# How did you learn to cast?



## houfinchaser (Oct 10, 2008)

After fishing with a rod & reel my whole life I am going to jump into fly fishing. I want to learn how to cast the correct way. I have heard repeatedly from people to hire an instructor. Any suggestions? Any good instructors out there that you have actually taken a lesson from and would recommend? Any good instructional videos?


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## Dave Kelly (Aug 10, 2006)

houfinchaser said:


> After fishing with a rod & reel my whole life I am going to jump into fly fishing. I want to learn how to cast the correct way. I have heard repeatedly from people to hire an instructor. Any suggestions? Any good instructors out there that you have actually taken a lesson from and would recommend? Any good instructional videos?


Capt. Chris Phillips at FTU is an execllent instructor.

The TexasFlyFisher has several FFFCCI members (Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Insturcures). Free to members ( dues $24.00 year ) $50 for non- members.

http://www.texasflyfishers.org/

Some of our members live in the League City area.

I learned from an old carpenter on a calichi construction site in the middle of Odessa after he got off of work. He worked for my dad and that was 59 years ago. Hes probably still down on the Pecos River somewhere chasing Rio Grande Perch.


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## Dave Kelly (Aug 10, 2006)

Word of caution.

Do not buy any equipment until after you have a few lessons.
Never met an instructor who did not have equipment for his students to use.


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## Bretticu$ (May 9, 2006)

Go talk to Robert in the fly shop at Bass Pro Shops in Katy. He has a really cool intro that I found super informational. ITS FREE, its no pressure, and they give you a coupon for a percentage off anything in the fly shop. You can try different weights of rods and such. Its an hour long, and starts at 9AM saturday mornings.

Hope this helps.


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## Salty Dog (Jan 29, 2005)

I can tell you how not to learn. I started out with a crappy Martin combo that Wal Mart or K Mart use to sell. It was horrible. Everyone told me you had to pop it like a buggy whip. I was about 11 or 12 years old at the time and honestly the folks who gave me advice had never even seen a flyrod before much less held or cast one. I flailed around until I could kinda sorta cast. 

Then a couple years later I bought a better setup, read alot of books and still pretty much sucked. But I caught fish here and there.

Then I got some lessons. Had to go back and unlearn all the bad habits I taught myself. I am still not the best at casting a flyrod but I do well enough to catch fish and I don't embarrass myself.

Spend the money on a few lessons with a good instructor and then go buy a decent setup. Time and money well spent. I can't tell you the frustration and the number of times I quit only to come back and try it again, get frustrated and quit again.


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## Animal Chris (May 21, 2004)

the instructors with the Texas Flyfishers hold several different levels of classes throughout the year. Check the website for the next class.

http://www.texasflyfishers.org/

If that doesn't work with your plans, you can check with the instructors for private hour long lessons.


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## crw91383 (Nov 21, 2008)

I am still learning! I picked up fly fishing about two years ago and have never taken any sort of formal lesson. Had friends kinda coach me a little, but for the most part i taught myself. Now i am sure i am doing something wrong atleast half of the time and my casts are not pretty, but i can still catch fish!


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## houfinchaser (Oct 10, 2008)

Thanks guys for the info.


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## seattleman1969 (Jul 17, 2008)

I learned to cast fairly well with one of those old martin setups and a flatline, no shooting head, no weight forward, just a plain old flat line. 

Of course once I got a good set up (Loomis rod, Loop {Danielsson} Reel, Rio Multihead line) I learned what could REALLY be done with a flyrod. 

Practice practice practice, then practice some more, in the wind, wind at your back, wind from either side, in the rain, practice.....


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## Mike B Fishin (Aug 11, 2006)

When I was 8 years old we had a zebco 33 and a fly rod, Dad would give me the zebco and he would have the fly line in 50 knots with in 30 minutes and want to go home. So I figured if we were ever going to spend the whole day fishing I needed to use the fly rod and let him use the zebco. My uncle lived next door and fixed the leader with a small split shot and a small piece of feather. He told me to make a back cast and count to 3 before making a foward cast. He put an old plate on the grass in the back yard for my target and that is where I learned to use a fly rod. We moved the plate into some tight areas, under limbs, close to the dog house, etc. I worked every day for hours and got to where I could click the split shot off the plate any where it was located, even 3' under the house. It was an 8' fiberglass 6 wt. with the spring loaded reel.

I now have a $39.00 graphite 6wt that will put a bream popper any where I want it to go. Also, have a $69.00 9' 10 wt. that will handle a 1/0 deer hair popper very well and get it out a long long way. I use a $200.00 7'9" BPS 7 wt. for pond bass almost every day, but I don't really like the short rod. 

I have Loomis GLX, Shimano Cumara, rods and Shamino MG reels, but I just never saw a need for an expensive fly rod. Maybe they are worth the price.


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## FalseCast (May 7, 2009)

learn to double haul first......it will be a quicker learning curve than trying to go back later and learn the double haul


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

I took lessons, bought decent stuff and took the fly rod with me on every trip for while. Never got effecient with it. Then, on a day I knew could be great fishing I took ONLY the fly rod with me and vowed to fish all day. 

That one day made all the difference. 
My $.02 worth.

If you want to get better, don't take a plan 'B' rod with you.


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## jonnylaw (Aug 12, 2005)

I met up with Al Crise when he gave lessons at Slowride's in AP, It was the best money I have invested toward fly fishing. He's very thorough, knowledgeable and a very nice guy as well. Here's some info on Al:

http://www.geocities.com/rrdoctor/hawkridge.html

Also, I've heard great things about Bill Harvey, I'd like to learn from him as well.


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## scooter3 (Oct 20, 2005)

dont pay to learn. just look up casting on youtube it works and its free lol


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## Golden (Aug 1, 2006)

I bet I know what your casting skills are like...Boobtube also has how to fix all those windknots too! Good instructions are worth every penny compared to learning to "flail" with the best of 'em. IMO


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## knuttdeep (May 21, 2004)

crw91383 said:


> I am still learning! I picked up fly fishing about two years ago and have never taken any sort of formal lesson. Had friends kinda coach me a little, but for the most part i taught myself. Now i am sure i am doing something wrong atleast half of the time and my casts are not pretty, but i can still catch fish!


_*Ray Box in Gruene had me casting well enough to catch fish in about 20 min.
The wind knots, too many false casts, hooked ears, trees, poling platforms, and natural ugliness I learned on my own.
Still catch fish, but you should take at least one lesson to get the basics down.
*_


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## 2WheelFisher (Jun 4, 2009)

Bill Gammel. Haven't heard from him in years, I think he is from the Baytown area if I remember correctly.

Bill Gammel
Baytown, Texas
281-421-3727


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