Fly Fishing Casting Techniques

Smoothness and timing are two important elements for good fly casting. Practice your false casting. Count the seconds as you switch back and forth and keep your timing the same when you actually cast. Don’t aim your cast directly at the water but around 1.5-2 meters (4-6 feet) above your target, then allow the leader to turn over and straighten. As you make the stop at the end of your casting stroke, follow the leader down to the water. By doing this, your leader and fly will turn over and  present the fly naturally to your target area without spooking the fish.  

The 4-Part Cast

This is the basic cast for fly fishing and there are four parts to it:

1) The pickup – Slowly lift the rod up to about 45 degrees, being

careful not to spook the fish with too rapid a motion.

2) The Back Cast - Accelerate from 45 degrees to about 135 degrees

and stop abruptly, sending the line back behind you.

3) The Forward Cast – Pause until the line unfurls behind you, and

then send the rod forward again to 45 degrees and stop the rod.

4) The Presentation – With the rod, follow the line forward down to the water so that your rod is parallel with the water.

Note: the overall motion is symmetrical. 

Timing.

After you get comfortable with casting, you will soon find that you have developed a rhythm, and this is important because timing plays a large role in casting. Each part of the 4-Part cast requires a certain rhythm,and for the best results, each requires perfect timing.

The Retrieve

As you practice, you will find that it is easier getting the line out than it is getting it back onto your reel. The momentum and weight of the fly line pulls on the line as you cast, sending it out, but to get it back on to the reel, you need to stop all the beautiful motion and perform the not-so beautiful act of reeling in the line. You do not have to reel the line in every time when you are on the water. Instead of stopping to reel in the line, you can simply pull it in with your control hand and let it float along side you as you cast to another target. Once the fly is close enough to you, so you can start another cast, you will just begin casting and let the line slide through your control hand as the fly gets further away from you, working its way toward your desired target. Practice this motion as well.

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