I’m sure we can all agree when we started fly fishing, we thought the further we cast the better chance we have to catch fish. That is not always the case as accuracy and presentation are much more important. But there are situations where longer casts are necessary. In this tips and tricks video of the week, Pete Kutzer of the Orvis Company demonstrates how to add distance to your casts.
How to Improve your Casting Distance:
- Make sure you are executing a “good” cast. Move your rod forward and backward in a fluid motion on a straight path. Think straight back, straight forward.
- Be sure not to deviate from your straight path. Any twist in your back cast will be amplified in your longer casts.
- Start out with a shorter amount of fly line and begin casting with shorter pauses.
- As your fly line length grows, a longer pause is needed to allow for the fly line to load up or create the loop.
- Your casting stroke should become longer as the length of your fly line becomes longer.
- A key to help with longer casts can be to implement the double haul approach to provide more control and accuracy at longer distances.
The key takeaways here are to remain on a constant forward and backward path with your back cast and forward cast. Also remember to lengthen your cast and allow for more pause as your casting distance increases. Once you have these tactics mastered, long casts will become a piece of cake!
