Casting Distance
- Thread starter Ewanflyfish
- Start date
BrookieChaser
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2013
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- 2,587
This thread reminds me of a quote from my favorite movie - "When you tell someone something, it depends which part of the country you're standing in as to just how dumb you are".
Adequate casting distance is more determined by fishing location and fish species than anything.
Adequate casting distance is more determined by fishing location and fish species than anything.
Absolutely not.
The one at my feet.
That's pretty much how it works with me as well. I decide where I want to put the fly and then, I kind of momentarily go away somewhere else while I am executing. A few seconds later when I return, I look and there's the fly pretty much where I intended to put it. Usually, anyway. But don't ask me how I did it. I really don't know...
brookieteeth
Member
I think there's an inverse relationship between the length of a cast and the ability to successfully hook a fish.
chrishanlon9301966
New member
Very interesting topic - sort of similar to using a net. For over 45 years I've never had to cast more than, say, 30-35 feet to reach fish. I imagine I could reach 50 without too much issue and with accuracy, but I've never tried. I don't think distance plays much role, but distance atop moving water will certainly down tons of fish. I've kept a fish out of the water for more than about 10 seconds only once for a release and used a net that one time. I'd exhausted the poor, but huge, brown on a 4wt. There was no way she would have made it if I had not helped her after netting - terrible feeling. I learned from my sport mentor to meet the fish in the water, lightly lift from the water on the side with a wet hand, release hook, return upright, and then move hand away. If the fish is too active in the water, don't grab and squeeze but gently roll the fish to its back using your four fingers under its side -- the fish will immediately calm. Roll the fish back to its side by flatening your hand, remove hook, replace in water, etc. Honestly, I have been struck over the years watching many, many net 7-10 inch trout, keep the fish out of the water for 20 or 30 seconds in a then drying net, take a picture for say another 20 seconds, and then return the fish to the water usually with some required help to see to the fish moving again. I was also taught that if hooked where you can rasily hold the fly, then it is best not to touch the fish at all but rather to simply shake the fish loose with most of its body still in the water. Who knows - fly fishing folklore is always a possibility on all of this.
[WR]
Member
I'm a horrible caster. Sidearm, whip snap, slow motion, all the bad. Lucky I can get 10 feet out and within 20 feet of aim.
6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
Over 100 messages on this string. Competitive casters all say that casting a whole line makes it impossible to set a hook.
Drifting (after careful approach) > Casting.
Drifting (after careful approach) > Casting.
wildtrout2
Well-known member
IMO Casting accuracy trumps distance.
Bamboozle
Well-known member
I think being able to sneak up on a feeding fish so you can make a controlled, tidy, accurate casts trumps everything. Case in point and the short rod, small stream crowd should concur...
I fish a lot of small streams with rods 6'6" to 7'0" because despite being able to fish longer at many, I own the rods because I like the rods, they are fun and they somehow seem right on a creek that isn't much wider than the rod is long.
However, because of the compromised reach, in-stream obstructions and faster currents that pull on a fly line belly and destroy the drift; I most often find it necessary to wade as close to the fish as possible so I can reach over the problems.
In this case, the shorter the casting distance the better.
6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
My mediocre casting is compensated for by my epic drifting. 😳
Bamboozle
Well-known member
You corral the spooked fish into the seine net said friend is holding upstream of the fish...
6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
If I happen to have any friends...
wildtrout2
Well-known member
I absolutely concur. Stealth is something I learned long before I became pretty darn good at casting. You can be the best at casting, but if you're spooking trout it's all for naught.
Kms
Well-known member
Orvis has free lessons, and if you need more and you’re in the southeast i can recommend an excellent instructor.
