Fly Rod Action and Casting

Types of Fly Casts

All fly casting revolves around the basic backward and forward casting strokes and the control of loop size, direction and speed. Your eyes, legs, shoulders, arms, wrists and hands should all combine to energize and control the rod to cast the fly line, its leader and the fly to the target area.

Standard Casting In a standard cast the fly line and rod are lifted with a smooth motion in an up-and-back direction. This backcast motion is stopped when the rod reaches slightly past vertical. As the fly line begins to fall or straighten out, the forward cast begins with increasing acceleration as the wrist snaps the rod from the 11 to the 1 o'clock positions, shooting the line and fly forward toward the presentation area.

False Casting False casting means fly casting backward and forward without actually presenting the fly to the target area. It is useful when you wish to gain distance by working out more line, when you aim the fly over a certain target or when you want to remove water from a dry fly or a hair bug.

Roll Casting In a roll cast, the fly line is not lifted from the water for the backcast but is simply pulled back along the water and then cast forward. Roll casting is used to best advantage when backcasting room is unavailable or when strong winds make backcasting impractical.

Curve Casting A curve cast bends to the right or left of you and is a variation of the standard forward-casting stroke. Curve casts are useful when presenting the fly around surface objects or when preventing the leader and fly line from being seen by a fish as the fly passes over it.

Slack-Line or Serpent Casting A slack-line cast causes the fly line to fall on the water in a series of "S" curves. Such a cast allows the fly to float without dragging and is especially useful when casting across current or directly downstream.

Reach Casting Reach casting allows the fly, leader and line to be presented to a target area at an extreme right-hand or left-hand angle from the caster. It is especially useful when presenting a fly across a stream that has several current speeds. This prevents the fly from dragging downstream faster than the water on which it lands.

Shooting-Line Casting A shooting-line cast is accomplished in either the backward or forward cast by using considerably more power than is needed to cast the line already extended. This cast is similar in purpose to the false cast when it is used to extend out more line.

Hauling Hauling is a technique of increasing line speed or overall fly-casting efficiency by using the power of both the rod arm and the free-hand arm. To accomplish a haul, the caster, just as the power stroke is applied with the fly rod, simultaneously pulls down on the taut fly line below the first stripper guide. This pull – or haul – increases the line's outward speed. Double hauling involves hauling on both the forward and backward strokes.

Mending Line Mending line is a technique of repositioning the fly line and leader on moving water. It is accomplished by using various rod-lifting and roll-casting movements. When you are fishing streams, mending line is about as important as casting.

From the L.L.Bean® Fly-Fishing Handbook, written and illustrated by Dave Whitlock.

Fly Rods and Their Actions

The traditional symbol of the sport, the long, slender and graceful fly rod provides the control and feel that make casting, fishing and catching fish on flies so much fun. The fly rod transfers energy from the fly fisher to the line, leader and fly. Rod length, taper and action are specifically designed for this purpose.

The fly rod must be balanced with the correct fly-line weight for optimum performance in fly casting and "presentation" (the landing of the fly in the target area). Most modern fly rods have the correct line-balance information printed on them just forward of the handle and hookkeeper.

There are six parts to the modern fly rod:

Ferrule The ferrule is the connection between sections of a fly rod. Ferrules are installed so a rod can be disassembled and conveniently carried and stored.

Butt The butt section, a major part of the rod, includes the area from the handle to the first ferrule.

Tip The other major part of the rod is the section from the last ferrule to the tip-top, or smallest guide on the end of the rod.

Handle The handle includes the butt cap, the reel-lock seat for attaching and securing the fly reel in place, the cork grip and the handle check cap.

Hookkeeper The hookkeeper is a ring or other simple device that holds the fly's hook safely in place when the outfit is rigged but the angler is not fishing.

Guides The guides hold and control the line on the rod during casting. The guides include the stripper guide, which is the first guide up the rod from the rod handle. The snake guides hold the fly line close to the rod during casting.

Rod Actions

Fly-rod performance, especially during casting but also while fishing the fly and fighting the fish, is termed the action of the rod. Action is influenced by the rod's material, taper design, length and such fittings as ferrules and guides. There are three main categories of fly-rod action:

Fast Action The rod feels stiff when flexed and unflexes rapidly when loaded or flexed by the line in casting.

Medium Action The rod is limber when flexed and unflexes smoothly when loaded.

Slow Action The rod feels very limber and unflexes in a slow, willowy manner after loading.

A medium-action, progressively loading fly rod is the best rod with which to learn the sport. Medium action is the most adaptable to a person's individual timing and reflexes. The beginner's rod should be 8 to 8 1/2 feet long, and it should be designed to cast a 6- or 7-weight line. This combination is light, it provides enough power to cast 20 to 60 feet, and it can control most of the flies used to fish for trout, bass and panfish.

After you begin to master the basic fly-casting strokes, qualified instructors will be able to advise you on which action best suits your own reflexes and coordination level.