My casting is a problem. I have just found that out, when I didnt catch a fish, and didnt make a good cast to where I wanted to all day. The main problem is, that there is WAY too much slack in the line, meaning the fly is not getting all the way out there. I do not understand what Im doin can anyone give me some simple casting tips, I am self taught and a beginner.
Smallie14
Fly casting is all about timing. And looking where you want the fly to land. Start daydreaming and the fly will land in dream world.
I’ll bet your are just trying to hard to get all the way out. Or you are not putting enough line on the ground to start with. I did that a time or two and when the line hit the end of the slack it bounced back causing a mess of fly line.
The best way (without taking lessons, which I recommend) is to watch someone that is a good caster. If you have a video camera have someone record you. It will be apparent what you are doing wrong if you know the basics. I have a friend here that can be in the backing is a heart beat. He makes so few false cast that I am embarassed how long it takes me to get to the end of my line. Heck he has made his cast and fished the line while I am still getting mine out. But he is my instructor, so he should be a great caster. You find someone in your neck of the woods and get them to teach you. Most of us here are self taught to begin with, some of us are lucky enough to have some lessons with great casters.
And another thing practice doing it right, if you make a few mistakes stop. Take a break and start again. Do not practice mistakes, they become learned. And then really hard to fix.
How far are you trying to cast?
Oh one more thing, there are articles here on casting, this place is a great resource for about anything you can think of in the fly fishing education department.
If you want to feel like a true beginner read about JC and his broomstick rod.
Go to a fish-in almost always there is someone there that can teach you something.
Harold
[This message has been edited by Harold Hattaway (edited 02 August 2005).]
Is your line clean and slick and is it lead properly through the guides?
I have seen new fly fishers use the hook keeper as a guide. THAT, for sure will slow you down!
Hey Smallie,
Harold has offered some good advice.
Here is some more!
April 23rd, 2001
Stop the Rod!
By James Castwell
Well, here it is spring again, and here I am again with the same old song. Ready now? OK, all together, in unison, say it out loud; “STOP THE ROD, STOP THE ROD, STOP THE ROD, STOP THE ROD, STOP THE ROD,” and lastly, “STOP THE ROD!”
So it?s back to basics for some, for others it?s news. STOPPING THE ROD IS WHAT MAKES THE LINE GO! Don? t know how much simpler I can make it, but it seems to be a mystery to many just learning how to cast. For some, there is probably good reason. They have come into fly-fishing (i.e. casting) from spinning. Often a ?lob? style, heaving a big lure, is the way to go. That, of course, is NOT THE WAY TO FLY CAST! (Please forgive the shouting here, but, sometimes that?s what it takes) .
I will here insert a column from March 23, 1998 called, How to Cast. DON?T JUST READ IT, GO OUT AND DO IT!
HOW TO CAST
-
String-up fly rod, pull out about 25 feet of line.
-
Extend left arm in front, face high.
-
Bend left hand at wrist, palm facing you; keep it there.
-
Swing fly rod and line behind you.
-
Swing fly rod to front sharply striking palm of extended left hand.
-
Notice, as rod stops at hand, the line shoots forward; Duh!
-
Repeat step #5 two more times.
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Notice,that the harder rod hits hand, better fly line goes; Duh!
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Notice left hand now hurts. (If not, repeat #5; this time, harder.)
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Repeat step #5 WITHOUT HITTING HAND. (Just STOP rod in same place.)
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Repeat step #10 two more times.
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Swing fly rod to rear stopping in same way as #10.
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Repeat step #12 two more times.
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Combine steps #10 and #12.
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Repeat step #14 two more times.
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Call buddy; have him come over and teach him how to cast.
If after performing the above required actions, you are still unable to cast a fly line, do this. While holding the rod in your right hand, extend your left hand about a foot in front of your face, palm facing you, about eye level. Smartly bring the left hand toward your face, being careful not to damage your nose with the heel of your hand. This should result in a ?smacking? sound as your palm contacts your forehead. Exclaim… DUH! Sell (or give) your fly-pole away and take up golf. Stopping the swing there is not considered a good thing, you will fit right in. ~ James Castwell
Yes, the neighbors will chuckle at ya. Put
it out of your mind. Take your rod right
out in the yard and follow Jim’s advice to
the letter. You will soon be an accomplished caster.G Warm regards, Jim
Let the backcast fully straighten out before you begin your forward cast.
Mr Castwell,
I have the opportunity to teach a
number of neophite fly fishers how to cast
each year. I have a vested interest in
their performance as I will be taking them
out in my boat for their graduation exercise
later the same day.G My back will be to
them as I control the boat from the front
seat with the trolling motor. I not only
want them to KNOW where their fly is going
but I want them to have confidence in thier
ability and to demonstrate that confidence
to me.G To date I have never been hooked
by an errant fly from a flubbed cast.
Perhaps the “Gatorchow” threat has some
affect as well. But your simple “How To”
with emphasis on the stops has never failed
to produce a successful fly caster for me.
I give them a copy of this article and I
have them watch me both with and without the
stops and explain what is happening. Then I
have them demonstrate it to me. The rest of
the day is all about hook sets.G Warm
regards, Jim
Smallie,
there’s some good information here. Also, read LF’s article for this week, she’ll point you towards additional resources.
But to toubleshoot based on what you’ve said, a lot of times when your cast end with too much slack, its because it started with too much slack. Strip in enough line so it is taught all to the fly, then make your cast. Otherwise too much of your casting motion is taking up the slack instead of loading the rod.
Smallie14, Your flex capasitor is obviously mis-aligned!!! G
Norm
Smallie,
Wade a little deeper.
Allan
My casting has improved simply by learning to slooooow dooowwwnnnn and following advice given here on FAOL.
So, slow down - follow what Castwell and Ladyfisher say in their articles and you’ll be right as rain!
There’s almost nothin’ wrong with the first lie, it’s the weight of all the others holdin’ it up that gets ya’! - Tim
Joan Wulff has an excellant video i think it is ‘Dynamics of Fly Casting’. Spend the money and get it. Even if you have a friend help you, with the video you can watch it
over and over again until you have the basics down pat. It will also help your practices to be fundementally correct , rather than continuing bad habits.
Lots of good advise on this board.
One possibility – the line and rod may be mis-matched, and don’t go by what is printed on the rod. If you know some one who is a good caster, have them try out your rod/line combination. If they have trouble casting it , it may be choice of line. If they cast it just fine it may be operator error.
A ballanced line/rod combination will perform best at some given distance, usually 30 or 40 feet. Do your practice/training at the distance that the rod feels best, learn to cast it well at that distance and then learn to cast longer and shorter.
AgMD
Since Smallie 14 is a self-taught beginner I offer this ‘observation’ from other novices I have coached…Stop trying to throw the line farther with a motion that extends your arm WAY out in front of you. Casting a fly line is NOT LIKE ANY OTHER ‘THROWING’ ACTION YOU HAVE DONE. The farther you throw your arm forward, the more you bend your wrist and the more you have an open dumpy loop. Simply hold the rod handle near your jaw/ear (probably higher than you are holding it now) and PUSH it sharply 10" forward…and yes, stop the rod within the thickness of a dime. When you want to back-cast pull the handle back to near your jaw in the same manner. Keep your arm up and keep the stroke short and firm. And remember that the timing is a waltz (1,2,3,1,2,3,1…). Hope this helps, it is hard to put body language into words.
ahhh, Grasshopper…keep the rod tip parallel with the ground…in other words, don’t arc the tip of the rod as you false-cast. Then, as the others have said…and I’ll add one more word; accelerate…stop… accelerate…stop. When you shoot the line, don’t drop your rod tip.
my apoligies JC…was a post from a previous post…I feel dumb…;((
[This message has been edited by mojoman (edited 04 August 2005).]
Why not take a few lessons.
Most fly shops offer them,
or hook up with someone who
will give you a few pointers.
When we are “self taught”, we tend
to teach our selves bad habits, and
stick with them.
Hands on (with some help)is better than reading it in a book and trying to figure out what they are talking about.
MW