1 Make sure there is plenty of room around you.
It is important to understand that fly fishing requires a lot more space to successfully cast. The distance you need to cast in front of you, will also be needed behind you during your cast. To avoid snagging your line during your cast make sure there are no low tree branches, tall weeds, or any man made structures behind you. Once you have found a nice open spot to cast it is time to look at your form.
2 Having and maintaining proper form and balance.
If you are on dry land; make sure your feet are square with your body so that you are properly balanced. It is very difficult to cast when you are off balanced. If you are using waders base your foot position off how fast the current is. Having no current or a slow current make sure feet are planted firmly and not on a slippery rock. In a moderate or fast current make sure feet are spread apart so you can maintain balance. It is very important to not turn your back to the current because you could get knocked down.
3 Casting takes muscle memory and finesse
When picking up a fly rod, your dominate hand should be on the rods handle, while your free hand is in charge of feeding the line. You don't have to have your hands this way, it's however feels comfortable in your cast. This is a good rule of thumb. The importance of keeping your arms close your body is because casting a fly rod is just flicking of the wrist. Imagine your forearm is the hand on a clock; during your cast flick your wrist between 10 and 2 o'clock. Going further than this can cause your line to tangle itself in the air or hit your rod as it passes by.
4 Managing your line in the cast.
When you have pulled the proper amount of line out of the reel, the amount of line is the distance of your cast, it is time to start working the rod back and forth and generate your cast. Keep your feeding hand on the line you have pulled out. The line should be bellow you, and not past the first eye of the rod. With one flick of the wrist bring your rod back to 10oclock, before the line falls to the ground behind you flick your wrist so the rod is at 2 o'clock. With each flick forward and backwards, your feeding hand should be letting out the line you previously took out of the reel. This will add distance to each flick and give you an idea of how much more or less line you need to land your fly on your target.
5 Retrieving your fly
Whether using streamers, nymphs, or dry flies it is important to retrieve properly. Keep the rod tip up so if a fish strikes the fly, it can be easily noticed. It is best to pull your line with your off hand instead of reeling it in. Pulling the line back saves time later so you don't have to take it back out on your next casts. With each time you retrieve the fly having that same amount of line out of the real will guaranty the same distance of your next cast.
6 Catching a fish
If your fishing skills get a fish to eat your fly then it's time to bring the fish in. Maintaining line tension is important because fish can unhook themselves if they are given slack. If you pin the fishing line against the rod with the same hand that is holding the road, your free hand can reel in the access line and eventually reel in the fish. If this proses is too complicated, you can simply pull the line in just like you would retrieving a fly without a fish on. Remember to always keep the rod tip up so the rod has leverage against the fighting fish.
7 Practice makes perfect
Find an open location on land for casting. Assemble your fly rod and put on a fly that has no hook, or break a hook off an old fly. Place a 25 gallon bucket ten yards away. Work on your wrist action, smoothness in letting line out, and accuracy. Try to get the fly to land in the bucket, every time you do, take a few more steps back. This is a great way to perfect your casting skills.
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