new guy casting help

[Gigmaster]

It sounds like you are over-powering your forward stroke. Just give it enough oooomph to make the line straighten out in front of you, above the water. Then just ease the rod tip down with the line as it falls. It makes for a nice, gentle landing. Keep your casts to within 50'. And, it is better to shoot a little line on both the backcast, and your forward cast, than to try to shoot a lot on just the forward cast. And the best advice of all......practice, practice, practice, practice. And when you get sick of it....practice about 30 minutes more... then you'll have control of it.

Another thing a lot of beginners do is try to let too much line out. An average fly caster is good out to around 50-60', or aprox. 18-20 yards, max. This is more than enough for the majority of fishing situations. For fishing big rivers without a boat, tailraces, flats, and for carp, you may need to add some distance. With a WF line, I can cast accurately up to around 80-85', or almost 30 yards. Using a technique called the Double-Haul, or using Spey Casting, I can add about 5 yards onto that. Both methods take considerable practice, but they are well worth the trouble. If I need to get out to 100' or more (the only place I ever need to do that is behind tailraces), I use a Shooting Line, and Shooting Tapered Fly Line. This is difficult, and calls for special line. You'll probably never have to do it unless you fish tailraces, or salt-water.

Happy Fishing!

[qrrfish1]

I took the casting class at BPS a couple of weeks ago. Last night I went fishing for the first time. Here's what happens; I get the line in the air pretty well with a series of false casts, with line out there pretty well and far. However, when I actually cast, the line and leader fall out of the sky about 15 feet in front of me in a wad on the water. Seems to me no matter what I try I can't get the fly out there where I want it where the fish are. What say you? Thanks...

Hi Gary, first let me say what you wrote here makes perfect sense to me coming from a beginner your doing what you believe you were told to do. And your doing what you were told to do as you understand what it was you were told. So naturally when it doesn't work it can be and is confusing. Ok so whats really happening here in your case, you say the false casting is going along relitively smoothly till you go to present the fly. That is what your trying to do after all is present a fly. Not cast it, which is what you were told but reather present it. Whats the difference you say, glad you ask that shows your realy wanting to understand. Youve pretty much already told me you know what casting means to you, a hard forward thrusting motion of the rod with intent to propel the fly to the hinder land. But is that presenting a fly. If I were to task you with presenting an award to friend Joe, would you holler "Hay Joe heads up", and sling the plaque friesbe like across the room, or would you calmly walk up to Joe and make a dignified presentation to friend Joe. Just as I thought you seem a civilized sort and of course you want to not embarrass Joe or risk knocking his teeth out. So too you want to make a dignified presentation of the fly. Now for the good stuff. You got this false casting stuff going on and the arm is coming up and the shoulder is tensing up and rising then you finely cast. Tiger Woods doesn't swing that hard, that's not presenting that's casting. Your going relax that shoulder drop the arm slightely, looking forward draw the rod with only as much effort as is nessary to present the line it to its capable length. As the loop passes the rod tip your going to start dropping the tip to its ready fishing position. If your not watching the fly fall softly from the sky to toward the water with the line fully extended it is perhaps that you were looking down at the target area. Target fixation at this stage can contribute to over powering and by rushing the draw of the rod over energizing the line which may cause it to fully exend and then recoil ending up in a tangle pile befor you. Or you could be over drawing the rod delaying the stop of the rod and mearly throwing the line in a pile befor ya. Less likely but still within the relm of possiable.

[MOturkE]

Fantastic advice from all here. You've got to go out to the lawn and practice, that's the best way to get the entire process worked out. But, the most important thing to do after applying all the other advice...

...Relaaaxxxxx....... Just take it easy and enjoy watching the line glide out in front of you and then float down to the water's surface like a leaf. Go slow and gentle into your final forward cast. It sounds like you're trying too hard to get that perfect presentation. In this case; Less is more.

I still, after nearly 6 years of casting, let myself get worked up into a frenzy when I spot a fish in the water. I false cast great, then overpower my final cast as a result of the excitement, trying too hard. After the frenzy and frustration subside (usually many bad casts later) I realize that I'm trying to make too much work out of my hobby. That's when I relax and my presentation becomes more smooth, easy, slow, gentle and relaxed.

P.S. Don't forget to breathe. If you begin to pant, your cast will fail.

Hope this helps.

Tim

[randyflycaster]

If I cast too hard when making a short cast the fly will bounce when the line straightens out, and this will add slack to the line and kill the cast.

When making a long cast, or when casting a heavy fly, I begin my cast before the line straightens out. All tournament casters, as far as I know, watch their line as it unrolls so they know when to begin their next cast.

When making a long cast I start my forward cast when my back cast is shaped like a candy cane. I start my back cast when my forward false cast is 3 to 5 feet from unrolling.

Randy

[hardhat]

Lots of good advice here. As you can read, to have a perfected casting stroke you need lots of practice and equipment that fits. I beleive that it is especially important for a beginner to have a rod which they can develop a feel for.
If possible visit with a local fly fishing club. I am sure that there will be people there who would assist you.
Other than that I will add just one thing. In your forward cast think of a dart throwing motion when completing the forward stroke. Also concentrate on the timing of your release of the line.

[JohnLL]

GrayO, You mention making a series of false casts and having the line land in a heap at 15 feet. The main reason to make false casts is to load the rod. Clearly your rod is not loading because if you have an ENERGIZED back cast the forward cast is really easy. A hard stop etc. is best but even if your wrist is a wet noodle on the forward cast it works. It is not as technical as people make it out to be.

You cannot cast slack. Imagine trying to cast a 6' spinning rod with 10 feet of line out. A fly rod can feel like it is loaded beginning a back cast because of water tension when it is really not. Hold your rod close to the water, strip in line until the end of the fly line is moving, and then begin your back cast. Try this for an hour standing sideways so you can see your back cast and play with your timing. Even as a beginner, if you cannot cast 30' of line after this with no false casts then I suspect you have a bum fly rod. Sad to say these are these are not uncommon. Three wts that are really 5wt, 5 wts that are really 7 wts. etc.

[Jeremy]

Gary,

With respect to your last class, perhaps go find another class/instructor and have them work with you on the very basics for a 30ft cast.

It takes "some" practice to get things going for you initially but you'll understand it when you practice on the grass at home. That's important to get the "feel" of a loaded rod.

A good instructor will have you casting reasonably w/in the hour and "tune-up" questions inevitably follow.

It's nigh impossible to learn via a board w/o a good understanding of the basics of the cast. It'll come sooner than you think though so get the basics explained with the help of a person beside you that can see what you're doing.

Jeremy.

[SW Ladyfish]

how do you know it applies to what you are doing? None of these folks have actually seen you cast so they are guessing based on past history. You could be doing some of these things, all or these things or something totally different!

If you continue to practice what you are doing wrong...you will continue to do it wrong. Practice only works when the cast is practiced correctly!

So, either have someone video-tape you and put it on Youtube for comment or find a local FFF Casting instructor and take more lessons.'

Learning to fly cast accurately and effortlessly is like learning to play tennis or golf...first you find a good teacher.

Just my $.05 worth...

Di

[hardhat]

In response to SW Ladyfish


Quote GaryO: I get the line in the air pretty well with a series of false casts, with line out there pretty well and far. However, when I actually cast, the line and leader fall out of the sky about 15 feet in front of me in a wad on the water.

I agree that it takes proper practice to get better at casting. I also agree that lessons thru instruction, books, and or videos will assist in that improvement. However, I based my recommendation on what was originally written.