Casting is a fundamental skill in fly fishing, and hence will be a focus in any course on fly fishing for beginners. It is the bedrock of the sport thus it should be done correctly if you want to get fun and results from your fishing. In this post we look at a few things about casting that you should keep in mind when going fly fishing for the first time.

- It all starts out with the grip. The proper casting grip  has the thumb on top of the rod. This helps the fisher apply a greater force when casting, whilst still keeping relaxed.

- Before casting, remove any slack from the line . This would ensure  a smooth forward and backward cast.

- The line must fly towards the direction where you point the rod during the cast.

- The size of the loop depends on how you move the rod tip when casting.

- When starting our be happy with a cast then is flowing but only travels a few yards in front of you. The long impressive casts that you see take a lot of practice. So get the technique right first, and then work on the distance.

The novice may not get it right straightaway. However, with the proper guidance from a more experienced companion and a lot of time dedicated to practice, you will get there eventually.

Ideally, you should aim to spend 15-30 minutes spent on practicing per day. If you do you will soon see improvements in your technique

As a word of warning, practicing casting can be a dangerous activity. That is why beginners are advised to do their practice away from the water and away from a lot of people.

Fields are ideal spots to do this as there is a large room to accommodate errors that may prove dangerous in otherwise constricted areas.

Different Types Of Fly Fishing Casts

Fly Fishing casting requires steady, co-ordinated movements. Think of each movement, both the back cast and the forward cast, is divided into three steps. The first is loading, the second is the momentum of projection, and the third is the pause. It takes a lot of practice to master the art of casting in fly fishing.

There are several types of casts. The most common of these include the basic cast, false cast, side and reverse casts, roll cast, and double haul cast.

The easiest cast is (unsurprisingly) called the basic cast. It simply involves casting the line straight back and then directly forward. If you are new to fly fishing this is where you should start. Master the basic cast before going on to other techniques. Use a short length of line to begin with so that you can gain sufficient control of the line, while practicing with short gentle movements.

The false cast is a variation of the basic cast. It consists of the same backward and forward movements as the basic cast, and is immediately followed by another set of the same movements. The fly line actually travels backward and forward many times without landing on the water. Practicing this type of cast helps you to learn the precise timing that is so useful in fly fishing.

If wind is problem then you might need to use  the side and reverse casts. They are also used if there are obstacles that can make a regular cast hard to complete.

A roll cast is generally used when you have your back to such obstacles as a high riverbank or a row of tress. If these conditions exist, a basic cast will not be possible. You need to let out a decent length of line to the front of you; it’s best to let the current take it a small distance. The flow of the water on the line will load the rod, and you can cast forward without having to execute the back cast.

If you need to cover distance with your cast then you will need to look at the  double haul cast. This will enable you to cast a much longer line than you could manage with a basic cast. To make this work you need to have a much faster line speed. The best way to do this is by  making much larger casting movements, applying more strength, and loading the rod more ahead of the forward cast.

The above five types of fly fishing casts are the ones used most often. However there are many other types of casts that you can perfect as you skills grow, including the parachute, mend and S-casts, to name but a few.

Casting is the basic physical skill involved in fly fishing. Its purpose is to place the fly exactly where you want it to be, just like any other skill it takes practice. Accuracy and the lightness of touch are very important when fly fishing. Mastering the basics of fly casting first will make it easier to move on to the more difficult casts.