I can cast just fine. Why would I need a lesson from someone else?

Professional golfers have swing coaches.  Veteran quarterbacks go to training camp. World-class marathon runners get input on their stride dynamics. So even if you’re not fly fishing with the hopes of ending up on a Wheaties box, you can’t say that there is nothing to gain from getting some feedback on your cast.

Whether it be an internationally certified casting instructor,  a fishing guide who offers casting as part of the suite of his services, or  a friend that you humbly acknowledge to be a better caster than you, there are a myriad of benefits to an hour or so devoted to breaking down the mechanics of your cast. Below, I share three main reasons for taking the time to look at your fly cast. I also give real-life examples of how each positively impacted my ability to get my fly where I want it.

Fix the problems, even if they’re minor.

We all have things we can fix. Even if we get our flies where we want more often than not, there are aspects of our cast that could use a tweak… or an overhaul. It might take practice, but it will payoff exponentially when we need to reach that fish or drop our fly in that spot.

Immediately, the instructor saw that I was coming to a more definite stop on my back cast than I was on my forward cast. Consequently the loop at distance was quite asymmetrical; wider in the front and tighter in the back. He had me focus on consistency, which helped maintain an appropriate rhythm as I allowed line to come through the guides for distance.

Increase your efficiency, even if you’re already effective.

Again, pragmatism often works out in fly casting. Can you get the fly where you need it? Great. But what if you could do so with one less false cast? With slightly less effort? Or with a tighter, more tree-averse loop?

We all have the tendency to rotate our wrist at the terminal portion of our back cast. When hauling a lot of line, however, this can create a wide horizontal arc that diminishes line speed. By shifting my grip so that the cork was centered between my thumb and forefinger (instead of having my thumb on top), I reduced the horizontal movement on my back cast and was able to eliminate one false cast on longer presentations.

Force you to think critically, even if you wouldn’t normally take the time.

Bare minimum,  a second set of eyes and a devoted time makes things pop out that you wouldn’t normally notice if your attention is on bugs and fish. You might walk away with some food for thought. Or you might leave encouraged at the progress you have made.

Prior to having a custom rod built, I focused on finger placement for finesse presentations of dry flies and other small patterns. A  trusted spring creek guide critiqued my different techniques, and gave me the pros and cons of the various grips. When it came time to choose cork shape and size, I was able to make an informed choice.