Fly casting for beginners: 5 things you need to know to improve Fly Fishing, etc

Another style of fishing in Japan is Ayu fishing. Ayu was practiced in the lowlands , where the Bushi resided, tenkara practiced in the mountains. Fishing flies are thought to have originated in Japan for Ayu fishing over 430 years ago. These flies were made with needles that were bent into shape and used as fishing hooks, then dressed as a fly. The rods along with fishing flies, are considered to be a traditional local craft of the Kaga region. Getting your casting technique to be smooth and purposeful will probably take hours of awkward rod waving, but it’s a skill that’s well worth the effort.

Tippet is the smallest, thinnest portion of a leader, but it’s also sold separately in small spools that you can cut into small sections to tie onto the thicker, butt section of a tapered leader. In fact, some of the largest trout I’ve caught have been just inches from shore — hooked from a cast that was little more than a flip of my fly rod. I don’t care who you are, stalking a 20-inch trout that’s feeding within a yard from shore is an adrenaline-filled micro adventure for sure — and it doesn’t require a perfect 70-foot cast. Shifting your weight onto your back foot during the backcast and on to your front foot on the forward cast can also help add distance to your cast.

For longer casts, you may feel more comfortable standing with 1 foot forward so you can reach further behind you for a stronger cast without losing your balance. Some leaders have metal clasps that you can use to attach to the loop in the fly line. The leader also keeps the line from slapping the water and spooking the fish.

To the horror of dry-fly purists, Skues later wrote two books, Minor Tactics of the Chalk Stream, and The Way of a Trout with a Fly, which greatly influenced the development of wet fly fishing. In northern England and Scotland, many anglers also favored wet-fly fishing, where the technique was more popular and widely practiced than in southern England. One of Scotland’s leading proponents of the wet fly in the early-to-mid 19th century was W.C. Stewart, who published “The Practical Angler” in 1857.

Plan your trip

Once your line loads on the back cast with your pause, you can then transfer that energy to the forward cast. Once you pick up the rod and line with a smooth excelleration you will need to stop the rod when you come to the point where you transition back into a forward cast. Just strip out 20 feet or so of line and start practicing. If you are right handed, go ahead and pinch the line with your index finger down onto the cork of the handle.

In recent years, interest in fly fishing has surged as baby boomers have discovered the sport. Movies such as Robert Redford’s film A River Runs Through It, cable fishing shows, and the emergence of a competitive fly casting circuit have added to the sport’s visibility. However, there was nothing to prevent the successful employment of wet flies on these chalk streams, as G. E. M. Skues proved with his nymph and wet fly techniques.

Use a soft grip but squeeze the grip when you stop to help load up the rod. Now, transfer the energy back into your forward cast and stop when you are around 10 O’clock or when your line is around eye height. There are a bunch of other casts you will learn eventually like the roll cast, side cast, spey cast and the list goes on and on. After you have made that quick pause and loaded up the rod, you can now make a forward cast.

Sidearm Casting

When making the front cast, bring the casting shoulder forward until it passes the non-casting shoulder. Then apply the same forward speed-up-and-stop by pushing the palm of the hand forward. This kind of like throwing a dart, baseball, or hitting a golf ball. As the casting hand changes the rod angle to 90 degrees, simultaneously begin rotating your body for the forward cast. Once the casting hand and shoulder passes the plane of the opposing shoulder, accelerate and stop the tip of the rod in the direction of the target to complete the cast.

Make sure your nymphs are hitting the water before your fly line. As you cast up stream, apply a slight lift to the rod tip at the end of your forward cast. Be sure to avoid powering your line or slapping it on the water because this will likely spook weary fish.

Depends on the river or lake and time of year you’re fishing. I like fishing in July, August, and September where I wade in rivers and just wear a pair of shorts. There is something fantastic about wading in cold water with the sun baking down on your back. Typically, you want to match your fly casting equipment, so you’ll choose a fly casting rod and fly line that complement each other.