The Art of Casting The ability to be able to cast well is fundamental to the success and enjoyment of fly fishing. It would seem that many anglers particularly those new to the sport want to be able to cast a full line every cast. And some will use enormous amounts of wasted effort and energy to try to achieve this. A good understanding of the basic principles will help you to cast better and with less effort. It is worth pointing out that more effort does not translate into better or longer casts. Trying to put more effort into a cast does not produce more distance. The two T’s are the main key to successful casting Technique and Timing. To be able to cast a fly you have to put a bend into your rod by smooth and gradual acceleration of the rod so that it pulls against the weight of the fly line. This action flexes, or loads, the rod. This applies to both the back cast and the forward cast. Increasing the acceleration and then stopping allows the rod tip to straighten which sends the fly line, as it unrolls, either backwards, or forwards to the target. There is no essential difference between a back cast and a forward cast. (This can be demonstrated by turning round and making your "back" cast the forward or presentation cast. This is a technique that works very well if, for example, you are fishing a tree-lined river bank where there is no or little room for a traditional back cast.) You must remove all slack from you fly line before you can load a rod. To load a rod properly requires tension between the top ring and the line so that the weight of the line makes the rod bend as you start the back cast. If you move the tip of your rod and not the line as well, then you are wasting energy. So start your back cast with the tip of your rod close to the water, eliminate any slack and then, when the line is moving, you can start your back cast. Using part of a back cast to take slack out of the line is inefficient. The only way to load your rod is through a continuous movement of your casting arm, starting slowly and building speed before coming to an abrupt stop. This speed increase and abrupt stop is critical. A fast and short speed up and stop movement will result in high line speed and a tight loop.
Conversely, a lack of acceleration or an abrupt stop will cause the rod to lose part of the load and the line will end up in a heap on the water. Care must be taken when casting to lift only the right amount of line of the water: enough to load the rod but not so much that you risk over-loading it. This point is more important with both weights forward lines and sinking lines. When fishing sinking lines - and particularly fast sinking or deeply-sunk lines - it may be necessary to role cast the line to the surface before lifting-off and making a back cast. The False Cast: The false cast can be used for two different operations in fly fishing. First it is used to help in changing directions between casts. It also helps us to set and determine the desistance of the cast to a given point. The false cast is repeated three or four times to help us move to the right or left, not letting it lay on the water until our final cast. The false cast is also a great way to help to dry out a water-logged dry fly.
1 - Lift the fly line off the water as in any normal cast. 2 - Let the back cast unroll behind you until you feel a slight pull backwards on the rod. Your line should make a small loop. 3 - Bring your fly rod forward but do not let the line settle on the water. Wait until the line is out in front forming a small loop. Repeat all movement until you are ready to make your final cast.
