Fly Casting Tip: Flick the Tomato

When teaching kids and adults the art of casting a fly, one of the hardest things to get across is to not try too hard. The harder and faster your move the rod back and forth the less it seems to work. Here’s another gem of wisdom from The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing new, which is a collection …

Fly Casting Tip: Say Hello to a Good Cast

Say Hello to good casting Here is another tip to help you to get used to starting and stopping the rod at the correct angles. Imagine you’re using an old wall telephone, standing a couple of feet away. Say “hello” when you bring your rod hand smartly back beside your ear, keeping your arm perpendicular, and then “whisper” goodbye as …

Casting Tip: Water Load & Cast to the Bank

This summer I spent quite a few days on the Yellowstone River in Montana rowing my Fishcraft raft and helping my family to learn the technique of casting streamers and dry flies to the bank, looking for the brown trout or the occasional rainbow that hang right next to shore, tight to the bank hoping to get a grab on …

Fly Casting Tip: Hit the Wall

Hit the Wall This one’s for me, being a carpenter for most of my life. Think about a hammer and a nail when loading and unloading your rod. Imagine yourself between two walls, with nails on both. Using a two headed hammer, pretend to smack the nails, first on the back cast, and again when the hand comes forward. Each …

Fly Casting Tip: Don’t Get Cocky

Don’t get Cocky Your Wrist is what we’re talking about! If you’re casting and you hear the noise of your line slapping the water behind you, it is often because your wrist is cocking too far back. As it relates to fly casting, the wrist versus arm equation is a difficult balance to master, let alone explain. Remember the arm …