A true predator knows everything there is to now
about his gear. Like a lot of disciplines, it’s only a
matter of learning the physics of the cast.
Here’s the basic physics of casting terminology:
Power Stoke - the path the “Rod Hand” takes
while casting. Your Power Stroke must be straight,
horizontally and vertically. The Length of the Power Stroke is directly proportionate to how much
What makes a good flyfisher?
fly line is in the air (this means if you only have a
To become a good flyfisher, a change of mind set
small amount of line in the air the distance the
needs to happen. As a flyfisher you need to be a
hand move is only short).
predator. You need to study and know what your
prey eats.
False Casting - the act of moving the flyline in the air
(this is what sets flyfishing apart from other forms of
“That day, fishing the Buchanan Bank, a simple
fishing).
change in the way I was thinking was in order.
Firstly my casting was ok, I was making the cast
Loop - The shape made by the flyline in the air
but only just, so my accuracy was not flash. Secwhen false casting correctly
ondly I needed to present the fly so the tarpon
could see it, but more importantly I’d realised the
Pausing - opposite to what you would do in crackthe fly was pulled away from the tarpon, not into
ing a whip
him.”
Think about it this way ... If you were a bait fish no
larger than 4 inches long; and a 6 foot long tarpon
with a mouth the size of a bucket was swimming
towards you, would you swim a) toward death
or b) away from it? Natural instinct shows what a
real fish would do, but mimicking this takes concentration, knowledge and practise. Presenting
a perfect fly to a large predator, and having him
think it’s real enough to eat is what Flyfishing is all
about.
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Once you have your rod ready to go, thread the
flyline through the rod so that you have about 20
foot of line laid on the ground in front of you. Use
the hands of a clock to show where you need to
stop the rod on both the back stroke and the fore
stroke of the cast. 12 o’clock is 90 degrees to the
ground; 3 o’clock is horizontal to the ground.
From a position with the flyline on the ground, accelerate the rod back to a position beside your
ear, stopping the rod near the vertical position (11
o’clock position).
How to get started
Flyfishing can be a lot of fun. Learning to cast, ty- Pause the rod in this position until the flyline lays out
ing the flies and especially the first catch on your straight in the air behind you. From this position you
need to accelerate the rod forward and stop the
own tied fly is an excellent feeling.
rod at a position in front that is about 1/2 way between 3 o’clock & 12 o’clock.
To get started you need a decent rod. In Freshwater flyfishing the demands on the rod are not
A good tip from Gavin is once you have your flyas high as in Saltwater Flyfishing, so get the