Snowdown brought out some of our local competitors to test their fly casting skills in a friendly event with male, female and youth divisions, with about 20 folks seeking the coveted title of “best in class.”
What does it take to be a winner in casting games and more importantly, on the river? Do you have the right stuff?
As a master certified fly casting instructor for 25 years, I’ve taught and coached hundreds of people of all ages to up their casting game. Assisting my son, Geoff, he became the youngest FFF-certified instructor at age 15 and leveraged his ability to compete on the USA Youth Fly fishing Team. He has transferred his skills into a career and now works for Orvis and Scientific Anglers. Just ask any fly fishing guide how important it is to be a good caster and be able to assist their clients with casting.
Fly casting is the heart and soul of fly fishing. But few people get coaching or lessons to improve their game. I’ve lived in Durango for over 15 years and never once seen anyone out casting in their yard or park! Have you? That is remarkable! Who spends hours practicing their golf shot like my neighbor John? The $1,000 question is: Why don’t people practice fly casting?
Let’s say I’m involved in the sport and want to take an exotic trip to fly fish in some faraway place. Measuring the cost, an adventure will cost thousands of dollars and your fly gear at least another thousand. Why would anyone spend their precious time and financial resources on a trip and not make the required cast to catch fish?
As an instructor, I tell people that if they can make a good cast of 30 feet, they will catch plenty of fish. But how many more fish would you catch if you could cast even 40 or 50 feet? Why not add the ubiquitous wind, heavy-weighted flies, or larger 8-weight or 10-weight fly rod to the equation? Casting a fly can be a big challenge, especially in challenging circumstances. Wait. I have to ask it again. Why exhaust all of your time, money and energy when your casting is subpar?
The two major reasons people give up fly fishing are that they either don’t catch fish or are frustrated with their casting. But those two reasons go hand-in-glove. Just make the cast and net the fish. Help! Calling on casting first-aid. Watch videos, take a lesson, practice, practice, practice.
So, how about a free, quick lesson? First, find a good open space of about 100 feet for a backcast and forecast. Use a large tape measure to mark off distances like 20, 30, 40 feet, etc. At these distances, use plates or hula hoops as targets, remembering that accuracy is just as important as distance. Use your regular fly rod or a heavier one that you would use for a saltwater trip. Next, tie a small piece of yarn to your leader to imitate a fly that you will cast and try to hit your target.
As a warmup, rotate your arm and shoulder. To cast up to 40-50 feet, use a squared stance perpendicular to your target with your feet shoulder-width apart. This is your best balanced position. Your hand should grip the rod with your thumb or forefinger on top of the handle. Take about 20 feet of fly line off the reel along with your monofilament leader. The two basic casts to learn are the ones you will use a majority of your fishing time, a pickup and laydown cast and the roll cast.
Ninety-nine percent of beginning casters and a lot of veterans will fall into the trap of hinging or breaking their wrist, commonly called the floppy wrist. This causes a wide or open loop in the fly line that will end up in a pile in front of you.
To correct this while wearing a long-sleeve shirt or sweatshirt, place the butt end of the rod under your sleeve, essentially trapping the end of the rod against your wrist. No more hinging and pivoting of your wrist because it is locked or trapped. Upon casting, the loop formed by your line will become significantly narrower or a classic tight loop as your rod tip moves in a more straight-line path rather than an arc.
As I was casting at the park one day, a little girl exclaimed, “That looks like dancing in the air.” Add some music and fly casting captures the rhythm and beat. I like the Beatles or jazz.
Some final pointers: Using the current new lines that are a half size larger will improve your cast by creating more bend and feel in your rod or go a full line size heavier, like a 6-weight line for a 5-weight rod. Don’t miss out on YouTube casting instruction and even have someone record your casting on a phone for some evaluation and tweaking. Better still, take a live individual or group casting lesson.
Fly casting is an art that you can practice year-round. Just enjoy casting for casting’s sake. Remember, the best casters catch the most fish, so you will receive a finny reward for all your efforts.
