One of the most important keys to improving your cast is to aim at a target.
When I am sight-fishing, I am trying to place my dry fly precisely in front of the fish in the correct lane. I am aiming for a target. And if I don’t hit my target, I’m probably not going to catch that fish.
Do you think Steph Curry practices his 3-pointers without shooting the basketball at a hoop? Of course not! Imagine Steph throwing balls into the air towards an imaginary hoop during practice, and then hoping that his shots will go in at game time. Doesn’t the idea seem ridiculous? Doesn’t it?
Steph practices with a target and so should you.
Always aim for a target in the casting pools or a point on the grass.
When you practice without a target, you are essentially throwing your balls into the air, hoping that they will go in during the game. Don’t be ridiculous.
Glen Ozawa
nice work on the site — a big improvement – didn’t know what I was missing — fun reading the bios on the directors — I enjoy casting at the ponds — even though while fishing I end up using a nymph rig 90% of the time — thanks to the many patient and helpful casters for their advice.
Hi Joe,
Thank you very much for your kind comments. You bring up a great point: when nymphing, it is crucial that your indicator and your fly (or flies) end up in the same lane to avoid drag! Perhaps we should post an article on ways of getting good drifts with a nymph rig… a tuck cast, an upstream curve cast with a “mend” that stalls the indicator so that the flies can catch up. The list goes on and on. Happy New Year!
This is Awesome precision and timing are things i focus on when it comes to casting.
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the comment! If you are interested, I have written a follow-up article entitled, Why Does Aiming at Targets Improve Your Fly Casting?
https://www.oaklandcastingclub.org/aiming-targets-improve-fly-casting/