As many of you know, one of my favourite topics is distance casting, so it’s not by chance that one of the first videos to come out is on, you guessed it –distance casting. It’s been awhile since I’ve discussed that and it’s always worth revisiting. This article is intended to provide more detail on the same topic.
When we talk about distance casting we don’t mean casting 100 feet or more. We do mean casting further than you currently are, and increasing that distance. Distance casting is the extreme part of fly casting, and as such forces the caster to hone his skills and confront potential problems. Being able to cast greater distance is a skill that helps in many other areas of casting. I acknowledge that the majority of fish are caught at less than 60 feet; probably less than 40 feet. But that isn’t really the point. Working on distance casting is about improving casting in general. Let’s compare and contrast a short and long cast, say 20 feet and 120 feet, highlighting the differences and pointing out the opportunities.
TRAJECTORY
Trajectory is the angle of attack or approach of the fly line. Remember that for a properly executed cast the backcast and front cast should be 180 degrees apart. That means that if the front cast is 15 degrees below horizontal the backcast should be 15 degrees above horizontal.
For short casts the trajectory can be steep with a high backcast and low forward cast. However, with distance casting it’s necessary for the longer loop to have time to unroll above the water. As the false cast grows in distance it’s necessary to keep the loop more parallel to the water. As the casting distance grows even more, it may be necessary to have a slightly upward loop trajectory in the forward cast so that as the loop unrolls and falls it remains above the ground or water.
LOOP SHAPE
We often talk about loops needing to be narrow, and while this is true, my thinking on this topic has evolved to now concentrate primarily on the top leg of the loop. For distance casting this is especially true. If the top leg of the loop is straight and the distance from the center of the nose of the loop to the top leg is short the loop will travel efficiently.
For short casts loops can be irregular in shape, even wide or tailing, and while not proper, at short distance may still unroll and present effectively. However, as the length of line increases, any irregularities that might be small at 20 feet will become exaggerated. Many of us have witnessed a very long cast with a huge dip in the bottom leg, maybe even some waves in it, that still traveled a considerable distance. If you look closely though, you’ll notice that the top leg of the loop is likely very straight. As we have discussed previously this comes from a smooth acceleration resulting in a straight line path of the rod tip.
ROD AND LOOP PLANE
The plane of the rod and the loop is a two dimensional path that the rod and the loop move in, independent of each other, in a three dimensional space. In other words, it is the path of the entire rod or the whole loop as they move through space. For distance casting it’s important that on the forward and backcast both the rod and loop remain in the same plane. If they move in different planes the loop will have to change direction and this will cause the loops to become non-parallel and open up horizontally which will affect how the loop unrolls and lays out. For short casts it may be hardly a concern. But for distance casting it becomes more critical and even elemental.
STROKE
The stroke is a combination of length and arc between the stops of the rod. The key with both is to have a straight-line path of the rod tip. We know we have this when we are getting parallel legs of the loops and most importantly, a straight top leg of the loop.
Casting Stroke Length
Stroke length is the linear distance that is traveled by the casting hand. As the casting distance increases, the length of the casting stroke needs to increase as well. For a very short cast no casting stroke length may even be necessary. Yes, that is correct; a very short cast can be made with rotational movement only. However, as the length of line increases, the stroke length also needs to increase. Where we see most casting students struggle in their development is in increasing their stroke length beyond what comes naturally. This requires finding a way to increase their range of motion using their own biomechanics, a good topic for a future article.
Casting Stroke Arc
The rotational movement of the hand is measured in degrees. Arc is required as a part of the stroke. Unlike length, arc is elemental to fly casting and must be present. In a very short cast it may be less than 45 degrees. In a very long cast the rotational movement can be nearly 180 degrees to insure that the rod tip moves in a straight line.
ACCELERATION AND SPEED
The rate of acceleration in fly casting remains constant, resulting in increasing speed. This results in a straight line path of the rod tip. For a short cast little speed may be necessary. However, in order for the loop to stay in the air, unrolling above the water, the loop must unroll faster as it goes. A smooth acceleration with a higher speed is necessary for distance casting.
PAUSE
The pause allows the loop to unroll, resulting in what is also known as good timing. A properly executed pause means that the next cast is started just as the loop completely unrolls. For a short cast, little pause is necessary. You might even be able to get away with no pause. However, as the distance increases, the length of line carried also increases, therefore the pause must also increase.
STYLE
Style is simply all the things that don’t affect that straight line path of the rod tip. For distance casting, style can vary wildly, but some aspects do seem consistent. The style must allow the range of motion necessary to create acceleration that creates the speed to keep the line off of the ground as the loop unrolls.
Grip
How we hold the rod is a matter of style. However, there are better styles for distance. Short casts may only require a delicate touch, but distance requires a more powerful grip. A thumb-on-top or a three-point grip are good for transferring the increased power needed.
Stance
Stance in short distance casting is hardly a topic, as you only need to situate yourself comfortably for the presentation. However, distance casting from a boat or while wading requires a stance that is stable and safe. Usually this means standing with your dominant foot back, similar to the way you’d make a long throw with a baseball or football. This allows for an energy transfer from the feet through the body, to the hand and the rod.
Arm position
For short casts very little casting length and arc is necessary. As the casting distance grows both of these will also increase and this requires more arm movement and changing arm position.
So how do you use all of this? Obviously for increasing distance in fly-fishing presentations. But that’s not all. The principles of distance casting will help you make shorter casts with more power, which you’ll need to cast big bugs, to cast extra weight and to cast anything into the wind. Casting just 30 feet into a strong headwind might require the same power as casting 60 feet with no wind. If you can’t do one you won’t be able to do the other.
What is most important is practicing these skills and working to improve how efficiently you can perform them. Doing so will not only make your fishing days more enjoyable but increase your chances of catching more fish.
