old f--ts with flyrods

[rgfixit]

Gander mountain sells some decent outfits to get started with.  I think there's one in Utica.

Rg

[trapper2000]

you  are  your  best instructor!  and  the  best tool in your  bag  is  to  video  yourself!  watch u  tube  for  sure    get  some basics  down   then  video  yourself  and  you'll see   what  hs  to  be  corrected ..... i personlly  am  not a  graceful caster but  i  can  hit  my  target  and  not  splash ......

[Bluegillonafly]

Hey Trapp...Sort of like your toilet skills, right?

[Bigwitt1171]

Practiced casting in the yard last night. I was pretty awful, I feel like the line isn't laying out properly? It was bunching up like five feet away from me. Not tangling but not going as far as I think it should

[WANNAKETCHUM]

Another heads up for all you old f--ts...

Just received my weekly (or so it seems) Cabela's sale flyer and they're offering the R.L. Winston PASSPORT fly rods at $100.00 off the regular price from June 19th through July 6th. Regular price is $239.99 - $244.99 so it's $100.00 off either. Unconditional lifetime warranties and they come with a Cordura Nylon rod tube. Eleven models available. Just in case anyone's interested that was unaware of the sale.

WK

[WANNAKETCHUM]

Practiced casting in the yard last night. I was pretty awful, I feel like the line isn't laying out properly? It was bunching up like five feet away from me. Not tangling but not going as far as I think it should

You're probably dropping your arm on the forward cast instead of making an abrupt "stop" somewhere around the ten o'clock position.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDJJ6W23gHw

WK

[rgfixit]

Watch that back cast. It needs to be completed before making any move forward. Whenever I start screwing up I slow down and lighten up that grip. Muscle is not an answer.

Rg

[trapper2000]

geeeez to be  honest  it's  just natural  for me  but  one big  problem  i think everyone has  is  trying to cast further then they  should you start messing  up  practise  casting shorter!  you  don't  need to kill it  !  .... relax  ....build  your  confidence up  ...trust  me  flycsting  is  not a  art  it's simple  mechanics,if  i  can do it  you can  do it better!......

[WANNAKETCHUM]

Bigwitt,

Listen to the advice of the REAL old f--ts on here, trapper and RG. Don't try to overcomplicate things. Slow down and take your time to develop the "feel" for casting and it will come to you. Don't try to become a distance caster overnight, most of the time you'll be casting less than 25-30ft anyway. I don't know what outfit you're learning to cast with, but the slower action glass rods are more forgiving of beginner mistakes and you can definitely feel the rod load up. Make sure you've got the right weight fly line for the rod and not a line that's for a lighter weight rod (6wt line for 6wt rod not a 5wt line for 6wt rod etc.) although it's acceptable to go with the next line weight heavier than the rod weight (7wt line for 6wt rod). A weight forward WF line may help you learn easier than a double taper DT line. Personally, I would avoid using a level (no taper at all) fly line.

WK

[rgfixit]

I was just, out in the yard practicing with an 8 wt and a sink tip line.  I intend to use it for drum at some depth. 15-25  feet of water. I'll be using one of my furled fluorocarbon leaders and some beefy crayfish imitations. I'm determined to play with some monsters on thee fly..

Anyway., I found that I could only false cast ,to ,around 25' before having difficulties. I was, however, able to double haul out to almost 90'. I might do better off the back of the boat.

Rg

[WANNAKETCHUM]

I was just, out in the yard practicing with an 8 wt and a sink tip line.  I intend to use it for drum at some depth. 15-25  feet of water. I'll be using one of my furled fluorocarbon leaders and some beefy crayfish imitations. I'm determined to play with some monsters on thee fly..

Anyway., I found that I could only false cast ,to ,around 25' before having difficulties. I was, however, able to double haul out to almost 90'. I might do better off the sack of the boat.

Rg

Rg,

Do suppose the built-in weight of that sink tip is the culprit, causing the line to want to drop a lot sooner than the same line would do if it were a WF floating line? I have an old (unused) spool of 6wt Scientific Anglers sink tip around here somewhere that I bought back in the mid-80's at a yard sale. I was gonna throw it on the spare spool for my Pflueger 1495 DA just never did it. It would probably be a good "beater" line to use on the Susky and Chemung for Smallies. If I remember right it's on the light side, meant for depths of maybe 6-8ft or so in moderate currents?? It's probably not a patch off the lines available today and I've never used it so I have no experience casting with it.

WK

[KingPerch]

Hey Trapp...Sort of like your toilet skills, right?

[rgfixit]

Took the 2wt to the creek this afternoon. Pestered the gills and bass with dry flies. Love that little rod. Had one ,decent smallie on, broke it off. Gotta get used to that 6X tippit.

Rg

[MickeyFinn]

Bigwitt,

Listen to the advice of the REAL old f--ts on here, trapper and RG. Don't try to overcomplicate things. Slow down and take your time to develop the "feel" for casting and it will come to you. Don't try to become a distance caster overnight, most of the time you'll be casting less than 25-30ft anyway. I don't know what outfit you're learning to cast with, but the slower action glass rods are more forgiving of beginner mistakes and you can definitely feel the rod load up. Make sure you've got the right weight fly line for the rod and not a line that's for a lighter weight rod (6wt line for 6wt rod not a 5wt line for 6wt rod etc.) although it's acceptable to go with the next line weight heavier than the rod weight (7wt line for 6wt rod). A weight forward WF line may help you learn easier than a double taper DT line. Personally, I would avoid using a level (no taper at all) fly line.

WK

Pretty good advice..... Ive been casting all sorts of fly rods for over 20 years, Best way i can discribe how to cast is this, its the same feeling as cracking a wet towel, or a whip so to speak... You have to load energy in one direction and exchange/project its momentum to another direction....

Which as said, once you get the feel of it you just build on it... The only thing ill add is. roll casting, some call it barrel casting,,,,, IF you do small stream fishing you will roll cast more than anything, roll casting is fly fishing in my opinion, even if you are fishing big rivers, it gives you the ability to pound a seam or run over and over without spooking fish , even lake fishing when you have fish rising spread out ,if done right you can move to another fish at the flick of the wrist.... Casting flies can be a ton of fun, and a challenge...

[chrony59]

MickeyFinn nailed it ............................