Set Up a Practice Field for Fly Fishing Casting

Series Summary

Modern fly fishing is centuries old, having begun in North England and Scotland; however, the history of fly fishing be traced back over 1800 years to the now mysterious Astraeus River in the Roman province of Macedonia. In the 2nd Century A.D., Marcus Aelianus described Macedonian fishermen's use of fastening feathers and wool to hooks to attract fish to their lines. Fly fisherman today continue the adventurous yet relaxing sport of fly fishing in some of the most beautiful and tranquil places on earth, casting their flies in waterways of the Colorado Rockies, where all that is heard is the flowing stream and soft breeze in the aspens.

In this free fly fishing video instruction guide, learn some advanced fly casting tips and techniques. Our certified expert fisherman, Jim Dowd, will show you how to get your fly casting abilities up to speed so that you can start catching some walleye and trout. He’ll walk you through some exercises to improve your accuracy and precision, helping you to cast effectively and consistently, thus catching more fish. Also learn how to cast in varied conditions, tie strong knots and a few other tricks of the trade. Enjoy!

Video Transcript

"Hi! I’m Jim Dowd at zoaroutdoor.com. I’m here on behalf of expertvillage.com to talk to you about fly casting and fly fishing. In this segment, we are going to talk about fly casting and places that are off the water. That would be casting on the lawn. First of all, it is really important to pay attention to safety. Whenever you are fly casting or fly fishing, make sure you have a hat on and protective glasses. When you are casting on the lawn, as you can see I am standing in a place that is marked by 2 cones, and as you look out in this direction you will see hula hoops. The first one closest is 20 feet away from me, the next is 30 feet out and the last, the farthest is 45 feet. Each one of these hoops represents a target that you can practice your casting on for accuracy, and develop skills that will serve you well in a fishing situation. Another thing you should pay attention to is to use a yarn fly which has no hook on it, and yet it simulates the action of a real fishing fly and also to mark your fly line. In this case, with 3 marks at 37 feet, so that in this fashion I know exactly. If I add the leader to the 37 foot mark, I am at 45 feet, which is the distance of the fartherest target. So in this situation, you need 45 feet in front of you, 45 feet behind you, which you can see is in this parking lot, and approximately 20 feet on either side of you. So you can do it in an open field, if you have a yard or lawn that is large enough, a baseball field, a playing field or virtually anywhere you have enough open space to lay out the targets and practice your casting—for accuracy 20 feet, 30 feet and 45 feet. "