You don’t need to be a physics or geometry expert to be able to use a fly rod well. But there are a few ways that even the most rudimentary grasp of scientific or mathematic principles will help you on the water.

For example: manipulations of your rod grip are telegraphed exponentially up to your rod tip. Or, even if you move your hand only a little bit it is going to move the end of your fly rod, nine feet away, quite a bit.

What does that mean, though? How does that impact fishing?

It impacts fishing quite a bit, actually. After all, it is called angling. And all it really means is that with a little awareness of how you are holding or angling your grip you can have a significant impact on casting and fighting fish.

Here are four areas where  you ought to be paying attention to the orientation of  your grip:

Casting: Are you moving side to side?

Some of the best casting instruction I ever received pertained to this question. When moving from back cast to forward cast (and back again), your primary movement is a plane that is oriented in front of and behind you. Keeping your line on this plane allows for the energy generated by the momentum to shoot line towards your target. As soon as you introduce any lateral motion, that line now has to move in “two directions” at once. Energy is reduced, and you lose line speed. This happens because the wrist  or elbow flexes outward, causing the grip to angle away from you. What may feel like an inch of variation becomes feet at the rod tip. This translates into a wide, line speed killing arc.

Fighting: Are you letting your rod do the work?

Holding your rod vertically is not an efficient way to fight a fish. A negative angle (pointing in front of you) is even less efficient. Particularly if you spent your hard earned money on a high-tech fly rod, you want it to do some of the hard work for you. A slight angle behind you allows the reflexive, dampening design of the rod tip to apply the pressure needed to quickly land fish. Of course, there are countless circumstances that dictate dropping the rod tip or  pulling from the side. But many average-sized fish can be fought more ethically if you let the rod help.

Casting: Are you stronger than your line?

Another line speed killer is “breaking your wrist” at the terminus of your front or back cast. While a subtle snap should be used to shoot line out, many casters are ailed by rotating their wrist too much. Beginners will often allow their cast to draw their wrist into it’s full range of motion. This is problematic because added to the motion of the forearm and shoulder, the extra rotation drops the rod tip feet at a critical portion of the cast. Limiting wrist flex keeps the rod travelling on a consistent vertical plane and  maintains line speed and trajectory.

Presentation: Are you ready to set?

Out of anticipation or simple lack of awareness, it is common to hold the rod at an angle  that will make a strong hook set difficult. You don’t want to have to sweep your arm and shoulder to bring a dry fly home in the mouth of a rising trout. Ensuring that your tip is low enough to the water starts by being aware of your grip. Pointing a few feet “above” your fly is a good target. Conveniently,  this angle is often also optimal for following your drift and mending well.