Take a Tip from Your Fly Rod Tip

When I am teaching students to learn the principles of fly casting they have to understand the terms loading and unloading.  Sure these are physics terms, but it will help you to learn just how important they are in executing a great cast. For example,   I will  bend the rod in front the students and they don’t’ really understand the sequence of events that happen during an ordinary pick up and lay down cast. The next thing I will do is break my rod down just to the tip top section with the fly line threaded through the guide and a bright colored yarn fly tied to the end. I have them perform the pickup and lay down cast with just that section of the rod and after several attempts I will ask them to accelerate faster to an abrupt stop and low and behold the light goes off in their heads after seeming the yarn fly shoot from the rod. One of the first reactions is” I can’t believe I can cast it that far with only that section of rod”. Others will exclaim “I’m casting it further with just the tip section rather than the entire rod”. So remember on your next pick up and lay down cast think of this tip and your rod tip and you will be on your way to better casting and tighter loops.

Distance Does Matter

The number one problem I see with all levels of casters who come to me for lessons is slack in their casting  line. It is probably so easy to correct most Casting  Instructors  rarely write about it as a problem. I think it is a very grave distance killer and needs to be noted.
When a caster begins to make his pick up and lay down average cast he starts his cast with the rod tip three or four feet above the water. Problem at the start, we all have to start our back cast with an accelerated  speed up and stop and if you as caster have given up three or feet of acceleration it is like a NASCAR  car starting in second gear at the beginning of the race. The back cast is dependent on the load of the rod to make the forward cast. The acceleration start of the cast is a speed up and stop lift and acceleration. If you have started three to four feet to late in the acceleration lift process you've cheated yourself of more acceleration . Please start your next pick up and lay down cast with your rod tip in the water for saltwater casts or just above the surface in gin clear trout streams and you will be surprised a  your forwards cast  rockets the line out of the tip top of your rod. You will have significant added distance and therefor  more water to cove and strip your fly through in the feeding channel. Tight  loops, Andrew

Having a problem when your fly snaps off during your cast?

This often frustrating problem occurs to often for most casters and can really spoil a fun time fishing. If this happens to you a few simple steps will help solve this problem. Stoke the back cast more gently. Remember a smooth back cast will almost always help for a smooth forward cast. You must allow the fly line time to almost straighten out in the back cast completely before making the forward cast. So focus on a smoother back cast with the line almost completely straightening out and you will only hear the swoosh of the line instead of a snap...crack.