Tips on Fly Casting
Stop - Shoot - Pinch
by Casting Master Walt Robinson
Stop - Shoot - Pinch
by Casting Master Walt Robinson
The last few articles have focused on improving your loops. For this edition, we will look at working line out of your rod tip which will require that you have reasonably tight loops both front and back.
First, pull out 20' of line from the tip of the rod and make a cast so you have a straight section of line out in front of you. Now pull out about 6' more line until you have a minimum of a full loop that extends from your rod to the ground and back up. Grasp the line with your line hand (the left hand for a right handed caster) and let it lay along where the fingers meet the open palm. Curl your fingers and let your thumb just pinch the line as it rests over the index finger. This should be the only point where there is pressure on the line. Do not grasp the line tightly with all the fingers. Keeping the line hand to the left side of the center line of the body (for right hand caster), make a few false casts.
To shoot line, remember the words Stop, Shoot, Pinch. As soon as you make a crisp stop on the forward cast, release the thumb on the index finger and allow a short piece of line slip through fingers then pinch it again when you have shot enough line. Continue this approach until you have worked out the entire section of loose line. You should be able to shoot the entire 6' of line with some practice. Remember, your success in working out line is in having tight loops.
Casting questions? E-mail me at wrobinson4@prodigy.net.