I will provide stream side one on one, or small group programs; covering everything from the casting basics to advanced techniques and a few tricks to accelerate your performance.
Developing as an angler hinges on a deep understanding and proper development of your casting stroke, this is such an important skill in fly fishing that it can’t be overestimated, it’s a must if you are to become an accomplished angler. It’s the single most important athletic skill in fly fishing that can only be mastered from sound instruction, followed by practice. Many other facets in fly fishing can be instantly bestowed on an angler like a fly pattern or visually walking an angler through an aquatic insect hatch right out on stream. Or helping anglers tune their tippet properly to help them achieve longer drag free floats. Fly casting can not be quickly passed on there is a path of success that starts with good preliminary instruction and lots of structured practice.
The programs I deliver are proven and successful programs of which two of the most accomplished anglers to ever grace the fly-fishing industry have developed; these anglers are who I reference later on, are my source of knowledge. I think it’s important to explain who these talented anglers are and why I chose their system of teaching as the basis for my programs. I think you will also see why I decided to base my programs on their proven track record and impeccable abilities.
What you’ll learn in my program.
I start by taking you through the “AFTMA’S” (American Fishing Tackle Manufactures Association) chart on how to match up the proper fly line weight to the fly rod you select. Which illustrates within an acceptable 12 grains (6 above or 6) below what each specific line weight will weigh in the first 28 feet of the line. This length of line was decided on because that is the distance most introductory/average anglers can cast in distance.
I demonstrate and teach the proper rod grip and casting stance for comfort, performance and efficiency to establish the basis for executing the physical aspects of casting to achieve optimal line energy transfer and how to gain better loop control.
The Rod Grip
To initiate the grip, place your dominant casting hand in a wide-open stance along the side of the rod grip that you will be casting from. At this point the palm of your open hand should be facing the rod grip as shown in diagram one
Next close your rod hand around the grip as if you were holding a suitcase as shown in diagram two. The hand grip should always be a comfortable athletic grip, never get a strangle hold on the grip.
The final step in the grip process is to ensure the thumb is on top of the grip as shown in diagram three, so the arrangement of the thumb and index finger are in line with the top of the rod.
My program instills the fundamentals as a solid foundation to build on with a step-by-step approach. I break down the casting stroke, discuss it and demonstrate all the movements that comprise a well-established stroke. This will not only make you a better caster it will also assure you fully understand the principals of the casting stroke.
I will also cover what Mr. Doug Swisher coined as the “micro-second wrist” this is the ultra fine tuning of the casting stroke and is essential in the accomplished casters arsenal. We will go over how to control the arm-wrist functions and the major function they both play in efficient controlled casting.
We will go over both the mental and physical checks and the use of visuals to help in the assessment to better help you detect your own casting faults and work out a plan to correct them. I will also introduce you to various casting exercises which will help you improve your casting skills.
The program will also provide the stepping stones that will help you understand and breakdown the mechanics of fly casting and get your presentation seen. I cover what shooting line is and why you would incorporate it into your casting arsenal., I teach four shooting skills, the short shoot, the long shoot, the back shoot, and continuous shoot.
I cover many practice drills to develop your line striping technique and maintain complete control. Next, I cover how to properly feed the line out over the rod tip in a controlled manner to extend your drag-free drifts during downstream presentations. Stripping is generally used to retrieve line in at the same speed as the current on upstream casts to maintain longer drag free drifts, maintain line control and aid in setting hooks properly when fish take your fly. I will also cover how to maintain accurate downstream presentations with slack line casts and maintain long downstream drag free drifts with precise measured feeding all the while maintaining optimal control.
I teach casting planes and angles of tilt, which will help you present the fly properly in some of the toughest situations. We go over what the comfort zone is and how it really helps the symmetry and produces complete control at all times during all casting situations, like straight-line cast, slack line cast and others.
Special focus and attention is spent on the rod tips position in relation to the stream surface at the end of your final delivery cast. Then I delve into how to master that magical angle of presentation during your final delivery cast and how that angle changes at various casting distances. We will cover how to achieve the most gentle presentation and make short or longer casts accurately which will increase your efficiency and number of picky trout caught.
I will start with introducing you to the first presentation cast you should learn , which is the pick up and lay-down cast; this ensures your fly spends more time on the water in the trout’s feeding lane. I teach you how to properly manipulate the fly line in order to properly feed, mend, and strip your fly line so you will become more effective out on the stream. We will cover what false casting is and how to develop proper timing in your false casting technique. False casting is generally used to wick moisture from a dry fly or change direction when casting.
The Line Control System
I will teach you how to cast around the clock so you will be able to cast effectively from any position in the stream. We will go over how to maintain line control and achieve long controlled drift of the fly once you have presented it in the trout’s feeding lane. Mr. Doug Swisher coined this the “line control system”.
In the more advanced programs I can teach you about stack mending, shoot mending, reach casts, curve casts and even combining the reach and curve cast can do to improve the presentation of your fly and ensure much longer drag free drift s of your fly. I teach you effective stream presentation casts that ensures your fly spends more time on the stream surface and not in the air. This cast is referred to as the ” pick up and laydown cast and is the most effective way to ensure your fly spends more time in the trout’s feeding lane.
Below is a Link to something I wrote about the two ambassadors of this sport that had the greatest impact on me and gave me an aim to set my sights on, and instil a standard to measure against, in a sport steeped in tradition it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention them, so I encourage you to learn a little about those whose stones line the pathways to our success. I hope this outline has opened up the doors of curiosity into the possibilities that this casting program offers. To enrol please contact me here and we can schedule some time together, hope to hear from you soon!
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