casting bigger flies

cmsdw24 · Post by **cmsdw24** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:03 pm

Okay I can cast the smaller shrimp flies fairly well without fear of hooking myself in the ear. But I stillhave trouble casting the larger flies. It's like the fly doesn't want to follow the fly line but go on it's own path. How do you practice casting a larger fly?

Blindcasting · Post by **Blindcasting** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:39 pm

This is coming from a total rookie (in fact that is giving rookies a bad name), but have you tried using heavier line for the tippet?

cmsdw24 · Post by **cmsdw24** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:44 pm

I consider myself a rookie as well, and i haven't thought of a heavier tippet. Maybe I am rigged wrong or something.

Fishing Elvis · Post by **Fishing Elvis** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:47 pm

I would give a better answer, but then it would definatly be the blind leading the blind.

Lefty Ray · Post by **Lefty Ray** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 4:01 pm

Without knowing what size tipper (diameter) and not knowing what size fly you are using, this is hard to determine.

In most cases slow down your casting and open your loop wider.

fishin' · Post by **fishin'** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 4:06 pm

If you are trying to cast heavy clousers etc then the tight loop method won't work very well. That's when you hit yourself in the ear or back of the head. Part of what you describe as the fly wanting to go its own way may indeed be the line/leader cannot turn the fly over. That is really where the heavier lines come in for casting the heavier flies. :cry:

You did not say what weight rod/line and approx what size fly you are trying to cast. One thing you might try when starting out with heavier flies is to shorten your leader/tippet. Work your way up to the longer leader. It will make a huge difference in the casting and how the fly turns over. I would suggest making some short leaders with 40 or 50# mono base. Keep the leader length initially to 6'. Practice with that for awhile and gradually work your way to a longer leader. If you are trying to cast a 9' leader plus tippet at this stage, I can understand your frustration.
Generally speaking, when you are fishing the sinking flies (clousers, etc) you will not be using such a long leader as for a floating fly or from a floating line. That is one reason I like to use an Intermediate line with a clear tip at the coast. You can use a shorter leader and not spook the fish as badly. :lol:

That shorter leader fix for a heavier fly has helped me with the learning curve on casting.

fishin'

cmsdw24 · Post by **cmsdw24** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 4:40 pm

I am using a Scott 8wt. rod I believe it's a svs or something. I bought it in colorado from a scott dealer. using 7wt floating saltwater line. can't remember what size leader I am using. The flies I have trouble casting are usually the big deer hair sliders/divers, some poppers but these tend to be smaller so casting them isn't too bad. I've pretty much stopped using the sliders/divers.

What usually happens is that the fly line will make an okay loop but the damn fly will be all over the place.

So let me make sure I have this right......use the leader and just tie it directly to the fly for my bigger flies?

Lefty Ray · Post by **Lefty Ray** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 4:47 pm

I would stick with a 9 foot leader and maybe go with a thicker diameter. I do not add tippet until I have changed flies a couple of times.

Lefty Ray · Post by **Lefty Ray** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:07 pm

Does anybody mark their fly line?

cmsdw24 · Post by **cmsdw24** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:21 pm

That is a really good idea Lefty.

If you mark your line then you can tell how far you are casting on a normal basis. I think I'm going to have to do that.

Lefty Ray · Post by **Lefty Ray** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:47 pm

Use a Sharpie and let it dry overnight.

Animal Chris · Post by **Animal Chris** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 6:12 pm

I mark it, but also at the 40 ft. mark, I snelled in a 5 wrap needle knot of 8# mono (covered with a thin coat of Pliobond) so that when I am retrieving the line and the know is pulled over my finger, I know where I am in relation to my fly. This tip came from Lefty Kreh in his "Lefty's Little Library of Fly Fishing Series" of books (a great collection of most of his works).
To emphasize Ray's comment on letting the Sharpie dry over night, I marked a practice spool of line and let it dry for maybe a minute, MAX, and I ended up with marks all along the fly line. I did'nt know where I was.

Kayak Kid · Post by **Kayak Kid** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 6:50 pm

Do what lefty says and you can't go wrong.

popasan · Post by **popasan** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 7:20 pm

yes, i mark my fly line with a sharpie......i like the idea AC passed along about the needle knot at the 40' mark.....

Larry

let's go · Post by **let's go** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 8:26 pm

There's a new bermuda taper line coming out that is bi-colored. The first 30 or 40' is sand colored. The rest is blue. I think the sales rep gave one to Wideglide. Sounded like a good idea to me.

Lefty Ray · Post by **Lefty Ray** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 8:31 pm

I have a S/A line like that, part tan, part yellow. I do not think it went well since it was discontinued

fredtoo · Post by **fredtoo** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 9:32 pm

I marked mine when first starting out and it helped a lot. Not only for getting consistant amount of line out, but also to measure the number of strips in pulling the line back in to the mark to see how your distance is improving.

but it does not take long to get a feel for how much line should be out.

I found that my wife's red nail polish worked really well, and you can feel it without looking.

fredtoo

TexasKayakFisherman.com

casting bigger flies

casting bigger flies

Good idea

line wt. etc.

Good Idea Lefty