Good evening all,
How far do you think I should be able to cast with a 9ft 6" rod with a weight forward 7wt line???
At the moment I can cast pretty well at about 16 paces out.
Would that be OK for stillwater fishing?

Thanks

Michael

Presentation before distance.

Have you had some qualified instruction?

If not, get some, highly recommended and the best money you will spend, regardless of what tackle you have.

The Pirate.

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Hi Michael

They usually swim around your ankles, so "yes" that's plenty

If you need to cast further a lesson is the usual recommendation
I can cast reasonably well (apart from the usual tree problems), but am planning a casting lesson for my birthday in May to tune it further

Not bragging, but i can cast as far as anyone i've met. I can usually cast the whole line and 10 or more yards of backing on top of that(doesn't mean i'm any good at fishing). so, out of 40 yards of castable line, i probably usually cast half of that. Both pirate and squeeks are correct; technique is more important than gear, and you don't necessarily need to cast very far. Especially at this time of year when the fish are frequently in the margins.
Once you get the technique, and you can easily cast the distance you are trying, with tidy presentation and leader extension, pull another yard off the reel and get that right, then another yard and another. It's amazing how far you'll be able to cast in a very short space of time by gradually building it up. Then when you're slogging 40 yards out every time, and only catching fish in the last 10 feet...

There's no way to answer how far except to say it depends. The Pirate is absolutely right, distance is nothing without presentation. It does no good to be casting to the horizon if your leader lands in a giant sh!theap.

Is 16 paces enough? One way to find out, get out there and let us know how you do!

Personally, I'm not a fan of approaching fly fishing as some kind of academic pursuit where it needs to be learned in theory to some fictitious standard before it's put into practice by actually fishing. The best way to learn about fishing is to fish and to fish with people who know more about fishing than you do is even better. No one ever caught a fish standing on the football pitch practice casting.

Lessons are a great way to improve your casting, but they won't do anything for your fishing. Casting and fishing are separate skills, both are useful of course, but knowing how fish is what ultimately catches the fish, knowing how to cast better just extends your range.

Grouse

If Carlsburg gave answers they would be like this,Excellent post,

Paul

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Choose a water that you can walk round in ten minutes. Cast your 16 paces or preferably a lesser distance to start with. Aim at a point a little above the surface so that it falls gently. Count your nymph down and retrieve nice and slow. You'll catch. Maybe not the first visit or the second but you will eventually tempt a trout to your fly and as you gain experience you will find that you don't have to cast to the other bank anyway. ATB, Alan

Thanks for your help
I will be going fishing in the next three weeks!!!!

Michael

as others have said its ok for stillwater fishing if the presentation is good enough and thats where the fish is.

the 'distance' is to a particular point, ie. the fish, if it lands gently there you will be doing spankingly, is 16 paces yards?

i'm newbie when it comes to fly fishing, i have to admit that i am going through a "distance" phase and i'm always trying to get a line just that bit further each outing. i don't let it govern my fishing though. i've read lots of what i now consider to be sound advice on this forum and yes you'll catch fish close in (well i seem to lol) and the best advice i've had is don't try and rush things when your actually fishing. just take your time and enjoy being out there fishing and then try and chuck a longer line once you feel settled.

it is well impressive though when you see someone cast a bloody great long line, with so little effort. a very pleasant chap gave my mate an impromtue casting lesson the other day, we were just out having a day at bushy and got chatting to this chap, well he gave my pal renewed confidence just by casting my mates line past the backing without any trouble (showing that the gear used ain't the issue), he basically said that timing and technique will just "click" and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. Thats one of the things i love about fly fishing, you meet so many helpful friendly on the bank; no egos etc just other anglers appreciating the sport.