I very seldom see a post where the author states his casting ability in feet or yards. No big deal for spin casters or bait casters, who can learn to cast well over 100' in little time. The best rod for them is probably the best rod for any spin or bait caster, regardless of proficiency. On the other hand, giving useful rod-building advice to a beginning fly caster depends heavily upon an honest assessment of the caster's current casting abilities. The new fly-caster/rod-maker can save time and money by test casting several different lines with several different blanks to see which rod/fly line combination best fits his current fly-casting abilities. Join a fly-fishing club. Members usually will let you test-cast their rod/line. I promise a beginner that he/she will NOT like the way the rod&line of the best caster in the club casts!

Well . . . maybe . . . sort of . . .

What if the novice caster's current casting style and competency favor a rod and line combination not so appropriate to the novice caster's favorite target species or venues?

Should the novice invest in a custom or factory rod that might be quickly outgrown as competency improves?

I would agree a brand new fly fisher person might be well advised not to buy the fastest, top of the line, drop dead beautiful factory or custom rod with a comma in the price. But growing into a rod, within reason, is not necessarily a bad thing. When we were much younger mom bought or shoes and clothes just a bit on the large side as we would grow into them and we did. Maybe it can work for fly rods too.

Here's the problem - when test casting the angler will almost always attempt to make a long cast. So you sell him a rod that matches with say, a 4-weight line. Then he goes to his 10 foot wide trout stream and can't get the rod to load. He comes back and complains the rod is no good. What he needed was either that same rod outfitted with a 5 or 6-weight line, or a 2 or 3 weight rod outfitted with his 4-weight line.

The line has to be matched to the rod at the distances the angler is going to be casting and fishing. This is the major issue nearly all fly fishermen, and their shop salesmen, fail to address.

And this is precisely where custom rod builders should be knowledgable and able to provide the right rod for what the angler is wanting to do.

...........

I believe that far too much emphasis in fly fishing is put on casting distance, and has been since at least the 1980’s when graphite became common. In most stream and river situations it s very difficult to effectively fish at the distance one can cast. I propose this is true for new to advanced anglers as the bar moves. When bank fishing rivers it takes a lot of skill to mend line to get a proper drift at long distances. When wading most trout rivers and streams, you can safely get to the downstream end of good habitat units such as pools and runs. Setting the hook on a “way out there strike” takes a fair amount of practice. I’ve waded or floated a good portion of the well known “SST” rivers west of the Continental Divide. I’ve just not found a lot of need for casting maximum distances. I think that less than 5% of fish I’ve caught fly fishing in lotic environments have been past 2/3rd’s of the distance I could cast at the respective time.

I was working in Western Montana fly shops when and after “A River Runs Through It” was in theaters. All sorts of newbies bragged about being able to cast distances such as 150 feet. I was impressed they could do that with trout weight fly lines that never exceeded 90 feet in length back-then. My point isn’t to be contrary. It is that casting for distance is far from being the most important skill in successful fly fishing. Ultimate casting distance isn’t close to the most important attribute I look for in a fly rod, either.

To me, the most important aspects of fly fishing is knowing hoe to get the fly, be it terrestrial, dry, nymph, or streamer to where the fish will see it, knowing how to read the water, and knowing fish lies, and proper presentation. Know how to mend a line, roll cast, and how to get the fly to he proper depth. If those things are done well, with an appropriate fly, then the fish will bite.

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF

For fly fishers sticking to small streams distance casting is not a big issue. Leader choice becomes more important and rod choice becomes less important. You don't need a $900 whiz-bang rod [or a $120 fly line] to cast 25 feet - with accuracy!

You can cut a willow switch or bamboo shoot put some string on it and catch fish but some people like finer things in life. There is no shame in what you prefer and it is nothing more than class envy if you think someone shouldn't own the best they can afford.

Robert Flowers said it very well and eloquently about what it takes to successfully fly fish. The fixation on casting distance, unfortunately, slows people down from learning how to really fly fish. Learning to do what he wrote is easiest at the shorter side of medium distances. I got some of those skills down more easily as I often electrofished and snorkeled all week for work during summers. This was informing.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2021 12:34AM by Kendall Cikanek.

I'm not a fly fisherman. I just wanted to comment on what Kendall said in his first post of this thread. And that would be to agree completely with what he said about people casting farther than cane effectively fish a bait. I see people do it all the time with spinning and casting gear. IMO, controlling casting distance is just as important and the bait you have tied on the end of the line, or the rod and reel you're using to cast it.

What good is a 150' cast if you can't land the fish you hook at the end of it?

The issue is really about the distance the angler is going to be fishing at. The line that gives him the most distance in his dealer's parking lot isn't the line that will work best on that same rod on his local stream.

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Fly fishers tend to get stereotyped: Folks casting dandruff-sized flies on delicate rods and lines over small streams get mixed in with fly-rod anglers fishing big lakes or rivers and even oceans. Hunters are careful to establish what conditions and species are relevant to their discussions of equipment. Useful writing for anglers will state venues: casting distances, tactics, and target species/sizes before discussions of or recommendations for tackle are presented.

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fly fishers tend to get stereotyped: Folks casting
> dandruff-sized flies on delicate rods and lines
> over small streams get mixed in with fly-rod
> anglers fishing big lakes or rivers and even
> oceans. Hunters are careful to establish what
> conditions and species are relevant to their
> discussions of equipment. Useful writing for
> anglers will state venues: casting distances,
> tactics, and target species/sizes before
> discussions of or recommendations for tackle are
> presented.

Agrred 100%.

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF