FLY CASTING BASICS #5 - Successful False Casting

FLY CASTING BASICS #4

Successful False Casting

After creating a good back-cast and delivering a simple forward delivery-cast, the next step to fly-casting competency is learning how to successfully ‘False Cast’. This is an intermediate stage between the back-cast and final presentation-cast, but is best refined once these other casts have been effectively learned.

Good false casting is the key to being able to successfully control the fly-line and make several consecutive casts, either when fishing a piece of water or when targeting a specific fish.

Fly-anglers ‘False Cast’ for a variety of reasons which include:

- Imparting more momentum to the fly line to overcome wind or the mass of a weighted nymph.

- Lengthening, changing the direction or refining the accuracy of a presentation-cast.

- Drying the fly in the case of dry fly fishing.

- Keeping the fly off the water while the angler strips more line from the reel or when the angler has to move short distances to change position.

While false casting isn’t just a simple matter of waving the rod around like a mad thing, anyone with a simple sense of rhythm shouldn’t find it too hard to master.

Now is the time to introduce the left hand into the casting process. Draw the line back in the left hand from the first rod guide to a position about 65cm from the rod hand and make the first back cast.

With the back cast completed, then bring the rod tip forward again as if in the Simple Forward Delivery-Cast. However when false casting, instead of allowing the rod tip to travel all the way through to the 10 o’clock position, the rod tip now needs to stop slightly earlier on the forward cast, at around 1100.

Stop the rod-tip and allow the line to unfold out completely in front before commencing another back-cast. This represents one false-cast and should be achieved without allowing the front cast to hit the water in any way.

With the line in the air and gathering momentum, now complete another false-cast before making the final delivery presentation cast. In doing so keep a consistent rhythm and always stop the rod tip completely at the back and the front, to allow the fly-line to unfold to its full length on both front and back casts.

Many anglers make the mistake of false-casting too many times but in most circumstances the following pattern is sufficient; 1 = initial back-cast, 2 = false forward-cast, 3 = back-cast, 4 = forward-cast, 5 = back-cast and 6 = final forward presentation-cast. This pattern is enough to generate enough line speed and accuracy for a good presentation.

Tip: Ensure that the rod tip always accelerates and then stops as learned in the previous lessons. The final presentation cast should see the rod tip end up in the final position that was previously learned in the Simple Forward Delivery-cast. (Fly Casting Basics #4)