Casting Secrets Mini Class

Lesson 1: Fundamental Drills, Vocabulary and Casting Mechanics

 As a Master Casting Instructor, I still do these drills every day I practice. 


Even the most advanced fly caster can use these activities to stay sharp on the basics and improve their performance. 

This introduction and fundamental series will cover the five ironclad principles of fly casting.


The Five Ironclad Principles That Will Make You a Better Fly Caster:

  1. Smooth acceleration to an appropriate stop
  2. The path that the rod tip takes determines what happens to the fly line
  3. Any slack in the system causes a negative effect on the cast
  4. For every loop shape intended there is an appropriate casting arc
  5. At the end of every casting stroke, we need an appropriate pause

 

Lesson 2: "Paint Brush & Water" Drill

In this lesson, I illustrate one of the most difficult sub-skills in proper fly casting, acceleration. 


Proper acceleration can’t be seen while fly fishing, except in the resulting unsatisfying cast. Proper fly casting acceleration must be felt. For this lesson, pick up a pool noodle from your local sporting shop or Walmart. Cut the noodle in half to about 2.5 – 3 ft long. 

This will be an important tool in starting your correct casting technique. 

Important Fly Fishing
Terms I Mention:

  1. Casting Stroke: A significant amount of movement and energy we put into the rod to cause a loop to be formed
  2. Stroke Length: How far a caster’s hand moves side to side during a casting stroke
  3. Rod Rotation: The amount of rotation that is put into the rod during a casting stroke resulting in a casting arc
  4. Casting Arc: The casting arc is the angle of which the rod starts and stops during a casting stroke

The First Principle of Fly Casting – Smooth Acceleration to an Appropriate Stop

Every cast an angler makes will need some form of acceleration to an appropriate stop. You need smooth acceleration to some form of stop, not always an abrupt stop as some situations call for a softer stop, but the acceleration to that stop needs to be consistent.

In order to concentrate on acceleration, I like to have students use the paintbrush drill. Grab a paintbrush and a bowl of water, and practice your acceleration. This will allow you to focus on how you accelerate through your stroke length. 

The most common problems with acceleration are starting the stroke too slow or too fast. If you start slow and speed up through the stroke the end result will leave you with no water on the back of your hand. 

On the other hand, starting a stroke fast will result in water on your arm and shoulder. A perfect acceleration will result in water on the back of your hand.


The Clock

Points of reference for rod rotation are often referred to in a clock fashion. 

12 o Clock refers to a perfectly vertical position, while 11, 10, and 9 o clock refer to forward motions and 1, 2, and 3 o clock refers to back positions (as seen from the angler’s point of view). 

While doing the paintbrush drill, an abrupt stop at 10 o clock is ideal, any further forward to say a 9 o clock position results in the water being sent to the ground and not on the back of the hand.

 

Grip

 Different grip styles can shape your fly-casting performance. 


 3 basic grips that I commonly see are:

Forefinger – on top of the rod, smaller rods, smaller lines, and work well when casting short distances

V Grip – good grip for larger weights, lines, and flies

Thumb Grip – I like for the heavier 8wt and 10 wt. rods and lines for casting further distances

In the next lesson I’ll discuss fly casting techniques and drills that help you create a no slack casting system.

 

Lesson 3: The "No Slack" Drill

When you pick up line or start a casting stroke you want to make sure that there is no slack in the line. 


A tight line means the rod will load properly and the line will move when movement is applied.

For this lesson, some terms I cover include:

Fly Rod Load/Rod Bend: When the movement of the rod coupled with the weight of the line causes the rod to bend or load and store energy. 

The load or bend is stopped suddenly when the casting stroke ends causing the energy to be released and the line to shoot to its intended destination.

 

The No Slack Drill

 For this drill, grab your rod and stand in an open area like your lawn or backyard. Stand with the reel facing up parallel with the ground. 


Begin casting strokes with the smooth acceleration you learned in lesson 2, but concentrate on rotation at the end. Try and get the fly line to completely straighten out after every casting stroke. 

A straight fly line from fly to rod tip means there is no slack, if there is move to the side until the line is straightened out. If you do not move and eliminate the slack your casting stroke will end with slack in the line and less movement than what you desired out of the cast.

Bow and Arrow Fly Casting

 By understanding the rod load/rod bend energy storage, you can practice a cast that can be applied to small streams and difficult casting situations. 


By taking the fly by the hook, or back of the material and pulling it back behind your shoulder you can store energy in the rod. By bending the rod then releasing the fly, you can shoot the fly with no other movement besides storing energy into the rod by bending it.

Rod bend/load and understanding what slack can do to a cast is an important lesson to learn before moving onto lesson 4 – loop formation.