Tony: Thanks for this post... I am having casting problems too, and now I think I see one of my main problems.. Jimmy Moore gave me some great off list pointers, and said the same thing, go back to the 1 o'clock position.. I was out this morning, watching myself, and sure enough, I'd go back to 9 o'clock (or maybe 10 o'clock and back bounce it off the water first LOL, then SNAP if forward like a circus lion trainer... I slowed down, went to 1 o'clock, and it wa smuch better, Thanks, Chuck
----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony Spezio" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 6:06 AM Subject: Re: Casting was: [VFB] Fishing report > Wes, > First, I should of proof read the post, lot's of spelling mistakes. It > was late and I am not a good typist. > When I started flyfishing, the streams I fished were real small and all > the casting I did was kind of a roll cast. This was with slow bamboo and > glass rods. After years of spin casting , I got back into fly fishing > and had to learn to really cast as I was fishing for bass on open ponds. > I bet I looked like a fool. > My fishing partner at that time learned to cast from Lefty, when you > watched him cast, it was like watching watching Lefty. As good as he > could cast, he was not able to help me at all. I learned the casting > basics from a 17 year old salesperson at LL Bean in Maine. After he > showed me the 1,2,3,4 method, I was able to put out a line where I > wanted it. I finally got some confidence in myself and kept improving. I > don't consider myself a great caster, sometimes not even a good caster > but I can teach it better than I can cast. I really learned to cast > after moving to Arkansas and fishing the White. > I too, see the O---- suited fly fisher people on the river that don't > know one end of a rod from the other. It is a real pity. Last Thursday > at Redbud, there was a guide with two clients in a boat drifting down > the river. Both were dressed to the gills with fine fishing apparel. > Neither could cast, the guide would cast out a long cast and hand the > rod to the clients. When the clients would try to cast, in most cases > they would tangle up with one another. > If I had them, the first thing I would do is teach then the basics of > casting. Both clients were swinging the rod in a full 180 degree arch, I > would at least teach them to make a pause at 1 o'clock. > I can go on with more stories but it would sound like I "know it all". I > will tell one more story. > A guy I met at a show I was doing wanted to get into flyfishing for him > and his wife. We got to be friends and I offered to take them on the > river. They went up to the "O" shop and spent big bucks to get > outfitted. A couple of weeks later we got together and headed for the > river. They had been practicing casting at home. needless to say, > neither could cast a rod. I worked with them but I was really not making > much headway. I thought I would cast one of their high priced rods to > get the feel of it so maybe I could better know what the problem was. > The rod was as stiff as a telephone pole. It was a real fast rod and it > was not a rod I would recommend for a beginner. Well here is the rest of > the story, I let them share my rod for the rest of the day. By time the > day was over, both had caught trout and could make a decent cast. > Neither could make a good cast with the rods they brought with them. My > rod was a 17.00 Blem blank I got at the local rod makers. > They took the rods back to the local "O" shop, theshop would not take > them back or exchange them. He finally got an exchange from the main > company but still was not happy with the rods. He finally had me build > them a couple of rods like mine. > A lot of the casting problem for beginners is the rod itself. > I am rambling on too much. > Tony > > Wes Wada wrote: > > > Tony Spezio wrote: > > > >> The client could not cast to save his life > > > > > > Great post, Tony. I really felt I was right there looking over your > > shoulder. > > > > On the other note above, a few comments: > > > > I am not a great caster, but I can pop a good one fairly consistently. > > I think the sea change for me was seeing a demo by Lefty Kreh, then > > reading his casting book. I am saving up for his DVD. As Lefty would > > say, "It's all about the physics." Your tippet size may vary. > > > > I am in a situation where I regularly run into other anglers visiting > > the northern California pay fishery Sugar Creek Ranch. I get to know, > > for a very brief period, anglers who are staying in the lodge for a > > night or two, or in other times, anglers who are attending a fly > > fishing clinic. > > > > It happens more in the clinics, you see guys with great gear who can't > > cast (as the saying goes) to save their lives. Just being able to > > cast 30 feet will double your opportunities at the Ranch, and these > > guys can't even do that consistently. Think of this: if you have a > > 9-ft. rod and a 9-ft. leader, and just lay the rod and line out > > horizontally, you can make as much as an 18-ft. cast. I've seen guys > > who can't even do that, albeit, trying to cast a weighted streamer. > > > > We often get into friendly chats, and the topic of casting does come > > up. (People get frustrated with their casting, and lack of basic > > skill sure gets in the way of catching fish.) > > > > I refer people to Lefty's demo, book and DVD, and encourage them to > > invest in a casting lesson. For MANY anglers, just doing that much > > will far outweigh any benefit they might get by buying a more > > expensive rod, reel, line, leader, etc. Learning how to cast so that > > it becomes more second nature will do more to enhance an angler's > > enjoyment of the act of fly fishing than just about anything. > > > > Wes Wada > > Bend, Oregon > > > > "Writing and fishing are my passions. Like all passions, they're great > > when they're going well, and awful when they're not. Like anything, > > the more you do it, the better you get. They keep drawing you out. You > > never get perfect." > > ~ John Gierach > > > > -- > Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas. > Experience the convenience of buying online with [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://shopnow.netscape.com/ > >
