Fly Casting Education Program
(FCEP)

Introduction

These casting definitions are designed to help instructors and others with a serious interest in Fly Casting communicate more clearly with each other. They are not necessarily intended to be teaching terms, and we of course respect our colleagues’ right to use terminology they consider suitable for their students. This single set of definitions covers both overhead and anchored casts with all fly rods.

The document is laid out in the following sections and is followed by an alphabetical index of terms linked to their definitions.

• Fly Casting
• Loops
• Fly Leg Shapes
• Fly Casting Movements
• Rod Movements During the Pause
• Casting Terms
• Casts and Techniques

We hope you find it helpful. 

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Fly Casting

• Using a flexible lever to move and unroll a weighted line to propel an artificial lure.

 

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Loops

Loop

• The shape a fly line assumes as it overtakes the rod tip during a Fly Cast.

Fly Leg

• The moving section of fly line in a Loop from the fly to the start of the Loop Nose.

Rod Leg

• The moving or stationary section of fly line in a Loop from the rod tip to the end of the Loop Nose.

Loop Nose

• The curved section of fly line at the front of the Loop which is the transition between the Fly Leg and the Rod Leg.

 

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Fly Leg Shapes

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Fly Casting Movements

Translation

• A linear change in position of the rod butt.

Rotation

• An angular change in position of the rod butt.

Casting Stroke

• Rotation and/or Translation of the rod butt sufficient to cause Loop formation.

Stroke Length

• The distance moved by the rod butt during the Casting Stroke.

Casting Arc

• The angle change of the rod butt during the Casting Stroke.

Stop

• Deceleration of the rod resulting in Loop formation.

Rod Plane

• The surface traced by the rod during a Fly Cast.

Rod Tip Path

• The straight or curved path travelled by the rod tip during a Fly Cast.

Tracking

• The lateral path of the rod tip during the Casting Stroke.

Trajectory

• The direction travelled by the Loop relative to the horizon.

Lift

• Moving the rod up to reposition the fly line for the next movement in the Fly Cast.

Follow-Through

• Moving the rod forward and down after the Delivery Cast.

Timing

• The moments in time when each casting action transitions into the next.

Tempo

• The rates of movement within a cast.

Pause

• The time period between Casting Strokes.

180 Degree Principle (Aerialized Casts)

• The intended Rod Tip Path and fly line are closely aligned both laterally and vertically with the target at the start of each Casting Stroke.

180 Degree Principle (Anchored Casts)

• The Delivery Cast, D Loop and the Anchor are closely aligned laterally with the target. 

 

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Rod Movements During the Pause

Rod movements during the Pause can be made through a combination of Rotation and/or Translation.

Drift

• Moving the rod tip in the direction of the current cast during the Pause.

Drag

• Moving the rod tip in the direction of the next cast during the Pause.

Creep

• Drag which contributes to a casting fault.

Up/Down

• Moving the rod tip up or down during the Pause.

In/Out

• Moving the rod tip in (closer to the caster laterally) or out (further away) during the Pause.

 

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Casting Terms

Aerial/Overhead Cast

• After the initial Lift, aerialized forward and back casts are made until the Delivery Cast.

False Cast

• A forward cast followed by a back cast, both of which remain aerialized.

Overhang

• The amount of running/shooting line outside the rod tip during Casting Strokes.

Point P

• The point where the fly line suspended from the rod tip first touches the water.

Anchor

• The fly and fly line/leader in contact with the water at the bottom of the D Loop.

Anchored Cast

• A cast whose back cast Loop passes underneath the rod tip and forms an Anchor and a D Loop.

Anchor Position

• The location and layout of the Anchor relative to the caster.

Skipped Anchor

*Updated Term

• A fault where an Anchor briefly forms and then prematurely leaves the water while moving away from the target before the Delivery Cast.

Blown Anchor

*Updated Term

• A fault where an Anchor prematurely releases from the water during the Delivery Cast.

Piled/Crashed Anchor

*Updated Term

• A fault where an Anchor lands on the water creating slack in the fly line/leader.

Bloody L Anchor

*Updated Term

• A fault where an Anchor has some of the fly line/leader positioned at approximately a right angle to the remaining Anchor.

Level Line Drop

*Added Term

• A fault in the D Loop Sweep which causes the fly line/leader to land flat on the water.

Trunking

*Added Term

• A fault where downward rod tip movement at the end of the D Loop Sweep results in an Anchor which is too long, with Point P behind the caster.

Hooking

*Added Term

• A fault where the D Loop swings around and behind the caster.

Connection Point

• The fly line/leader or fly line/sink tip connection.

D Loop

• A round shaped back cast Loop between the rod tip and the Anchor of an Anchored Cast. Also used as a generic reference to back cast Loops of any shape in Anchored Casts.

V Loop

• A pointed back cast Loop between the rod tip and the Anchor of an Anchored Cast.

D Loop Sweep

• A Casting Stroke which initiates the formation of the back cast Loop of an Anchored Cast.

Line Placement Move

• A movement of the rod immediately after the Lift which results in the fly line being positioned appropriately on the water for the subsequent D Loop Sweep.

Touch and Go Anchor Cast

• An Anchored Cast in which the fly line/leader first re-contacts the water after the Lift and D Loop Sweep.

Sustained Anchor Cast

• An Anchored Cast with a Line Placement Move before its D Loop Sweep.

Downstream Anchor Cast

• An Anchored Cast which in moving water places the Anchor and D Loop downstream of the caster, or in still water leaves them on the same side of the caster as the fly line before the Lift.

Upstream Anchor Cast

• An Anchored Cast which in moving water places the Anchor and D Loop upstream of the caster, or in still water places them on the opposite side of the caster from the fly line before the Lift.

Circle Up

• A circular and upward movement connecting the D Loop Sweep and the Delivery Cast with which the caster moves into the Key Position.

Key Position

• The hand and arm positions from which the caster begins the Delivery Cast.

River Left/Left Bank

• The left bank of the river when facing downstream.

River Right/Right Bank

• The right bank of the river when facing downstream.

 

 

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Casts and Techniques

Delivery Cast

• The final Casting Stroke of a Fly Cast, which presents the fly.

Mends

• Manipulating the fly line layout by rod movement after the Stop on a Delivery Cast.
• Aerial Mends - mending before the fly line/leader lands on the water.
• Water Mends - mending after the fly line/leader lands on the water.

Shooting line

• Increasing the amount of fly line outside the rod tip by releasing the fly line after the Stop.

Slipping line

• Increasing the amount of fly line outside the rod tip by releasing the fly line and moving the rod either before or after a Casting Stroke.

Straight Line Presentations

• Casting Strokes and/or Mends which produce a straight fly line layout.

Slack Line Presentations

• Casting Strokes and/or Mends which produce slack line layouts.

Curved Presentations

• Casting Strokes and/or Mends which produce a curved line layout.

Hauling

• Single Haul - Pulling the fly line through the rod guides during either the forward or back Casting Stroke.
• Double Haul - Pulling the fly line through the rod guides during consecutive Casting Strokes, after returning the line hand towards the rod hand during the Pause.

Continuous Tension Cast

• A cast where continuous rod movement maintains tension in the fly line.

 Oval/Gebetsroither/Belgian/Elliptical Cast

• A Continuous Tension Cast formed by a relatively horizontal back cast Rod Plane which then transitions without stopping into a more vertical Rod Plane on the forward cast.

Roll Cast

• An Anchored Cast without a substantial change of direction consisting of a Lift, D Loop Sweep, Circle Up, and Delivery Cast in which the fly does not leave the water until after the Delivery Cast.

Switch Cast

• A Touch and Go Anchor Cast without a substantial change of direction consisting of a Lift, D Loop Sweep, Circle Up, and Delivery Cast.

Spey Cast

• An Anchored Cast with a change of direction.

Single Spey

• An Upstream Touch and Go Anchor Cast with a change of direction, consisting of a Lift, a fly line repositioning movement, then a D Loop Sweep, Circle Up, and Delivery Cast.

Double Spey

• A Downstream Sustained Anchor Cast with a change of direction, consisting of a Lift and an Upstream Line Placement Move, followed by a downstream rod movement transitioning into a D Loop Sweep, Circle Up, and Delivery Cast.

Snap Cast

• An Upstream Sustained Anchor Cast with a change of direction, consisting of a Lift, a Line Placement Move in which the rod moves upstream and reverses direction downstream, followed by an upstream rod movement transitioning into a D Loop Sweep, Circle Up, and Delivery Cast.
• Snap C/Circle C/Circle Spey
• A Snap Cast where the Line Placement Move consists of the rod moving upstream and reversing direction downstream in a rounded path.
• Snap T
• A Snap Cast where Line Placement Move consists of the rod moving upstream and reversing direction downstream in a relatively straight path.

Snake Roll

• A Downstream Touch and Go Anchor Cast with a change of direction, consisting of a Lift with a circular movement towards the target, transitioning into a D Loop Sweep, Circle Up, and Delivery Cast.

Perry Poke

• A rod movement which directs slack fly line on the water in front of the caster approximately in line with the target direction, and is then followed by a D Loop Sweep, Circle Up and Delivery Cast.

 

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Casting Definitions Team

Bryan Martin MCI, THMCI and Bruce Williams MCI, THMCI Definitions Team Co-Chairs

Sekhar Bahadur MCI, THMCI
Mac Brown MCI
Mark Huber MCI, THMCI
Bob Young MCI

With thanks to the FFI Fly Casting Education Program Leadership Team and our reviewers:

Tomonori (Bill) Higashi MCI, THMCI
Willie Holmes MCI, THMCI
Tim Rajeff MCI, THMCI
Todd Somsel MCI, THMCI
Mark Surtees, MCI

Special thanks to Bintoro Tedjosiswoyo CI, THMCI for the graphics and diagrams.

 

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Index of Casting Terms in Alphabetic Order

Note: to return to this Index of Casting Terms, use the browser Back button.

# 180 Degree Principle (Aerialized Casts) 180 Degree Principle (Anchored Casts)	A Aerial Mends Aerial/Overhead Cast Anchor Anchor Position Anchored Cast	B Belgian Cast Bloody L Anchor Blown Anchor
C Casting Arc Casting Stroke Casting Terms Casts and Techniques Circle C Circle Spey Circle Up Concave Fly Leg Connection Point Continuous Tension Cast Convex Fly Leg Creep Curved Presentations	D D Loop D Loop Sweep Delivery Cast Double Haul Double Spey Downstream Anchor Cast Drag Drift	E Elliptical Cast
F False Cast Fly Casting Fly Casting Movements Fly Leg Fly Leg Shapes Follow-Through	G Gebetsroither Cast	H Hauling Hooking
I In/Out In-Plane Loop	K Key Position	L Left Bank Level Line Drop Lift Line Placement Move Loop Loop Nose Loops
M Mends	O Out-of-Plane Loop Oval Cast Overhang	P Pause Perry Poke Piled/Crashed Anchor Point P
R Right Bank River Left River Right Rod Leg Rod Movements During the Pause Rod Plane Rod Tip Path Roll Cast Rotation	S Shooting line Single Haul Single Spey Skipped Anchor Slack Line Presentations Slipping line Snake Roll Snap C Snap Cast Snap T Spey Cast Stop Straight Fly Leg Straight Line Presentations Stroke Length Sustained Anchor Cast Switch Cast	T Tailing Loop Tempo Timing Touch and Go Anchor Cast Tracking Trailing Loop Trajectory Translation Trunking
U Underslung Loop Up/Down Upstream Anchor Cast	V V Loop	W Water Mends

 

 

Back to Top (FFI Fly Casting Definitions)

Updated: December 2024
*Added/Updated items are noted below the term.