Fly Fishing Devon: Casting Tips and Future Lesson Planning

These notes are designed to highlight the main points covered in your lesson and help you plan further lessons with Fly Fishing Devon.

Please do not feel intimidated by the long list of things that can go wrong with a cast. Fly fishing is fun and it is important to keep a sense of proportion. At the end of the session, your instructor will highlight particular things that you should concentrate on to improve your casting. You can also use this list to decide on which cast or problem you would like to focus on in your next session with us.

Preparing to cast

• drop or 'catapult cast' line onto water
• pull line off reel, drop it at your feet
• rest line across the palm of your non-casting hand
• hold rod tip close to water surface
• vigorously sweep rod tip from side-to-side
• which will pull line out of rod tip
  

The roll cast

Roll cast uses:

• when back cast is obstructed
• roll cast a deeply sunk fly line onto the surface prior to an overhead cast
• after line has been pulled off the reel and placed on the water in a heap
• after casting upstream and retrieving slack line
• after dibbling the fly back towards the boat when reservoir / loch fishing
• it is a relatively safe cast - the fly is normally in front of the angler

Roll cast limitations:

• distance that can be cast is limited
• limited change of direction (maximum angle less than 45 degrees - beware of the "Bloody L" - Simon Gawesworth's term for an " L" shape in the anchor of line lying on the water surface after forming the 'D' loop)
• relatively inaccurate
• the fly is drowned as the line is drawn back to create the 'D' loop; this is a limitation when fishing the dry fly

Roll cast key concepts mentioned during the session

• face the target
• start with rod tip on water surface
• draw line back slowly when creating 'D' loop and anchor point
• align 'D' loop and anchor point in line with target - the 180 degree principle - anchor and 'D' loop should lie along a straight line
• direct forward cast inside anchor point - if line crosses it will usually tangle
• ways of expressing the movement required in the forward cast include: "smooth acceleration to an abrupt stop", thump your hand down on a counter to demand attention from a bartender, power snap, pop/stop, twitch, flick, whump.
• a "bloody L" in the line will interfere with the forward cast landing straight, bear this in mind when changing direction
• raise / lower the rod-tip stop point on the forward cast to vary landing position
• aim high when shooting line

Roll cast key words may be used by your instructor during the session.

• lift rod vertically to 45 degrees
• swing around the body to create the 'D' loop
• check position of:
  • line (D loop)
  • hand - thumb vertical
  • rod - at 45 degrees to hand
  • anchor point
• tap - calls to mind the idea of tapping a nail into a wall in front of the caster, other terms include 'power snap'
• stop

Roll cast faults, causes and corrections

• line tangles.
  • Caused by forward cast being directed over / across the anchor point. The forward cast should be aimed inside the anchor point i.e. the line lying on the water in front of the caster
• line piles in front of caster.
  • Caused by forward cast starting with too much acceleration before ending too slowly.
  • Or, power applied too late in the cast causing line to unfurl / run out across the surface of the water.
• line does not completely unroll.
  • Caused by insufficient energy / snap / power in the forward cast
• the line hits the caster.
  • The line is lying too close to the caster's shoulder - it should be about half the rod length away from the shoulder.
  • Or, the rod is being brought forward too close to the caster - tilt the rod off from the vertical so that the tip of the rod is just inside the straight line made by the 'D' loop and the anchor point.
  • Or, a wind is blowing the line onto the casters rod arm.

Advanced roll casting

• increasing distance by shooting line
• dealing with wind
• into the casting shoulder
• head / tail wind
• dynamic roll cast / jump roll / forward Spey cast
• changing direction

Overhead cast / pick up and lay down cast

Overhead cast uses:

• achieve distance
• achieve accuracy
• lengthen line through false casting
• dries the fly through false casting

Overhead cast limitations:

• requires sufficient room behind and overhead
• potentially dangerous - the fly passes behind the angler

Overhead cast key words may be used by your instructor during the session.

• lift - rod vertically until line clears water, do not allow slack to develop
• tap - back and upwards along a diagonal line
• stop - check rod position; if necessary allow line to fall to ground
• pause - to allow the line to unroll behind you
• tap
• stop

Overhead cast concepts

• start the back / up cast with the tip of the rod on the water surface
• accelerate smoothly to a firm stop
• stop the rod on the back cast when the fly leaves the water
  
• pause to allow the line to unroll behind you
• on the back / up cast think of the rod tip traveling up the wall of a house, and then up a pitched roof
• you may find it helps to concentrate on one thing at a time. For example, concentrate on the back cast even if it means allowing it to fall to the ground behind you
• concentrate on how the rod and line feel when you make a good cast - try to remember that feeling so you will recognise for yourself when you make a good cast
• you don't need a rod to practice your casting. 'Pantomime' casts and engage in 'mental rehearsal' between casting sessions
• expect things to go wrong, particularly at the start of each session. Persevere and your performance will soon 'warm up'
• be prepared to seem to go forward two steps and back one step.
• finish each session with an element you are good at

Overhead cast faults, causes and corrections

• line fails to straighten on the forward cast. Can be caused by problems on the back cast or forward cast.
  • Back cast problems:
    • rod tip raised too far off water surface at start of cast;
    • wrist break causing line to drop on the back cast - this is a common problem
    • pause is too long causing line to drop on back cast;
  • forward cast problems:
    • weak or absent 'power stroke' / 'acceleration to a stop' on forward cast
    • too much force on forward cast causing line to bounce back after the stop - line does not land straight on the water  ;
    • shooting line before the 'stop' on the forward cast  - line does not land straight on the water  ;
• whip crack noise during forward cast;
  • insufficient length of pause after back cast before commencing forward cast;
  • or caused by insufficient power on the back cast which results in the line not straightening, consequently the line is drawn around the 'U' at great speed.
  • may cause loss of fly
    
• line hits caster on back cast:
  • caused by wind onto casting arm, or rod not tilted off to the side,
  • or tip not on water at start of cast causing slack in the line, or pausing between lift and application of power causing slack to develop,
• line hits caster on forward cast:
  • caused by low back cast, due to starting forward cast with too much power,
  • or the line is too heavy for the rod, or too much line in the back cast, or the rod is 'sloppy' all of which can cause the line to drop on the back cast
• 'whooshing' noise during back cast:
  • caused by too rapid an acceleration during the early phases of the back cast, look out for the line being ripped off the water surface and throwing up spray.
  line lands with a splash:
  • caused by aiming too low on the forward cast,
  • or releasing line too soon on the shoot, or 'bowing' the body towards the water on the forward cast,
  • or starting the forward cast with the rod hand held too high e.g. above the head,
• tailing loops: caused by the tip of the rod deviating from 'the straight line path' due to too much power, try relaxing the grip on the rod. There are a number of casting faults that result in tailing loops:
  • FAULT: stationary elbow with snapping wrist, CURE raise elbow on back cast, and lower the elbow on forward cast;
  • FAULT: carrying elbow straight back and forwards on back and forward cast, CURE raise elbow on back cast, and lower the elbow on forward cast;
  • FAULT: back cast too high, forward cast too low, CURE: lower the back cast
  • FAULT: forward power stroke started too late causing tailing loop on forward cast, CURE: start power stroke sooner in the forward cast
  • FAULT: punching the forward cast by moving the arm forward, CURE don't make the forward cast straight forwards.
  • FAULT: overpowering the forward stroke, CURE use less force on the forward cast
  • FAULT: forward power stroke made too soon, CURE allow the back cast to unroll 
• line twists: symptom is a series of twists in the line which appear between the reel and the stripping guide (first rod ring), caused by the back and forward casts not being made in the same vertical plane. The rod tip travels in an elliptical path.

False cast

False cast uses

• drying the fly
• lengthening line
• changing direction - in steps of about 45 degrees

False cast limitations:

• excessive false casting scares fish

False cast key words may be used by your instructor during the session

• tap
• stop
• tap
• stop

Shooting line

Shooting line uses:

• increasing length of line outside the rod tip

Shooting line key words may be used by your instructor during the session

• tap
• shoot

Shooting line faults, causes and corrections

• line fails to shoot, caused by releasing the line before stopping the rod on the forward cast
• shooting line before the 'stop' on the forward cast  - line does not land straight on the water 

Reach cast

Reach cast uses:

• use a reach cast if a fish is lying in relatively slack water on the other side of a strong current. Reach to the left or right according to the direction of the main current.
• use a reach cast to avoid 'lining' fish that may be lying between you and your target fish
• use a reach cast to present a fly to a fish lying 'behind' an obstacle between you and the fish
• when sea trout fishing with a 'wake fly' in a slow current, a reach cast can be used to create drag.

Reach cast key words may be used by your instructor during the session

• shoot line into forward cast
• reach

Slack line cast

Slack line cast uses:

• allows for 'drag free drift' e.g. when fishing a dry fly downstream. The current will take out the wiggles in the cast without causing the fly to drag

Slack line cast key words may be used by your instructor during the session

• shoot line into the forward cast
• wiggle rod tip from side to side

Double-haul cast

Double-haul cast uses:

• to achieve distance
• casting into a headwind
• these ends are achieved by increasing line speed and increasing rod loading - i.e. increasing the bend in the rod

Double-haul Limitations:

• can be difficult to learn this cast

Double-haul concepts:

• 4 learning steps:
1. false cast with hands together
2. haul into forward cast and shoot line
3. haul into back cast
   • bring line hand back to meet rod hand,
   • let line fall on ground or onto water
   • check that line falls in a straight line.
4. put it all together; haul on back cast, hands together, haul on forward cast, shoot line
• up / down elbow movement
• rod 'drift'

Double-haul key words may be used by your instructor during the session

• return
• haul
• return

Double-haul faults

Don't try to learn to double-haul until you can perform the basic overhead cast.

• slack line between hand and stripping ring; caused by a weak back cast, or failure to 'give back' line on the back cast - by moving line hand up to the rod hand - at the correct time.
• rod and line hand not together at start of forward cast; cure by practicing back cast with both hands touching
• hauling on forward cast too late / early; haul should be made during the 'acceleration to a stop' / 'power snap'.
• hauling on back cast too late / early; haul should be made during the 'acceleration to a stop' / 'power snap'.

Single haul into the forward cast:

Uses:

• to cope with a headwind - wind blowing onto your face
• single hauls increase line speed
• single hauls increase rod loading - i.e. increase the bend in the rod

Single haul into the back cast:

Uses:

• to cope with a tailwind - wind blowing onto your back
• single hauls increase line speed
• single hauls increase rod loading - i.e. increase the bend in the rod

Leaders