Well, my Uncle and I took a two hour private lesson today with Tom Jutras of Mountain Road fly shop in Raymond, NH. I can say it was worth every penny of the $70 spent. My Uncle and I don’t kid ourselves that we have A LOT of practicing to do, but Tom was very patient, helpful and hands on. The perfect teacher. Our casting needs serious improvement, but Tom got us started heading in the right diection. My problem is a good backcast, but I always kill it on the front cast…too much wrist. My Uncle, on the other hand, needs work on the backcast but has a good front. Tom made the joke “whats funny is if we could melt the two of you together we would have a perfect caster!” :lol: My leader came out of the water looking like a spider web of knots, but my Uncle and I agree (and as Tom informed us) it is tough to deprogram dozens of years worth of baitcaster and spincast fishing. If we had tried this on our own (as I tried a couple of times) we would probably be discouraged as hell. But now we have hope and a place to start. I am going to pick up a Wulff wrist lock training aid to help me get used to quitting the limp wrist problem. Then it will be practice, practice practice.
But whats more important is my Uncle went into this with a “Eh, sure I’ll give it a try attitude” and has come out with the “HOLY S**T, I can see how this gets addicting real quick!” attitude.
I agree. Several years ago, I spent a weekend in Arkansas at a school put on by Dave and Emily Whitlock. I know it helped my casting and drift control.
George
But whats more important is my Uncle went into this with a “Eh, sure I’ll give it a try attitude” and has come out with the “HOLY S**T, I can see how this gets addicting real quick!” attitude.
Wait till he hooks into a nice trout on a light rod, then the addiction realy begins.
Good job on geting casting help, you probably saved yourselves 2 years of frustration.
I have never had a lesson in my life and only just recently got Joan Wolf’s casting video. I have finally signed up for a clinic here in SE Iowa for next weekend given by Jason Borger and am very excited about it. He comes highly recommended from several sorces and as a result by next Sunday afternoon I hope to be able to walk the walk along with talk the talk. :lol:
As an amazed participant in the experiment at the Michigan Fish-In, I have to say that this little technique works. It really does. Would Superman (a.k.a. James Castwell) lie to you? I was even able to cast with my off hand. It’s amazing. It’s like magic. It would impress Harry Potter, who I’ve heard doesn’t have much of a double-haul and has no clue how to do REAL magic with a broomstick.
Ed, humble student of Castwell the Great (and Ladyfisher! who is just as great and a good bit cuter…)
JC, aka Superman, trys to teach us how to teach fly casting. His method works as evidenced by EdD’s ability to cast lefthanded. I’ve used it with many new flly fishers.
I also believe that formal lessons are a must and can take a lot of the mystery/frustration out of fly casting. I am fortunate to know a certified casting instructor here in Tullahoma that does not charge for lessons. He has helped me correct 36 years of hacking around with a fly rod.
Now I’m going to work on my double haul so I can play with the big boys in the distance casting contests!!
There’s nothing wrong with using wrist in the casting stroke. It’s just another way to cast. It’s what Doug Swisher teaches. I’ve tried both styles and using wrist is much more natural and comfortable to use wrist. It also takes the load off my bum shoulder. I have no problem with wind knots.
We’re all different and I think we should use a casting stoke that’s comfortable for us. I’m not saying what Tom is teaching you is not for you. As long as you can get comfortable with it.
I used to teach the golf swing. I would always try to teach what was comfortable for the student. I didn’t force a style of swing to someone who couldn’t get comfortable with it. You have to be flexible and adapt. I feel the same for fly casting. Be open minded. The fly only knows what the rod tip is telling it. It could care less what the rest is doing or how it got there.
This technique is so effective that I was able to teach myself (not great, but acceptable for the first time) to cast on my off hand while fishing the North Branch of the Au Sable after watching JC demonstrate it. I will be teaching the Fly Fishing Merit Badge in a couple of weeks, and will be replacing the old 10 o’clock - 2 o’clock method I have used in the past with this technique. The combination of muscle memory and pain memory is extremely effective. Thanks, JC.
Congratulations, taking a class shortens the learning curve and prevents learning bad habits (well, at least some bad habits) from forming. I’ve been lucky and have some of the world’s best within a 2 hour drive and have availed myself of their knowledge many times.
It’s funny, folks don’t hesitate to take golf or tennis lessons from a golf pro; but, hesitate to take fishing lessons. Everyone knows that to be a good musician or dancer, you must practice. But; how many people practice their casting?
From a previous post. Visualize trying to learn to shoot skeet from a book. Then tell me you can’t use a few lessons.
And to you wrist benders. A stiff wrist is like adding length to your flyrod for free. On most short to moderate casts , bending your wrist works fine. But when you need distance - big distance - well
Most do not practice casting; that’s good. Most don’t know how to cast or what to practice. Doing the wrong things more or harder will not help. If you can find out, by whatever means. to practice, then go for it.
From a previous post. Visualize trying to learn to shoot skeet from a book. Then tell me you can’t use a few lessons.
And to you wrist benders. A stiff wrist is like adding length to your flyrod for free. On most short to moderate casts , bending your wrist works fine. But when you need distance - big distance - well[/quote]
I can cast as far as I can see a fly with wrist. No need to go any farther.
