fishing distance vs castig distance

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Date: February 26, 2008 at 14:06:28
From: ken, [pool-64-223-43-111.prov.east.verizon.net]
Subject: fishing distance vs castig distance

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Date: February 23, 2008 at 01:59:15
From: ken, [pool-64-223-43-111.prov.east.verizon.net]
Subject: Re: Fishing distance vs casting distance

I remember years and years ago at aa place in Bristol RI where the fish were always at the end of a very long cast.

There was a lot of current there and as soon as my fly landed it was swept away down stream by the current and I could not seem to do well there and I wanted to. Drag ruined every cast immediately. I tried everything I could. I waded up stream but I could not wade out far enough to get a good angle. I tried casting upstream but dray grabbed the line immediately no matter what I did. I stooped the line in the air hoping to drop enough slack to get the fly to swim even for a few feet but it didn’t work.
I tried split shot and tried to throw a loop up stream to get the fly to settle before it took off like a speedboat heading down stream.
I tried everything. I knew I could catch those fish if I could mend quick enough but the rid I was using was not long enough to handle all that line out there fast enough or powerfully enough to lift and mend it with control. I had a two handed rod at the time but I did not think of that for some reason. What I did (this was before the age of the internet by the way) was hunt for a longer rod.

I was using a ten foot rod at the time but it was not long enough to do the job for me.

After a long search with the help of a friend or two I found a Fenwick of the HMG series that was ten feet and I decided to add a section to the inside of the butt and make it a ten and a half. The blank was a nine weight. I got it set up how I wanted it big guides and large stripping guides I tried a nine weight line on it and I liked it and then I tried a ten and I really liked it and then I put on an 11 weight. A Cortland Salt water taper and that was it. One backcast and the line flew out like a pencil popper on ten pound test with a fresh water rod. My jaw dropped...
I knew that distance alone would not help me catch those fish. The rod had to be able to mend and mend strongly several times right away and be able to throw and stack that line straight upstream from the fly right away. I was hopeful.

I knew where the fish held. I had a range on a flag pole on the other side of the river and a nun buoy that was held in place on the incoming tide. I lined them up and waded out as far as I could right to the edge off the drop off into the channel itself on my side of the river. I tied on an eel punt on a 3/0 hook (I remember details for some reason I always have) and stripped line off my reel until I though I had enough out and made a backcast and then I made the forward cast.
The line flew out smoothly and the fly turned over and landed right where I had hoped it would .I mended upstream and mended again and again. Everything was perfect.

The line moved down and the fly sank and came tight right on my range and I saw the line hesitate and I tightened. I hooked the fish. I did it again on the next cast and several more times in a row. Since then I have fished that spot and many others like it with good results but I can not say that distance casting alone is the factor for fish that are holding in current to feed.

It is true that you can not catch them without a long cast but in current where the fish will not move off station to feed you do have to be able to control your line and fly at that distance or you will be frustrated by failing to interest them over and over again.

The rods and the lines are just tools for getting the job done. The job is not always as simple as casting far and sometimes actually often, presentation is the key even if that presentation is a simple one like casting 100 feet and stripping like hell.
There more we learn and master the more situations we can engage intelligently.

Casting is only one skill and it is very important but casting alone without awareness of presentation can arrest your development as a fly fisherman.

My advice is t do what I did as kid. Stalk the fish and fish for them one at a time and let your skills grow and keep casting and stalking and growing in your ability to fish and develop your casting skills and your presentation skills as you move along.

I have seen too many people who for some reason think that they have to become tournament casters before they can learn to catch fish.

They never do learn and usually quit somewhere along the line before they allow themselves to start learning how to fish.
Casting serves fishing not the other way around.
As Bob says, learn to cast short, medium and long and keep practicing.
I say do not forget to keep you focus on fishing - while you are practicing.
That alone will lead you towards mastery.

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