How did you learn to cast?

I taught myself in my teens using a pretty awful greenheart fly rod and rather tatty silk Kingfisher line. I read the bit in Ingham and Walker's book - "Drop Me a Line" on where Walker encouraged Ingham to become a fly fisherman.

Surprizingly enough I could cast up to 15 yards with a fair degree of accuracy with this rather unbalanced set up.

At a later time, I built for myself an 81/2 foot split cane rod from a JB Walker of Hythe kit. I also received fly casting tips from Dick Walker and non-other than the late casting champion - Jack Martin.

But certainly if I were taking up fly fishing from scratch these days, I would invest in lessons from a good teacher.

Hi Ron.

Lessons from the outset. I was warned about self teaching.

You can do it, but then spend the rest of your life practising your mistakes.

Cheers.

hi Ron
I,m Still Learning at the moment having only taken up Fly Fishing
midway through last season. I,ve tried to find somewhere to get lessons
but all I keep getting is go out and practice being a sea fisherman (boat
and shore) helped but I have to admit it,s a different ball game learning
the basics. I sometime wonder if I,M getting into bad habits from the
start so to speak , which I may regret later and I,ve noticed that there
seems to be alot of secrecy regarding fly selection etc it seems to me
to be a difficult aspect of fishing to get into regarding gaining advice
hence me joining the forum.


Regards
Steve........

I'm not convinced !

You can get there on your own

I've never had a casting lesson in my life...yet could cast a full line at 8years old, with droppers a 14ft leader.

All these years later i've still never seen the need for a casting lesson, as can cast as far as most, with long leaders and droppers

I think you'll learn the basics faster with lessons, but ultimatly it's down to the practice and the work you put in yourself.

I suppose i've been lucky and have had a mis-spent youth with regards fishing....5 days a week throughout the entire summerholidays from 8-18, and been lucky enough to have been taken under the wing of some very good anglers on the way...

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For me If I was starting from scratch, i'd have 2 or 3 lessons just to get the basics, then go it alone.

I think the Anglian Water days at £50 are excellent value for money, as they provide all kit and instruction from a qualified instructor.

However it was much better when Dave "Curly" Docherty was running the courses.

He was a natural with people and got them casting well very quickly, as well as explaining knots, leader set up, tackle etc....

And he made it fun

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Mock me, vilify me, but don’t ignore me!

I have taught people to cast, having taught myself aeons ago, even worked for John Norris for a few years, guiding, river craft, casting: but I stopped doing it mainly because I was not qualified. Nobody complained, maybe they were too nice!!
Every man to his own occupation, I say, mine was in electronics, not casting. If I had my time again, I would definitely pay to be taught properly. We pay to fish, we shouldn't mind paying to learn how to cast. At my age, my faults are too ingrained in me to be corrected. TC

Have to disagree completely Rob.

Perhaps you are naturally gifted at being able to cast 104ft at 8 years old, but I assure you, you're representative of a very small percentage of the fly fishing population.

Good, professional instruction teaches the basic principles and prevents someone from practicing bad form and further reinforcing faults.

If you are casting badly, no amount of practice is going to help, without someone correcting your mistakes.

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It is surprising the number of fishermen that have never had a lesson, feel they dont need them.

and the number of fishermen who have had the odd lesson, who swear its a must.

if i thought i was really good i'd be happy to pay someone to tell me.

Are you sure of those figures Rob? A full line is 35 yards, plus over 4 yards of leader, plus at least 3 yards of rod, that means your're casting at least 42 yards ( 126 feet plus 2 feet extra for remaining leader 128 feet minimum), with droppers, at 8 years old. The record for a 14 year old is 108ft without droppers and a short leader, the record for a senior is still shorter at 123 feet, assuming a #7.

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I can see both sides.

I was self-taught and pretty good - I could cast a full (30 yard) line occasionally and was certainly more competent than 90% of the people you see out fishing.

However, I had a lesson at the end of last year with a specialist and am much more consistent now, use less effort and get better delivery.

Rob, although I know you get awesome distance in real fishing situations, I guarantee you a lesson with a distance specialist would make you even better at least in terms of efffort expended and turnover.

I think if I were a new starter now I would definitely take a course of lessons to get started.

Charlie

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Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates