When you first feel the hit of a swung fly from a steelhead, you’d better have your fly rod ready. No, seriously, you need to be ready for that first hammer! You should be ready for that fish to pull out 100 yards of line. One solid tip to help you prepare for this……. Make sure your rod tip is pointed down towards the water as the line swings across.
Do you ever find yourself in a position where there is great water that you want to fish, but there is some big obstruction that is presenting a spey casting challenge for you? Maybe it’s a vertical bank or a bunch of trees that just doesn’t allow you to set up a good D Loop?
Have you ever thought about what your fly looks like to a fish under water? Yeah, I know…. we all have. But, have you figured out how to control the fly so it is displayed in the best position possible to entice a fish to strike?
Yes, Sick. I can throw that out there now because I’ve had quite the embarrassing week…… and to be honest, Sick just sounds about right.
I just returned from a Casting Instructor Class with the Federation of Fly Fishers and had an eye opening experience. Not because of the challenge, although becoming a casting instructor is a major challenge, but because I was reminded of the huge need for cleaning your fly line on a regular basis.
As I come off of a week where I gave a presentation that was also very difficult, and a little embarrassing….. I had to release a little energy on the page now.
Over the years, I’ve taught a lot of people how to cast a single handed fly rod. By far, the biggest issue I see is breaking your wrist. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when you will move your wrist, and I’ll talk about that in a bit.
But, for right now, if you are struggling with your cast or would like to get more distance, you should try and keep your wrist from breaking. Keeping your wrist stiff will help give you a tighter loop.
Tip: If you can’t stop your wrist from breaking – next time you hold your rod, tuck the but of the rod into the long sleeve of your shirt. This will force you to not break your wrist.
Unlike baseball or tennis where breaking your wrist is ok, in fly fishing its a no no. I recently heard the analogy of holding a hammer, then pounding a nail into a wall. Stop right now, and grab your air hammer. Now pound on your wall.
How does that feel? That’s the motion you need when fly casting. Notice how you are not breaking your wrist?
What else is important with fly casting? There is a lot, but breaking it down into small components will help.
I recently found this video of a guy who was casting without a fly rod to prove a point about correct mechanics.
This video really shows you how important timing is to your cast. If you are a split second to slow or fast, it can throw your cast off. Just as breaking your wrist can affect your loop, so can timing.
Tip: Watch your backcast when you cast. Turn your feet so you can easily watch your cast load up behind you. When is straight out behind you, it’s time to pull into your forward cast.
Conclusion
If you are new to fly casting or need to work on your cast, start out in your yard. Tie a small piece of yarn on the end of your leader to replace a fly and work on your timing. If you are experienced but need to get more distance, practice more often. If you are a pro, leave a comment below as to your best casting tip.
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I demonstrate in this video how to tie a Signal Light steelhead Pattern. This fly is tied sparsely and is perfect for summer steelhead or anytime you need a tiny fly. Another great fly in Randall Kaufmann’s railroad themed flies. The Freight Train is another great steelhead pattern from Kaufmann.
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After a few months now making connections with many amazing people online and offline, I’m ready to post an article that pays respect to everyone through this epic fly fishing round-up post.
Let me take you on a journey to clarify and answer that question.
When I started out swinging flies with a spey rod, my cast wasn’t great. In fact, it pretty much sucked. But, because mending the line with the spey is pretty easy (think length), I was able to turn a bad cast into a great cast.
Why do steelhead take a fly? Becasue they are looking for food – Maybe? Because they have instincts from their juvenile self from 2 years previously – Likely? Because they are aggressive fish and just get pissed that there is this little nagging thing in front of them – Oh Yeah……
All of these scenarios are likely correct at some point in a steelhead’s life. But, what can you do to entice the fish to take a fly more often? Size and coloration varies with the water conditions you are fishing, but a little bit of flash….. Well, this might be the X-Factor.
I’m not talking about a ton of flash, just a little to highlight and bring attention to your fly. It might only take a few strands of krystal flash to make the difference between your offering and the guy next door. All things being equal, I’ll go with a little flash any day of the week.
Here is an example of a small, sparse steelhead pattern that looks pretty nice and even better in the water. Can you see just the hint of pearl krystal flash tied under the wing. The steelhead notice it. Here’s a totally different pattern without flash. Do you think the bugger could use some flash? Yeah, I do to.
I will be tying this same pattern as a beadhead flash-back very soon, so stay tuned. The flash-back was noted recently by the Joseph Fly Shoppe as one of their go to favorites for steelhead. I was able to talk a little shop on a recent visit to the north eastern part of the state.
Make no mistake about the vision of fish – It’s awesome. I’ve caught plenty of steelhead during periods when fishing regulations may have been pushed a bit. So, remember – Adding that subtle little extra, It just might end up being a big deal.
Conclusion
Next time you are tying or choosing a steelhead fly, grab the one that has a little flash. Not a lot – but, just enough to give that fish a reason to go for your offering above the rest. Do you tie flies? Click on the link below to get more tips like this sent directly to your inbox.
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