# practice



## EchoDuck Jr. (Jul 16, 2004)

how do you guys practice your accuracy casting? i usually put a newspaper out in the yards about 30-50 yrds and try to hit it..


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## Animal Chris (May 21, 2004)

I have 3 sizes of hula hoops that I lay out on the grass at different distances and use them as targets. I also have one that I set up vertical at about 20 yards that I use to practice keeping my loops tight.


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## General CoolBro (Jun 13, 2005)

EchoDuck Jr. said:


> how do you guys practice your accuracy casting? i usually put a newspaper out in the yards about 30-50 yrds and try to hit it..


Thanks for the flashback.

In my younger days I would drop the tailgate on Dad's truck to stand on and then place 5 gallon buckets at different places in the yard. I spent countless hours casting in them buckets. Practice does help. 
Never failed, someone would always stop and ask if I was catching any.....ha ha.

GCB


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## EchoDuck Jr. (Jul 16, 2004)

lol. ya they seem to ask me that too.. i usually say ''ya. i couple grass carp''


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## NW80 (Apr 26, 2006)

Pods of Redfish!


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## davidb (May 10, 2006)

*Practice*

If you are consistantly hitting the target at 50 yards I don't think you need too much practice.


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## EchoDuck Jr. (Jul 16, 2004)

davidb said:


> If you are consistantly hitting the target at 50 yards I don't think you need too much practice.


i would think you would so you dont loose your good aim..


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## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

Echo,
I am by no means an expert in fly fishing. I bought my first rod in '66 and was too hard headed or broke to take a lesson. I bought the rod and level line at a Western Auto store. They sold tires and auto parts and a few fishing items so you can imagine the quality of the rod. After a while I decided that fly fishing wasn't for me and I could not afford anything better. In the earlier 80's I got the urge again and built my first fly rod. Still no lesson but I did manage to catch a fish or two, bream, small bass, and small specks under lights. I still have not taken a lesson but I do get help from some experts now and then. These experts, or great casters, have told me that they practice two to three times a week. I never question expertise and now I practice sometimes everyday. I go to a nearby gravel pit and slap water, I practice on my lawn, and indoors I will go through the motions. It really helps. Someday I am going to take a lesson to help me correct my mistakes.


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## surfsideperson (Aug 22, 2005)

if you can cast 30 to 50 yards , that is pretty good, lets see, that is 90 to 150 foot cast. that guy must be pretty good to consistanty do that and hit targets, while , the rest of us out there are not that great, 90 foot cast , or bettter yet, 150 foot cast, to newspaper, echo, great jedi can you teach me how to cast .


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Take the lower section of your 2 piece rod or the lower 2 pieces of your 3 piece rod and then tie a length of yarn twice as long as the section/sections of rod you are holding to the top. If you can hit anything you aim at in the house and keep a tight loop you are doing very good. Feeling like Lefty, tie on a longer piece of yarn...

Of course if you live on the water, just go cast to a fish after work.


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## kenny (May 21, 2004)

I'm a novice so bear with me but 50 yards is 150 feet. Isn't that a really long cast with a flyrod?


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## clouser (Jun 14, 2006)

kenny said:


> I'm a novice so bear with me but 50 yards is 150 feet. Isn't that a really long cast with a flyrod?


Yeah, that's a REALLY long cast. Most fly lines are 90-110' in length, so, if you're not shooting out 40-60' on your final false cast, you're casting the backing.


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

I usually practice in the front of my house along the street. I've learned more at night or while I'm fishing. When it's dark it's easier for me to feel the cast.

My largest problem is learning to slow down and be smooth. And wait for the cast to open up before I drop the fly(that's probably not proper fly casting lingo, but that's what I call it). 

Another 2-3 years and I'll be able to cast like I need too. Maybe


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## EKNIP (Sep 15, 2005)

It Is Amazing How Accurate And How Far We Can Cast In The Back Yard. But Put Be On The Bow Of A Poling Skiff In A 15 Kt Wind Over My Lft Shulder And A Redfish Moving Rt To Lft... See How Accurate I Am. I Am Good At Hitting The Guy Poling First..


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## davidb (May 10, 2006)

*Saw this on another board*

How long does it take to learn to flyfish?

Nobody knows.


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## clouser (Jun 14, 2006)

From my experience, when it comes to flyfishing, you never become perfect. You're always learning something new.


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## EchoDuck Jr. (Jul 16, 2004)

sorry, i meant 30- 50 feet didnt relize how ar it was till i went out and looked



surfsideperson said:


> if you can cast 30 to 50 yards , that is pretty good, lets see, that is 90 to 150 foot cast. that guy must be pretty good to consistanty do that and hit targets, while , the rest of us out there are not that great, 90 foot cast , or bettter yet, 150 foot cast, to newspaper, echo, great jedi can you teach me how to cast .


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

davidb said:


> How long does it take to learn to flyfish?
> 
> Nobody knows.


Similar to golf and sailing, you can learn in an afternoon and spend the rest of your life trying to get it right.


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

davidb said:


> How long does it take to learn to flyfish?
> 
> Nobody knows.


IMO, once you learn to pattern a species of fish, fly fishing is no different than conventional tackle. Use the fly tackle to your advantage.

To me it starts with a good cast. If you can't get the bait to the fish it doesn't matter how good of a _fisherman_ you are.

Although being able to hit a target at 60+ feet with a 15 mph cross wind doesn't make you a good fly _fisherman_. Just a good fly caster.


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

bslittle79 said:


> IMO, once you learn to pattern the fish, fly fishing is no different than conventional tackle. Use the fly tackle to your advantage.
> 
> To me it starts with a good cast. If you can't get the bait to the fish it doesn't matter how good of a _fisherman_ you are.
> 
> Although being able to hit a target at 60+ feet with a 15 mph cross wind doesn't make you a good fly _fisherman_. Just a good fly caster.


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

sorry, tried to edit myself and hit the quote button.


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## davidb (May 10, 2006)

Echo

Just was getting a little mileage from what was obviously a typo. I just checked some recent tournament distances and Steve Rajeff 13 or more time international casting champion gets only about 120 feet with the standard 5wt trout rig. For the single hand tournament rod 238' and the two hander something over 300'.

Me I can barely get the line out of the boat some days.


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## surfsideperson (Aug 22, 2005)

Echo, 
i was just givin you a hard time, about the 90 yard cast, and the 150 yard cast, 
you should come fishing with me sometime. keep up the practice we all need it. 
i dont know anyone who is a perfect flyfisherman........


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