How to Basic Cast in Fly-Fishing

In fly-fishing, casting is a back-and-forth motion of the rod and line that allows you to place your fly where you'd like. It takes a good deal of practice to get just right. This is the basic cast.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fishing Fly Box
• Fishing Fly Kit
• Fly-fishing Lines
• Fly-fishing Reels
• Fly-fishing Rods
• Fly-fishing Vests

1. 

   Let out 25 feet of line in front of you. Practice out of the water and with-out a fly on the line so that you won't have to worry about getting caught up in anything.

2. 

   Grip your rod as if you were shaking hands with it. Set the rod's handle in your palm and close your fingers around it, keeping your thumb on top.

3. Face the direction that you want to cast, putting your weight on the balls of your feet. Keep your wrist still and stiff; don't allow it to bend. Your elbow, not your shoulder, should be your pivot point. Picture hammering a nail.

4. Think of the movement of your arm in casting as being like that of a clock's hands. If you view a fly fisherman from his or her left profile, the caster will move the rod between 11 o'clock on the forward cast and 1 o'clock on the back cast.

5. 

   Hold the rod at 11 o'clock to begin. From the tip, the loose fly line should trace down the rod until you can grab it with your free hand. Hold and keep it above waist level.

6. 

   Pull the rod back to 1 o'clock, release the line and wait there until the line straightens behind you. Now accelerate the rod forward to 11 o'clock and wait for the loop formed by the arcing line to straighten out.

7. 

   Bring the fingers of your free hand toward the reel and grasp the line between your index finger and thumb.

8. Pull in your outstretched line in 6-inch lengths so it forms a big excess loop right above the reel. You're not pulling more line off the reel or putting any back'you're simply gathering slack to ease the next cast. Pull in only as much as you need to place your cast.

9. To end casting, stop with the forward cast at 11 o'clock. All the slack you pulled in will sail out with your fly (when you have one on the line), which should land right on your target. Assuming, of course, that you've been practicing.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider learning how to cast on grass first. Working on concrete will ruin the protective coating on your line. If you want to practice on concrete, use a piece of junk line you don't mind ruining.
• Add a piece of colored yarn to the end of your line when practicing so you can see where your fly will end up without worrying about getting an actual hook snagged on the grass.

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[afciotti]

on 9/23/2008 great how to article!

[dogman1234]

on 3/8/2007 i once hooked my eye

on 11/22/2005 Wear glasses at all times when fishing, even if you are not using a real fly. The line can still be traveling at very high speeds. A collision between a wool tag and your eye is not good, not matter what the speed.