It’s easy to adjust!

The Casting Connection

April 2026

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.

We get questions about getting hit with the fly, or better said, how to avoid getting hit with the fly. The easiest way to avoid getting snagged also opens opportunities for better presentations. That is sidearm casting, and it is easy to do.

Many anglers cast with the rod in the one or two o’clock position and cast at one speed. The rod is canted off vertical keeping the fly to the side, and the cast is just fast enough to keep line in the air.

Sometimes heavy overhead foliage makes a side arm cast necessary.

Casting sidearm will safely keep the fly a full rod’s length away. In addition, a horizontal cast is stealthier, helps avoid overhead obstacles and opens opportunities for presentations deeper under the cover of low branches and docks.

For a right-hand caster, seen from behind, this would mean casting with the rod at the three o’clock position or close to it.

There is no magic to making side arm casts, but you must cast faster. The closer you approach the three o’clock

position the faster you must cast to keep gravity from dragging your line.

Increasing line speed can be tricky and is best for single fly rigs and not droppers and split shot.

Shifting to faster casting reveals how smoothly you accelerate the rod, and to cast faster you must accelerate quickly.

Some say starting a cast too fast shocks the line and causes troubles. You can eliminate problems by continuing to increase speed throughout the cast, finishing faster than you started. You cannot start a cast too fast if you finish it faster.

Lengthening the casting stroke can help smooth acceleration. Moving your arm farther back and forth gives you more distance to generate speed.

There are other compensations with greater speed. The pause to let the line unroll will be shorter, and the rod might bend more deeply requiring widening your casting arc stopping points. Increase speed just a little at a time and the changes are easy.

To master a true sidearm cast, first master a faster cast. When you have a smooth fast cast lower the rod to the side a few degrees at a time. Keep the line a reasonable

length. There is no need to fight a long line attempting a new cast.

Accuracy can suffer side arm because the loop is unrolling sideways rather than from above down. Practice to keep casts accurate.

Try getting sideways. It is a skill that comes in handy for more than just keeping the fly safely a rod’s length away.

Send your questions or comments to: info@atlantaflyfishingschool.com