Introduction to Fly Casting

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Game Fishing

Fly Caster Andrew Ryan starts this new series by describing how to perform the overhead cast.

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Rod Choice And Line Ratings

For beginners, the range of fly rods on the market can be very confusing. When choosing a rod, remember that you must opt for the correct length for the type of fishing you are doing. For river fishing an 8ft to 9ft rod is best. For lough fishing I would suggest a 10ft rod.

Only a line of the correct weight will load (flex) any particular rod. A line that is too light will hardly bend the rod when you try casting, and one that is too heavy will overload the rod and make it difficult to cast. Generally, the larger the fly you will be fishing, the higher the line rating you will need. For example, when river fishing, the best line rating is a 5-wt or 6-wt but for lough fishing a 6-wt to 8-wt is more suitable.

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Rod Action

Commonly, there are four types of flyrod actions in use today. These are: through-action blanks, medium-action blanks, medium to tip-action blanks and tip-action blanks (also called fast blanks).

The through-action rod is more suited to experienced anglers as they are difficult to cast.

They are also known as slow-action rods due to the slow recovery speed of the blank (recovery speed is how quickly a rod regains its original straight shape after casting).

Through-action rods are usually built from older technologies, such as split cane and fibreglass, though you can obtain carbon versions.

These rods flex from the tip to the butt.

Medium-action rods are easier to cast, but are

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Fact File Andrew Ryan runs winter courses in Dublin and Cork.

In summer he instructs at Clonanav Fly Fishing Lodge, which is located in the Nire Valley just outside Ballymacarbry in Co Waterford.

You can call him on 00 353 (0) 52 36141 or 00 353 (0) 87 2680213. His e-mail address is andrew@flyfishingireland.com . He also has a website, www.flyfishingireland.com .

This is the correct way to grip your rod when casting.

Rod Actions

Through or slow action with a full flex.

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The basic overhead cast isn’t that difficult to master.

still more suited to accomplished casters. There is much more ‘feel’ when fighting a fish and they cast more delicately than stiffer rods.

Medium to tip-action rods are ideally suited to beginners. They are stiff enough to hold a good length of fly line in the air and yet are not too stiff for beginners to cast. The flex occurs from about a third of the way up the rod. Plus they are easier to play fish on.

Finally, tip-action rods are designed for experienced anglers who want to cast long distances. These rods are stiff up to the very tip.

They are often called ‘fast’ rods due to the taper of the blank. This taper gives a fast recovery speed of the blank and allows high line speeds to be achieved; enhancing the distance good casters can reach.

Medium action, mid-flex.

Mid to tip action.

Tip or fast action.

Rod Sections Beginners should also consider how many sections they should have to

their rods.

Modern fly rods have from two to eight sections.

I would suggest that you buy one with at least three sections, as they are easier to transport and can be stowed, hidden from view, in the boot of your vehicle. Rods with more than three sections are ideally suited to those who wish to travel abroad. I fish a lot with a six-piece rod and have found it to be equally as good as two or three-piece rods. It’s up to you which you use, really.

Paint the part of your line where the shooting section ends.

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Game Fishing

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Fly Lines

When choosing a line, there are a few simple things to look out for. Most obviously, the line weight must match that of the fly rod. Therefore, if your rod is a 9ft blank that’s rated for a 6-wt line, then use a 6-wt line with it. If the rod has a range of line ratings, from 5-wt to 7wt, you will be able to use a 5-wt, a 6-wt or a 7-wt.

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Line Tapers

These days there are two tapers of fly line that are popular: the weight forward (WF) and double taper (DT). For beginners I suggest using a weight-forward line.

Double tapers have their uses but they are not recommended for beginners. Many anglers who use them tend to false cast (casting the line backwards and forwards in the air), much more than is necessary or desirable.

There are now many WF lines on the market suitable for beginners. They have a shorter head length, which means that the angler will need to aerialise less line to shoot to greater distances. I like to mark my fly line at the end of the head using a permanent marker . This makes it easier to know how much line I am casting with.

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Reels And Leaders

Fly reels will not affect the way you cast. Just get a lightweight, goodquality, large-arbor aluminium reel with a good drag.

When it comes to leaders, I would suggest purchasing a 9ft tapered leader. Level leaders (untapered) do not turn over at the end of the cast so easily. Making a tapered leader is an easy affair; just connect three 3ft lengths of 12lb, 8lb and 6lb nylon, tying your fly to the 6lb cast.

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Casting

There are two main styles of casting: overhead and roll. Overhead casting involves two stages, the back cast and the forward cast. The line has to be lifted from the water, projected into the air behind the angler, then projected forward and laid out on the water. The overhead cast is the most commonly used fly cast.

It is the one I like to teach first, so that an angler can get used to the feel and action of the rod. It is an easy cast to learn and is divided into two parts,

the back cast and the forward cast. You will see from the sequence of diagrams how this cast should be performed.

Before you start casting, set up your equipment.

Connect a 9ft leader to the fly line and tie on a short length of brightly coloured wool as a ‘fly’.

This will stop the fly line from making a cracking noise, like a whip, as you cast. If you are a novice, don’t start with a real fly as it is very dangerous.

You MUST wear polarised sunglasses while casting, as these will protect your eyes.

Mark your fly line at 40 feet (or at the end of the fly-line head). Begin your casting on grass and, holding the rod in your hand, strip line from the reel until you have the marker just outside the reel.

Lay the rod down on the ground and pull the line out from the tip of the rod until the full length of line is laid out straight on the ground. You are now ready to begin your cast.

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Grip And Stance

Hold the rod with a semi-tight grip, thumb on top, with the line between your index finger and the cork handle of the rod.

This will give a tight grip on the line. Do not complicate issues by holding the line in your left hand.

A comfortable, relaxed stance is essential. Put your right foot forward if you are casting with your right arm, or left foot forward if you are using your left arm. Your foot must be only slightly forward; or you will tend to move your back too much.

Casting is done with your forearm. It is not necessary to involve your back or shoulders in the execution of the cast. Too much wrist movement, called ‘breaking the wrist’, will give the angler very little control over the rod. Keep the wrist stiff while casting as the casting is done with the forearm and not with a ‘flick of the wrist’, as is often believed.

As can be seen in the diagrams, the cast can be divided into five different stages. These are: the lift; the back flick; the pause; the forward flick; the laying down of the line.

I have explained in the diagrams the position and movement of your rod and where your arm should be during each of these stages. I have used the hours on a clock face to describe where your rod tip should be at certain points during the cast.

Step-By-Step Guide To STEP One – Rod Low To Water Begin with the rod close to the water and with the line straight. Your elbow should be bent and you should not be reaching forward.

STEP Two – Lift To 11 O’clock Lift the rod tip to 11 o’clock – start slowly and accelerate to 11 o’clock.

STEP Three – The Back Flick At 11 o’clock ‘flick’ the rod tip back to 1 o’clock, to project the line into the air behind you. The rod bends at this point, powering the line.

STEP Four – The Pause At 1 o’clock make a sudden stop, allowing the line to straighten out behind you. The line still has a looped shape.

Pause until the line straightens.

STEP Five – The Line Straightens When the line has fully straightened with the rod tip still at the 1 o’clock position, begin the forward cast.

STEP Six – The Forward Hit Now flick the rod tip forward to the 10 o’clock position, stopping briskly. Note the narrow loop shape your line should be forming.

STEP Seven – Laying Down After you have flicked the line forward, lower the rod tip down to 9 o’clock. This lays the line softly onto the water.

Line Tapers Mainstream Weight-Forward Floating Fly Line

Running Line

Back Taper

Body

Front Taper

Mainstream Double-Taper Floating Fly Line

Tip

Tip

Upper

Body

Here, we have diagrams that show what a weight-forward line and a double-taper line look like.

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Upper

Tip

Th

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The Overhead Cast STEP One

STEP Two

STEP Three

STEP Four

STEP Five

STEP Six

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Breaking The Wrist

I use a camcorder to record faults and play them back. Breaking the wrist is one of the more common faults and can lead to problems, such as the line hitting the ground behind you. There are three different ways to correct the problem. One is to tuck the rod butt into your sleeve, another is to use a wrist support.

Thirdly, you can position the rod in your hand so that the reel lies flat instead of straight down.

STEP Seven

It is essential that the forward flick is a downward stroke and not outward.

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Insufficient Pause On The Back Cast

This requires a little patience to cure.

Watch the line straighten out on the back cast. You will then be able to see when it is time to flick the line forward. It is essential that the forward flick is a downward stroke and not outward. If you are displaying your armpits, then you are not casting correctly. Anyway, I hope that these tips will improve your casting. See you next month!

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