the most challenging situations. Just my two cents worth...

Jim Smith

[gqualls]

I agree with Jim Smith .... one afternoon would be sufficient. My brother, who had never picked up a flyrod, was doing quite well in the yard after 30 minutes. I know the yard ain't the same as the stream, but he was throwing at targets and doing well at it.

[gmac209]

As the fellow teaching my son said (in his Scots accent) "Casting is dead easy son, it's the catching that is the hard part."
That being said he had my son casting very respectfully in about an hour, after the basics I believe it is just practice and muscle memory.

[Uncle Jesse]

He should be able to learn to cast well enough to catch a few fish. That said, one of my best friends picked up fly fishing when he inherited some old fiberglass rods from his uncle. He will never be a master caster but he caught a bunch of warm water fish and a few trout. He will soon be 70 years old, he is a decent hack golfer, plays soft ball, plays pickleball (look it up) and is decent dancer for an old white guy. He struggles with a spincast rod, my 8 year old grand daughter is better with one than he is. It depends upon the individual, he obviously has the motor skills, compared to consistently throwing a ball in the strike zone or to the first baseman, from the outfield to a point ahead of the runner takes a lot more motor skills than fly casting, unless he wants to be a exhibition caster.

[sgallas2]

Ted Williams ...

[NJTroutbum]

You could equate the 2 if you were comparing folks like Joe Humphries, Lefty Kreh and host of others who remain unnamed, who can take a fly rod of any sort and do amazing things with it. But the comparison would end there.

[Prairieschooner]

We fly fishers like to attach a lot of mystery and mystic to many of the aspects of fly fishing, casting included. Most of it is undeserved.