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| FFI Fly Casting Definitions |
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The definitions in this section were compiled by the Fly Casting Education Program (FCEP) Definitions Team during 2023-24. They were approved after extensive review by expert fly casting instructors, and finally by the FCEP Leadership Team in 2024. They are intended to provide casters with a consistent language for commonly-used casting terms. In addition, they are the official definitions used by the Examiner Development Pathway Committee when conducting examiner training workshops, by the Exam Committee when preparing and/or revising certification exams, and by examiners conducting casting certification exams.
Fly casting – the act of casting a fly line with a fly rod
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1) Casting stroke
1. Fly rod motion sufficient to cause loop formation.
2. Rod translation and/or rotation during a fly cast sufficient to cause loop formation.
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| 2) Casting arc –The angle change of the fly rod during the casting stroke. |
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| 3) Casting stroke length (stroke length) – The distance moved by the rod hand during the casting stroke. |
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| 4) Creep – Rod rotation during the pause in the direction of the next cast. |
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| 5) Drag – Hand translation during the pause in the direction of the next cast. |
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| 6) Drift – Rod rotation and/or hand translation during the pause in the direction of the current cast. |
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7) Mend – re-positioning the fly line after loop formation on a delivery cast.
Aerial mend – mending before the line lands on the water
Water mend – mending after the line lands on the water
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8) Single haul/hauling – pulling on the fly line with the line hand while fly casting
Double haul – hauling on consecutive casts (back cast and forward cast) |
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| 9) Curve cast – Delivery cast in which the fly line and/or leader lands in a curve, caused by rod motion before loop formation |
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| 10) Pause – The time period between casting strokes. |
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| 11) Tailing loop - Loop caused by a concave rod tip path in which the top (fly) leg dips toward and crosses the bottom (rod) leg. |
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| 12) Trailing (Underslung) loop – straight or upward curving top leg that falls below the bottom leg due to gravity. |
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Approved by the Casting Board of Governors 8/11/2015
Illustrations courtesy of Bruce Richards, MCI, CBOG
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