 The Heart of Fly FishingI first met Peter in the Autumn of 1979. I remember standing in the snow in his driveway that first winter as he taught me to cast a fly rod.I had no idea what fly fishing was, but I knew I wanted to spend time learning the art and it sounded like once spring came he was going to spend every spare minute on the trout stream. I was fortunate: Peter was a fly-fishing instructor. At the time I didn't realize the importance of good instruction, but I do now. I've been teaching people how to fly fish for over ten years, and one thought comes to my mind over and over again: If you have any choice, don't try to teach yourself to cast, and don't try to learn from someone you love. It worked for me then because I was anxious to learn. The Value of Good Instruction There are many excellent instructors and fly-fishing schools. However, there's nothing like hands-on instruction from an experienced teacher. Good instruction will save you time and get you quickly to where you can confidently go out on your own. The heart of the sport. As we begin to grasp the mechanics of fly casting, we'll all be a little bit different from one another. We will each develop our own casting style, our own identity. Thank goodness! What a boring world this would be if we all held our pencils, signed our names, ate spaghetti, tied flies, and fished the same way. We'd be clones. So get some good help and then step out on your own and experiment! After instruction, or in addition to it, a book can be a great reference for troubleshooting and advancing. But I have to admit that learning to cast from a book – any book – is not easy. It's difficult to put into writing what I can easily demonstrate while you are standing beside me. I was a freshwater-only fisherman for many years. When I started fishing in salt water, I suddenly realized my casting was totally inadequate. Peter was okay in most situations because of his strength – he's six foot one with strong arms. I'm five foot four without strong arms. With the casting style we were using, I ended up sitting in the boat watching a lot of the time. I was using a lot of wrist in my casting and it's hard not to use the wrist when you've grown used to it. I had to learn that the rod makes the cast with the help of my arm, not the other way around. Relearning the Basics After a couple of frustrating years, I contacted Lefty Kreh and sought help. Lefty, in the years to follow, would redefine fly casting for me. It's been hard to forget everything and learn all over again. Lefty's style is definitely different from the traditional casting methods that have been handed down through the years. His style is what I now use in fresh and salt water. I guarantee that if you use this method, you'll be a much better caster and will be able to handle fishing situations most women could only dream about a few years ago. Fly fishing is a sport full of wonderful, exciting experiences — don't let frustration with learning to cast ruin it for you. Fly casting doesn't require a lot of muscle or power. (Of course, any that you have will help!) It does take understanding, patience, and determination. In just a short time, you'll see that casting is rewarding and fun. After all, you can be in the right place with the right fly, but if you can't present it properly to the fish, you might as well go home. Casting is the heart of the sport. |
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