Cast A Fly . . . Catch A Student

11 STEPS TO THE BASIC FLY CAST Cast Setup Stance 3 rod lengths Grip Line on finger Elbow set Wrist in line Cast Execution Address Pick Up Back Cast Forward Cast Let Down

Stance 3 Rod Lengths Grip Line On Finger Elbow Set Wrist In Line 11 STEPS TO THE BASIC FLYCAST Cast Setup . . . Get ready to cast Stance 3 Rod Lengths Grip Line On Finger Elbow Set Wrist In Line

11 Steps to the Basic Fly Cast Cast Execution . . . Making the cast Address Pick Up Back Cast Forward Cast Let Down

1. STANCE Stance: Each student should straddle the casting line. If the caster is right-handed, the right foot should be over the casting line toward the target line. The feet are shoulder-width apart. Stand vertical with your head up and knees firm with slight pressure on the inside of both knees and feet.

2. 3 ROD LENGTHS 3 Rod lengths: The caster should always keep fly line equal to about 3 lengths of their rod in front of the rod tip. This provides enough weight to bend (i.e., “load”) the rod during the cast.

3. GRIP Grip: The proper grip will have the thumb on top of the rod grip, pointing nearly straight toward the target. The “V” between the thumb and forefinger should point toward the shoulder of the caster’s rod hand. The grip is firm but not “tight”.

4. LINE ON FINGER Line On Finger: For the basic cast, the fly line should be held against the rod grip by the index finger of the rod hand. The opposite (“line”) hand should be in the pants pocket of the caster.

5. ELBOW SET Elbow: The elbow is the foundation of the cast. It should rest comfortably in a natural position at the caster’s side, just above the hip. A training aid, such as a FishTarget, etc., may be used to encourage this position by placing it under the elbow against the caster’s side.

6. WRIST IN LINE Wrist: The wrist should be positioned so that it is in a straight line running from the elbow to the rod tip, with no bending or “cocking”. The back of the hand should appear “flat”, parallel to the rod grip, not twisted over or under it.

7. ADDRESS Address: This is the stage where the caster is preparing to make the next cast: the rod tip is lowered to a point 2” off the ground/floor/water, pointing in a straight line down the fly line. There should be no “slack” in the fly line, which should remain in front of the caster at a length of about 3 times the length of the rod.

8. PICK UP Pick Up: This is the first movement in the backcast stage of the basic cast. It is a slow, deliberate lifting of the rod tip as it rotates upward using the elbow as the foundation. It covers a range of 90°. There is no use of the wrist during this phase. It starts slowly and increases in speed as the rod tip is raised in a “stiffarm” manner.

9. BACK CAST Back Cast To A Stop: This is a short, upward movement of the rod tip. The wrist is used to flick the rod tip to an abrupt stop straight above the caster’s head. The thumb of the rod hand should be pointing straight up upon completion. This is a sharp, crisp motion using mostly the wrist and a little bit of the forearm (which finishes in an upright, vertical position as the rod tip is brought to a snapping stop.)

10. FORWARD CAST Forward Cast To A Stop: The caster, without changing any position of the wrist, hand, arm or elbow, begins to rotate the arm downward, using the elbow as the foundation. This motion begins slowly and ends with another abrupt stop of the rod tip by a short, flicking of the wrist at the point the backcast was started. Upon completion, the angle between the caster and the elbow-to-rod tip should be about 70°.

11. LET DOWN Let Down: This is the “follow through” stage. The caster lowers the rod tip gently toward the target as the fly line unrolls in front of them. The arm should be in a straight line, from the elbow to the rod tip, with the wrist returning to the “flat”, straight position, in line with the grip.