To catch fish, you need to put the fly where you are looking!
The Casting Connection
May 2024
By Capt. Scott Swartz
Scott Swartz founded the Atlanta Fly Fishing School, which began in 1999. It is the largest such operation in the Southeast and the only Trout Unlimited “Gold Endorsed” school in the United States. His Florida Fly Fishing Schools started in 2008, helping anglers
learn to successfully fly fish in saltwater.
There are a lot of factors in successful fly fishing. Having the right fly at the correct depth, mending for drifts, reading water, seeing the take and setting the hook all contribute, but first there is the cast. Presenting a fly accurately on the first cast helps.
If your fly is landing within a few feet from where you are aiming instead of a few inches you are missing opportunities.
The best feeding lies in streams exists where fish can shelter from predators and current, and often they will not move more than a few inches to take a fly. In saltwater presenting a fly deep in the mangroves or in front of a cruising or tailing fish requires accurate casts as well.
Accuracy is so important that rod manufactures boast about their improved composites, hoop strength designs, and magic dust that makes their rods the most accurate. Spending money on a new “accurate” rod will not get you the accuracy that spending a little time practicing will, not even close.
Improving accuracy is easy and just a few minutes of practice goes a long way. A quick method is simply walking around the yard picking out a weed, a leaf, or a random spot attempting to drop your fly on the first cast. Constantly changing distances as well as the direction keeps you from getting dialed in on a target or the wind.
Accuracy has two dimensions: windage and distance. Windage is your deviation to the right or left. While wind can affect a presentation, most casters are surprised their casts curve off to one side without wind.
If you cast in a slight semi-circle around your body you can count on a leader that will present with a curve too! Often our reel is pointed forward toward the target on the forward cast and pointed out to the side during the back cast. This rod twist can also cause your leader to lay out with a curve. Curve casts can be helpful when done correctly and done on purpose, but that is a topic for another day.
To have a leader and tippet lay out straight move the rod tip in a straight-line path toward and away from the target.
To see how well your casting stroke is tracking have someone video you while you are casting toward them. Have them stand far enough away and zoom the camera in on your arm and entire rod. Playback should tell you if your rod tip is tracking straight toward and away from the camera or in an arc around your body.
The next time you wish you were fishing, but don’t have time, try accuracy drills. It has the benefit of improving your accuracy, fishing success, and you might just find it is fun, too!
Have a casting question? Send it to Info@FloridaFlyFishingSchools.com
