Friday Fly Fishing Facts. Or a Squeaky Autumnal Rant

Friday Fly Fishing Facts. Or a Squeaky Autumnal Rant

Ed Note: This blog from 5 years ago, this week. This is still a problem for casters. The rainbow cast. The waving of the rod tip fore and aft without purpose, or stopping the rod, ever. I know that beginners will possess these movement patterns. Perfectly OK, and of course you cannot do it properly, you just started.  It is the 20-40 year angler, who tells me, more importantly himself, that he has been fishing way longer than me. Well, sir…nice try. Naive really.  Fishing 3 days a year for 40 years does not make you good. Try telling your wife you are good at cooking…because you grill hamburgers and steaks on the BBQ. If your guide did your job, 3 days a year for 20-40 years…would he/she be good at it? If you ski, 3 days a year, for 20 years, are you good at it? Are you an expert? Are you done learning?!?!? Just thoughts as we move into the fall season. Happy Friday!

Great pic shot by Scumliner, John, the first year we were open as a shop. 

A few things on my mind as we move into the fall season.

Facts are what I have been entertaining the past 3 weeks. Fly fishing facts. Physics of the cast. Norms. Things of that sort.

Disclaimer: If you don’t like criticism, or reality, or fly fishing realities, or anything honest at all in your fly fishing blogs…we know you don’t like conversation based political talk here, and you may not also like realities of fly fishing and casting. If you don’t want to look reality in the face, stop reading. If you have a hard time being honest with yourself about your personal movement patterns, stop reading. 

Friday Fly Casting Facts

• If you drop your rod tip on the front cast every time you cast, you will never progress as a fly caster. Or angler for that matter, because you will not achieve greatness with a fly rod tip or rod that stops parallel to the water every cast. When you do this, you decelerate the rod. And that my fishy friends, never ever, eve,r ever, ever works. It is a physics equation. And even you fishing gods out there cannot overcome physics. Ever. If you drop the rod tip on the fore-cast you need to be comfortable with your current state in fly fishing. Because, you will never progress past the point you are currently at. Ever. Never. No matter how hard to try to stop that rod tip parallel to the water or ground. It will never work. Ever. Never.
• You should also stop it on the backcast. At some point. For longer than a nanosecond.
• Take a casting lesson and practice. And then another casting lesson and practice. And take another casting lesson and practice. Those who are good at any sport take lessons. Casting lessons on the water, while fishing, do not work. Practicing here not eh river, while fishing, will not change your cast. Ever. Never. Practicing for 10 minutes a week on this one concept will change your fishing life forever. Stop the rod on the forecast before it comes parallel to the water.
• No sir, the trout did not miss the fly. How often do you miss your mouth with a fork?
• Dragging the fly repeatedly does not constitute good angling.
• The river “does not owe you anything” sir.
• Trout are wild animals and hunting wild animals requires technique. Wild animals are not stupid.
• Creatures in nature are not stupid. If they are, they die.
• A pic or two of trout is OK and encouraged. 17 photos of trout is not OK.
• Bring Rain Gear. No sir, I am not a weatherman. I am a fishing guide. I’m gonna bring mine.
• A fishing guide brings you to the fish, coaches when he/she can, cheerleads, uses the net, has a good knowledge of what happened yesterday, has a guess to what will happen today, and does not guarantee trout to hand.
• Any fish on the line is a fish according to the guide. Clients generally count the fish to net. A guides job ends when the trout is on the line. Guides count every fish on the line.
• Yes, the wind will blow today.
• Yes sir, I did fish yesterday. Everyday you go to work sir, I go fishing. And I practiced casting this morning before work.
• No sir, I don’t want your leftover sandwich and half your fruit for dinner. Thanks though.
• Great flies do not make up for poor, dragging, drifts. Never.
• Dropping your rod tip rapidly, faster, or stronger while letting go of the fly line at some magical point on the forward rod arc will not work.  Ever.

And, that is it for now. I’m sure there are more things driving me mad the past year. But that is enough to let me breathe easier this Friday.

Love all of you. I do. But this thing, the epidemic with the rod tip dropping, and anglers not aware of it drives me insane. Trust me, nobody ever taught you that. Nope. If you did the same thing with a football, throwing a football into the ground…after the 3rd time the ball hit the ground, you would make a change. Immediately. But we commonly, mostly, do not recognize our issues in this quite important hurdle in fly casting.

I strongly suggest if you are an angler who desires improvement, you seek help. You need to change this movement pattern, this behavior, today. Find a competent partner, an instructor, and seek help.  You cannot, improve if you drop the rod tip. Ever. Never.

So best of luck out there. Get help today or plan for casting work this winter.  And, I must remind you that it is most anglers, certainly most men anglers. As far as I can tell, my personal survey, 99.9% of men do this. Maybe more.

We can help. Squeeky can help. Book any casting instructor at Headhunters of Craig and we can get you lined out. But let me remind you that this is a change that will take some practice, some time, maybe a bundle of time. Book your local casting instructor. They are around. They do care. If, if you care about catching more trout. If you think that that cast will work when you head to the flats for some saltwater action…well you truly are delusional.

Or, you can be comfortable with your current plight in casting life.

A cool trick to fix this problem