How To Fly Fish

How To Fly Fish

Beginner Fly Fishing Techniques - Casting The Fly

By Mick Legg
I was put off of fly fishing for years simply because I thought
it would be too hard to learn. There is so much hype about
casting a fly with a fly rod, different actions and movements
that it all sounds too complicated for the poor beginner. Well
the art of casting a fly is in truth really quite simple, and
with a few beginner fly fishing techniques just about anyone can
do it.

With fly fishing your aim is to cast your fly and have it land
naturally on the water so that it attracts fish. The main
problem with this is that you have no weight on the end of your
line to propel it to where you want it to go. Instead you are
using a heavy main line with a short piece of very light line
attached, onto which you tie your fly.

This means that you use the weight of the line itself to make
the cast, and this involves letting out line a little at a time,
then casting it behind you, casting it forwards, letting out
more line, casting behind, bringing it forwards and so on. This
is called false casting and allows you to build up the cast
until enough line is let out to land the fly where you want it.

With a small amount of practice this will get easier and
easier. Start off small by trying out your casting on an area of
clear grass, in a field or a large garden, there is no need to
use a fly or hook at this point as it could become snagged or
injure someone.

(1)Let out about twenty feet of line in front of you, stand
nice and loose and point the rod in front of you so that the rod
and line form a continuous straight line.

(2)Hold the rod with your thumb resting on the top of the
handle. During the cast you will only be moving your wrist and
forearm and not your shoulder.

(3)Trap the line coming from the reel under a finger and raise
the rod to about ten o'clock, then flick the rod backwards to
pick the line up off the grass, and propel it behind you until
it is at one o'clock

(4)Stop the movement sharply, and your wrist should be pointing
straight up with the tip of the rod behind you still at one
o'clock.

(5)Now you have to pause slightly to let the line straighten
out behind you until you feel a gentle tug (this is when the
line is fully extended).

(6)Sweep the rod forward and down, lowering your elbow at the
same time. As the line unfurls release the line trapped under
your finger.

(7)To increase the length of cast flick the rod back again and
while trapping the line under your finger pull a few yards of
line off with your other hand, cast the rod forward as before
and release the trapped line.

You are now fly fishing. You may be a bit awkward at first, but
with a little practice you will look and feel like a
professional. These are just your first basic steps to fly
fishing, by picking up a few more beginner fly fishing
techniques you will soon learn all the secrets and tips of the
fly fisherman.

About the Author: For more great fishing tips go to
http://www.buytryreview.com/category/fishing
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