There's no doubt that experience is the best teacher, especially when it comes to fly fishing and catching the big ones.  If you're relatively new to the sport, you'll definitely want to read on for some great tips on casting and fly fishing strategies.  The more you know, the more trout you'll catch and release.  There's another fringe benefit to expanding your knowledge.  It'll make you want to spend more time on your favorite river!

 If you want to catch more trout, at some point you'll have to make a commitment to spending a little time watching what's happening to your fly line while it's in the air. Casting a fly is not really as   difficult as many experienced fly fishers would have you believe. Actually the principles are easy to understand and a little practice is all it will take to perfect your presentation. I've watched many inept fishermen flogging the water in vain, trying to catch a trout that had run for cover from splashing line on the very first cast. You don't need this to happen to you!

Learn the Basics of a Great Cast

Ten and Two

Trout live and thrive in a world that most of us can only imagine. Fortunately, most fly fishermen have a basic working knowledge as to where the trout will be hiding in any given section of water. The only thing that stands between the fisherman and a successful hook-up is the right cast. Ten and two refers to the relative movement of your casting hand and forearm, from ten o'clock to about two o'clock. Start by holding your rod with a relaxed handshake grip. Pull out ten to twenty feet of line and start the ten to two motion. Be sure that your rod tip is moving in a straight line with no upward arc in the middle of your stroke. The line will follow the rod tip, so if you want a cast that turns over well and heads straight for the target, keep the rod tip on a straight line that is higher at the two o'clock position and lower on the forward stroke. The final ingredient is wrist action. This is the flick of the wrist that loads the rod tip and accelerates the line on your back cast and again on the final delivery to the water. Load the rod with a flick of the wrist to change the direction and energize the line toward your target. If the line flows out smoothly and lands on the water just after it becomes straight, you've made a successful straight line cast. With practice to improve your timing and coordination, you'll be able to deliver a smooth, quiet, straight line cast with very little effort.

Controlling the Line

About ten minutes after you rig up your new fly rod and reel and try casting for the first time, you realize that something must be done about all this fly line that's laying at your feet. Proper line handling is a must for the serious fly fisher. It's a skill that's not difficult to master if you practice every time you cast. Force yourself to do it and soon it'll become second nature. Here's how. First, make a simple straight line cast. Then immediately place the line over the index finger of your rod hand. this is the first step to proper line control because this line-over-the-finger technique makes it possible to slide or stop the line with a pinch of the finger against the rod. Next, grasp the line between the reel and your pinch finger with your free hand. As the line drifts toward you, slack line will develop and, you'll need to begin stripping the line. That's the job of your line hand. Slowly strip in the line placing each two or three foot coil over your pinch finger. When you have completed the drift, pick up the fly with a flick of your rod and begin false casting. Each time you take the rod back get ready to release a coil or two of line on each following forward stroke. This is called shooting line and it's a very important skill that you'll use in just about every fishing situation. On the final stroke of your second cast, let the remaining coils of line slide through your pinch finger and "shoot" the line toward your target.

Mending the Line

If you've ever watch an experienced fly fisherman working the water, you have undoubtedly noticed how the rod tip is used to reposition the line on the water and extend the drag free drift of the fly. Mending requires an experienced wrist and a good feel for the rod that you're using. Start by making a straight line cast. As soon as the line is on the water use a wrist flick and circular motion of the rod tip to mend the first ten or fifteen feet of line upstream. The idea is to take any line dragging pressure off the fly and allow it to float without drag for as long as possible.

Stacking the Bucket

Do you enjoy fishing with nymphs? Lots of fly fisherman prefer sinking their flies for a chance at the big guys. I'll have to admit, a good nymph fisherman will usually hook more and bigger fish. One of the first challenges in nymph fishing is developing some method of getting the fly down near the bottom where the fish are.
An effective way to accomplish this is to use some form of stacking the line in order to sink your fly rapidly. Start with an upstream cast and immediately pull some line off your reel while drawing the rod tip high and close to you. When you see a "belly" develop in the line that's above the water, use a small circular wrist-flip and release the line in hand. Continue re-casting the slack line to the point where the line is sinking as your fly drifts in front of you. Try to "stack" coils of line right on top of each other. The effect of this technique is to keep any and all pressure off your fly, allowing the fly to sink at the fastest rate possible and to drift into the window undisturbed.
As with all special casts, practice makes perfect. It's like shooting coils of line into a bucket, and it will result in getting your fly down to the fish faster. Once your fly has descended to the bottom, carefully take up the slack to stay "in touch" with your fly, and continue your presentation drift through the hole. If you feel any hesitation of the fly, gently raise your rod tip...you probably will be rewarded with a trout.

Fly Fishing Strategies That Pay Off

For More Trout - Read The Water

Nothing beats the excitement you feel when you arrive at your favorite stream. It’s a beautiful, cool morning, and the sun is just breaking on the water. You can see clouds of tiny black midges hovering just above the surface, and floating by are more than a few pale morning duns. As you approach the river’s edge, there is a sudden and unmistakable slashing rise, then another, and another. It’s tough to calm yourself enough to get a fly tied on and start fishing. This could be one of those elusive 40-fish days. You immediately wade right in and start flailing away, casting rapidly and indiscriminately everywhere, trying to take advantage of the rising trout. After a couple dozen casts with no strikes, the surface activity has virtually stopped. What happened to the fish? Is the feeding frenzy over already? What did I do wrong?
I’ve experienced this same frustrating scenario more than a few times. If this has happened to you too, maybe it’s time to take a little different approach.  Just being in the right place at the right time isn’t always enough to guarantee that you’ll be successful in taking trout. Reading the water, planning your attack, and stalking your prey correctly will give you the best chance of success.
Make it a hard and fast rule never to jump right in before you have taken at least a few minutes to acclimate yourself to what’s happening in, on, and around the water you’re going to fish. Walk quietly to a vantage point a safe distance from the bank, sit down, and get the feel of the place. First watch for rising fish, and pay attention to where they are surfacing and how often. Then look at the current patterns on the surface and determine the likely places where fish should be holding.  These prime places include: 

• 1) Seams-areas where faster water meets slower current. These are natural places for feeding trout to wait for the conveyor belt of current to deliver the food. Trout will sit on the slower side and make short runs into the faster water to grab a fly. 

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• 2) Pockets-fish the upstream edge of deeper pockets and look for places where shallow water runs to deep. The best tactic here is to cast upstream in the shallow current and get a drag-free float into and over the deeper water. Fish will hide in the deeper pockets because the current is slower requiring less energy for the fish to hold. 

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• 3) Behind larger rocks and boulders-sometimes you’ll get a big surprise drifting your dry fly from slightly upstream and along the edge of these natural feeding areas. A good pocket-water and boulder fisherman can expect to have a great day almost every day, but you’ll have to be precise with placement of your cast to be effective. A high-floating and very visible dry fly is a big help, because strong currents in this type of water will do there best to sink your bug. 

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• 4) Deep Pools-a trickier proposition, but a set-up that’s not to be overlooked. Take a few minutes to see if you can first determine exactly what the trout are taking and whether or not the natural insects are on the surface, near the bottom, or somewhere in between. If you see big showy rises where trout are coming all the way out of the water, go with a dry fly that’s the same size and color of the naturals. In the case of no surface activity, use a few small lead-free split shot a foot or two up from a wet fly and cast a bit upstream, letting the fly slowly sink into the pool. Be ready for a strike when the line comes tight. Slowly strip in the line as the fly moves toward the surface. A lot of times you can get a big trout to chase your imitation and a hard strike and hook-up could result. 

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• 5) Riffles-perhaps the most enjoyable trout fishing I know. There is a large constant shallow riffle, and lots of bugs on the water. In this situation, you may not be able to see feeding fish, but they will probably be in there. Make an upstream cast, keep the slack out of your line and watch your fly closely for the strike.

Applying these simple casting methods and reading the water will definitely increase your catch rate! Meet The Author

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