Make that list man

Started writing this morning without a title, without a blog topic, without a direction for my day, without the fly shop open, without a purpose.

And that is bad. Awful. Dangerous!

No direction is like being a drifter. And one of the boat companies slogans reads “All who drift, are not lost.” Or something like that.

No direction, no purpose, in this period of time may be trouble. Why not view this time off in a positive light. Why not seize the moments that you don’t generally get because of job, spouses, kids, grandkids, etc. Get ahead on a few of those projects that have been languishing for months or even years.

My professional suggestion is that you make yourself a short list today. Not one of those lists that you cannot finish. But one of those lists that you can accomplish and feel good about.

And here is a way to put smiles on your face and joy in your heart while getting a few of those things done you told your wife you did last fall.

Practice casting. Yep. You have the time to do this man. Those who are great casters practice. A lot.

And you don’t have to practice for 30 minutes at a whack. 10 minutes or less. Frequently.

That is all it takes. Short, efficient, casting sessions.

I practice often, as my goal this winter was to improve my casting stroke. I think I have. But, the most important part of the game is getting those miles.

Yep. The most important part is just handling the rod and getting the miles in. The normal false casting stroke is what you need to do. Over and over and over and over.

Then switch to your left hand for the last two minutes of your session.

How long? Ohh, a couple minutes per session will do the trick. Ten on the outside. 30 minutes is way toooo long! 20 is way tooo long. 10 minutes is probably too much for most. 5 is a great period. With some practice of stopping that rod tip high, not parallel to the ground. Stopping the rod tip high. Anytime you fishing with the rod tip matching the slope of the ground, you are doing it wrong.

Go ahead and watch some killer fishing videos of great dry fly casters. You will see the rod tip stop high, then fall to the ground as the line falls to the ground. The rod tip does not stop parallel to the ground. Honest.

Miles my fishy friends. That is what a goal for you should and can be.

View this time period as a time to make positive strides in your casting stroke. Capitalize on many short casting sessions and raises the bar man!

String up that 5 wt and get after it. Leave it strung up. Tie off a piece of yarn or a fly with the hook cut off. Put a hula hoop in your back your and practice accuracy. Try out some distance casts. Cast in the wind. With the wind. Into the wind. Across the wind.

If you have that practice rod employ it daily.

Miles man, miles.

Headhunters Fly Shop Current Status

• Headhunters Fly Shop storefront closed today thru at least April 10th.
• Headhunters Online Shopping Services available.
• We will not be answering the phones at the shop in Craig. If you do have any questions about lodging, guide trips ad the like, call Julie at 406-868-5473
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• The river is open. Practice all of the safety measures of the day.
• Practice casting at home. Or, on the river.
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