The Casting Lesson.....

So, a fishing trip is planned. Not just any fishing trip, but a fly fishing trip. Special! Gonna see some trout in the net, wade in the river, smell the sweet mountain air, wear a fishing vest and behave like Ernest Hemingway for a day or more. Gonna get away and fish! Do some live'n! Life is all about fishing, fly fishing to be exact. Hotel is booked, time off from work is arranged. Maybe plane tickets are purchased, bags are packed, fly rods, reels, flies and fishing license are ready to go. Bought a special hat just for the trip. Even booked a guide for a day, just to tighten up the chances of having a positively memorable fishing trip. It will be.

The drive wasn't too bad. Hardly slept last night due to the excitement of being in a different place, a real chance at landing the fish of many, many dreams. The guide seems like a good guy. A real trout bum! Cool! He's gonna find fish. Fly rods rigged and ready to go, fishing license displayed, looking dapper. Feeling dapper. Guide says "okay, cast to those rising fish over there...about 30 feet". So, the first cast slaps and falls on the water in a pile of fly line, leader and a fly somewhere in the spaghetti-like mix. Oh, and the cast is 20 feet short, off target. No big deal, just feeling a little stage fright. Ernest Hemingway wrote "Somebody just back of you while you are fishing is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your girl." For others, casting in front of a guide, one that is respected I assume, is a little like dropping your pants to have your equipment examined by a doctor. What you have is what you got. Right?(maybe not, but it's a funny metaphor. Next cast is no better. Next cast tangles...badly. What the...? Never had this trouble before. Okay, try again. Gotta cast a tight loop. How's that? No reply from the guide. Whoa! didn't mean to hook you Mr. Guide. Sorry!! Ouch!! that fly tears some flesh off the ear as it's removed. Blood runs down the neck. First aid kit provides band aids. The guide says "stop the rod on the forward and back cast...hold the rod this way...don't drop the wrist...no drifting...or creeping...lower the elbow, here watch me" and on and on. He won't shut up. Son of a bitch, he's got an answer for everything! Jeezzz why is this so hard? What happened to just going fishing and catching a few fish. 30 foot tight loop? How about a 5 foot plop and fizzle cast!

Sound familiar? Scenarios like this play out on fishing trips all the time. Guide or no guide, casting is absolutely required to present a fly. A good fly is useless if it can't be fished correctly. Rarely does anyone ask what kind of a cast is required to catch fish on a given river, lake etc.. Focus is on the flies, rod, fly line and all things that can be purchased. Money can be thrown at casting, but a good cast can only be earned.

Most trout fishing is done on small creeks and streams, so a cast or lob of 10 feet is often adequate. But when fishing bigger streams like Fall River, a longer cast is required and that puts some anglers to the test. Many of my guests catch fish on all kinds of casts. I find fish and they are fished over. Some have incredible days of fishing by feeding line to an indicator, no casting required. It's really fun! Isn't that what a guide is for? Sure! A guide can drastically improve an anglers chances. But, to that I say this: a broken clock is right two times a day. Now, no one is being called a broken clock. I'm one of the best broken clocks there is! The point is: Fly fishing is worth while folks! Why not invest a little time practicing for a few hours or more before the trip so a workable cast can be played on game day? People like Lefty Kreh and the late Mel Krieger didn't become great casters by going fishing and sitting around afterwords drinking beer (although I won't completely rule this out). They did focuse on technique, style and substance on the lawn, casting in the park, at the pond or casting club and teaching what they learned and discovered. The anglers that spend time practicing the cast seem to easily enjoy the fishing process much more than the casual once-a- year-the-fly-rod-comes-out angler. An angler who can cast a tight loop just 20 feet excels in the catching department beyond one that is struggling to get a cast that presents at the same distance. Good fishing reports are almost always determined by the experiences of intermediate to expert anglers. Now, don't feel that a strict regiment of casting on a lawn is required to be a proficient caster. I don't believe that casting a tight loop is required to utterly enjoy a day of fly fishing. I'm writing here to the angler who is going to be disappointed in their casting ability, especially when they have just spent well over $360.00 to have a guide put him or her on fish. To that angler I ask them to check their casting. Check it before the day of reckoning.

For the record; I am much more than happy to help an angler with casting technique during a day of fishing. Many of my guests just want to learn, become better anglers and catch a few fish along the way. Most fishing guides are very accommodating. Almost everyone has a very realistic approach to their day of fishing. However, some come prepared mentally to catch fish all day only to discover the cast is not good enough. At times, I can sense tremendous disappointment. I never have to say anything. The situation is self evident. I have tricks up my sleeve in some situations that can save the day. But sometimes, the day of fishing turns into an unforeseen and prolonged casting lesson.

Here is some advice:
Hire an FFF certified casting instructor for an hour or more. Do this weeks before your trip. Guide or no guide, just do it. There are better casters out in the world who want to share their hard earned knowledge in a friendly, informative manner. Contact your local fly shop for contact info. Practice for a few minutes every day. Just a few minutes. Do this and I promise your cast will drastically improve and so will your fishing!

This not about making my job easier! This is not about me! I look forward to teaching and working with anglers from beginner on up. It's just that I see a way for some anglers to get a head start and possibly head off a very steep learning curve. This is about taking what will be a good time on the river and making it into a great time!

I work on my cast all the time. I know a lot of good casters and I watch them. I pay attention. I'm always finding ways to improve.

Last but far from least...casting a fly rod is fun even when not on the water..Standing in your back yard casting will take you back...It's a nice feeling. Relaxing.

-CP