Casting 70

To catch fish I don’t need to be able to cast 70+ feet or know how to do any of those fancy casts. This is partially true. Lots of fly fishers can’t cast in the wind. (A good caster can easily deal with a 15mph wind). If we can’t cast well into the wind, there are lots of days both in freshwater and saltwater situations we simply won’t be fishing or we will be miserable doing so. In addition, there are plenty of times when knowing how to throw a curve cast or a slack line cast will catch more fish, even in saltwater. And, mostly in saltwater, being able to cast 70’ or even 80’ will reach fish that others can’t catch. To me, the wind is the biggest factor that restricts the anglers ability to catch fish – or to even fish at all.

If a person doesn’t learn to double haul or cast various loops on command, they severely restrict their ability to fish in wind, at distances, or with different setups and lines. (If a person can cast 70’ in good conditions, they can cast 50’ in the wind. If a person can cast 50’ in good conditions, they can only cast 30’ in windy conditions, or not at all.) If we are simply interested in getting outdoors and enjoying a nice day fly fishing, and catching some fish now and then, then learning to cast better is not an important goal. If it really upsets us when we can’t fish on certain days, or when we can’t fish to spots out of your reach, or we can’t keep your fly from dragging, then maybe we should consider practicing casting.

I guide lots of golfers and most spend a good bit of time practicing. I think the reason golfers spend more time is that success, or failure, in golf is objectively measured while in fishing this is much less the case. ”They just weren’t biting today” or it “it’s just too windy” are common fly fishing refrains. We are not being compared to an objective standardized norm established over time. If par is 5 and we consistently take 8 to get it in the hole, and our three partners consistently take 6, we know we aren’t as good as them – and everyone knows it. The results are objectively measured. If it’s important to catch more fish, practice your casting!