Five Lessons for the Instructor
Fundamentals of Fly Casting
Why is the shape of the loop so important? In spin or bait casting, the weight we are casting is the weight of the lure, bait or sinker, not the line. When fly casting, we are normally casting flies that are too light to cast with spin or bait casting gear. Fly casting utilizes a special line, a fly line, that is the casting weight. Rather than having the weight of the lure pull the line off the reel, in fly casting the weight of the fly line itself pulls the fly through the air and delivers it to the target.
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What is a Change of Direction Cast?
Change of direction casts are modifications of other casts that allow the presentation of the fly from a starting position to a finishing position that is generally several degrees to 180 degrees from the starting position. This is measured from the caster with lines to the start and finish targets. For example, a Pick-up and Lay-down cast to the same target would have 0 degrees change of direction. Picking up, false casting multiple times, and moving the target 20 feet to the left, we would measure the angle as a line from the caster to the starting position and from the caster to the finishing position.
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Why is a Pick-Up and Lay Down Cast Important?
We use the Pick-up and Lay-down cast (PULD) to learn and practice an important fly casting building block – how to quietly pick up a fly from the water and then efficiently deliver it to its target.
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What is False Casting?
False casting is the classic back and forth fly casting motion everyone has seen. It is necessary to false cast when fly fishing because we’re casting a long, weighted line instead of a simple weight, bait or lure as used in spin or bait casting. False casting allows us to change cast distance, change direction, and dry a wet fly. Learning how to false cast is an important step in the process of learning to cast so you can go fishing. The skills needed for false casting depend on a good understanding of the Fundamentals of a Cast and knowing the Pick Up and Lay Down (PULD) cast. Make sure you have mastered those two segments before you start false casting.
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What is a Roll Cast and Why Do You Need It?
A roll cast is a forward cast without a backcast. If you knew only one cast, it should be the roll cast. You’ll use it when you can’t make a backcast because of trees or other obstructions behind you or because you have unwanted slack in the fly line. It’s fun to learn and easy to do.
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