SAMPLE LESSONS

PAINT BRUSH AND WATER FLY FISHING DRILL

I illustrate one of the most difficult sub-skills in proper fly casting, acceleration. Proper acceleration can’t be seen while fly fishing, except in the resulting unsatisfying cast. Proper fly casting acceleration must be felt.

For this lesson, pick up a pool noodle from your local sporting shop or Walmart. Cut the noodle in half to about 2.5 – 3 ft long. This will be an important tool in starting your correct casting technique. While I illustrate the proper technique through the drills I will highlight some important fly fishing terms. These are:

  • Casting Stroke: A significant amount of movement and energy we put into the rod to cause a loop to be formed.
  • Stroke Length: How far a caster’s hand moves side to side during a casting stroke.
  • Rod Rotation: The amount of rotation that is put into the rod during a casting stroke resulting in a casting arc.
  • Casting Arc: The casting arc is the angle of which the rod starts and stops during a casting stroke.

WIND CASTS

Wind casting is pretty much a requirement in many of the worlds fishing environments. A person who spends the time and money to travel to fishing destinations, and is unable to cast effectively in the wind, is a high stakes gambler! Those who are especially traveling to expensive destinations and staying in fishing lodges, or paying for guides, should spend considerable time learning to cast in windy conditions. Learning to double haul, cast over the opposite shoulder, and use constant tension casts are all important skills to learn when casting in the wind. It is highly recommended that people practice in windy conditions on regular basis. This video discusses and demonstrates the basic concepts needed to be able to cast in the wind.

CI TASK NUMBER 1 | PICK UP AND SIX FALSE CASTS

This task forms the basis of virtually all of the CI exam. Mastery of this task goes a long way towards passing the exam. The emphasis is on narrow, consistent loops both in the front and the back. Specific coaching is provided for the student. As in all of the videos, a step by step sequential process is used.

Fly Fishing Curve Casts and Mends

Dayle, the fly fishing coach covers how to make an upstream mend creating a belly in the fly line, allowing an angler to keep the fly with a natural drift longer than a normal cast. In this lesson, the coach also goes through a normal cast, a curve cast, reach mends, and compares them to one another by how many seconds the fly drifts in the water before line creates an unnatural drag. He covers both upstream and downstream mending as well. The reach mend and curve cast is also covered extensively in future sections.

UNDERSTANDING FLY LINES – PART 1

Many people believe that all fly lines are pretty much the same. Fly shops have dozens, maybe hundreds, of different fly lines to choose from. This lesson is a tutorial on how these fly lines differ and how picking the right fly line for your rod, your casting style, and your fishing can make a huge difference in both the enjoyment of your outing and in the success you have. For instance, there are many significant differences in weight forward fly lines. This video describes the four parts of each fly line and the materials used. Different conditions, rods, and personal preference often dictate which line to buy. I personally believe that virtually any rod can be made to perform well if it has the appropriate fly line.