| I was put off of fly fishing for years simply | | | | front of you so that the rod and line form a |
| because I thought it would be too hard to learn. | | | | continuous straight line. |
| There is so much hype about casting a fly with a | | | | (2)Hold the rod with your thumb resting on the |
| fly rod, different actions and movements that it | | | | top of the handle. During the cast you will only be |
| all sounds too complicated for the poor beginner. | | | | moving your wrist and forearm and not your |
| Well the art of casting a fly is in truth really quite | | | | shoulder. |
| simple, and with a few beginner fly fishing | | | | (3)Trap the line coming from the reel under a |
| techniques just about anyone can do it. | | | | finger and raise the rod to about ten o'clock, then |
| With fly fishing your aim is to cast your fly and | | | | flick the rod backwards to pick the line up off the |
| have it land naturally on the water so that it | | | | grass, and propel it behind you until it is at one |
| attracts fish. The main problem with this is that | | | | o'clock |
| you have no weight on the end of your line to | | | | (4)Stop the movement sharply, and your wrist |
| propel it to where you want it to go. Instead you | | | | should be pointing straight up with the tip of the |
| are using a heavy main line with a short piece of | | | | rod behind you still at one o'clock. |
| very light line attached, onto which you tie your | | | | (5)Now you have to pause slightly to let the line |
| fly. | | | | straighten out behind you until you feel a gentle |
| This means that you use the weight of the line | | | | tug (this is when the line is fully extended). |
| itself to make the cast, and this involves letting | | | | (6)Sweep the rod forward and down, lowering |
| out line a little at a time, then casting it behind | | | | your elbow at the same time. As the line unfurls |
| you, casting it forwards, letting out more line, | | | | release the line trapped under your finger. |
| casting behind, bringing it forwards and so on. This | | | | (7)To increase the length of cast flick the rod |
| is called false casting and allows you to build up | | | | back again and while trapping the line under your |
| the cast until enough line is let out to land the fly | | | | finger pull a few yards of line off with your other |
| where you want it. | | | | hand, cast the rod forward as before and release |
| With a small amount of practise this will get easier | | | | the trapped line. |
| and easier. Start off small by trying out your | | | | You are now fly fishing. You may be a bit |
| casting on an area of clear grass, in a field or a | | | | awkward at first, but with a little practice you will |
| large garden, there is no need to use a fly or | | | | look and feel like a professional. These are just |
| hook at this point as it could become snagged or | | | | your first basic steps to fly fishing, by picking up a |
| injure someone. | | | | few more beginner fly fishing techniques you will |
| (1)Let out about twenty feet of line in front of | | | | soon learn all the secrets and tips of the fly |
| you, stand nice and loose and point the rod in | | | | fisherman. |