can fly casters also fish?

[Glenda]

Here's a topic.... My ex fishing buddy/partner always said guys who taught or competed in casting competitions, did not know how to fish. He often said they were only ever interested in getting a long line out no matter where they would be fishing. To me, and Paul is the exception here (because I have seen him fish and catch when others fishing with him did'nt catch anything) I have never really seen my ex's theory, only been told about his own experiences with casting for the sake of casting I.e. Competitions. But I have also been told by guides that fly casting isn't the only arsenal you need to catch fish. In fact, where I have come from, if you were known as a castor only, you were kind of looked down on by fly fishers.

apologies if the above has already been discussed (the conversation on how many people were going for teaching casting credentials.)

What do others think - is knowing just the fundamentals of casting sufficient for fly fishing? I know you really need to be able to read the water, and again Paul is the exception here, but how do you learn that?

[t.z.]

you said it - "ex" fishing buddy/partner. Sounds like he wanted an weird sort of excuse for not praticing casting. I am personally not so very interested in casting as a sport, but the guys I know competeing are all together damn good fishermen.

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi Glenda

I really really like the following quote from flycasting instructor Joan Wulff:

"If you don't know where the fish lie but can cast well enough to cover all the water with finesse, you are likely to solve the mystery and catch fish. If you know where they lie but can neither reach them or present the fly naturally, you are not even in the game"

Joan Wulff

I never really understood the drive to belittle people who have taken the extra time to become proficient in handling their tools. It always seems like an excuse for not doing anything themselves

Furthermore, I have never met a guide that didn't wish their clients where better casters, not a single one!

One of my favorite adds where for G. Loomis, their chief designer is Steve Rajeff, arguably the most winning guy in casting competitions for the last 40 years, one of the founders of the IFFF casting instructor program and I guess they got fed up with the same lame talk. The add featured Steve in the bottom with a wheelbarrow filled with the ugky trophees we win, and above that a bunch of pictures with alot of different fish all held by the same casting dude and a text in the lines of, not only can he cast, he can also fish.....

Bottom line, you neither need to be any way near capable of throwing a short cast as well as being able to read the water to catch fish, it will happen at some point, but if you want to be able to catch fish consitently and in a wide variaty of waters, then both it needed, and only one of them can be tuned before the water where the other needs tuning. Oh and trying to tune both at the same time sucks big time, guess what I would advice people to do

Cheers
Lasse

[Paul Arden]

Jesus I must lie down. Oh no I am lying down. Anyway yes I agree with Lasse!

Just ask guides what's the single most important thing they would change about their clients.

I know a few good casters who don't fish well (and I know a few instructors who don't appear to be able to do either ) - so if he's met one or two of them that could have resulted in his thinking. Basically it's impossible to fish well without a serviceable cast (at least anywhere that's not a small stream or traditional loch style),

Most of my instruction has been teaching guys with a serviceable cast that's been working for them for the last 20-30 years and they've suddenly realised "wouldn't it be good to cast 'properly'!" I was the same!!

Cheers, Paul

[Michal Duzynski]

Hi
I also agree with Lasse, and I love the quote from Joan Wulff- never fail.
There is a place call Hainz Dam, in QLD Australia, where people chase Toga and Bass, and let me tell you this is a real test of casting skils( short- long distance).
Casting into the bunch of snags- no skilss no GAME.
cheers
mike

[Massew]

I'm with Lasse too. It's ironic though that no one ever accuses great flytyers of not knowing how to fish. They are beyond reproach, apparently.

After learning how to cast properly I have found that I get to fish more, anyway. Casting in confined spaces is much easier, lifting a long line is easier too. All those knots in the leader have disappeared as well.

[Stu Jamieson]

Hi Glenda

I never really understood the drive to belittle people who have taken the extra time to become proficient in handling their tools.

I agree mostly with this.

Oh, and the Joan quote is quite good too.

[Glenda]

thanks. I like and appreciate all your responses and more importantly, agree.

I realise now my wanker ex was jealous of the casters because he couldn't get a line out as far, and only had the one style of casting. I never once saw him do a roll cast in a river...... and he wondered why other guys didn't like him.

I digress - I now need to teach myself to double haul on the front/back cast and practice, practice, practice.

[alex vulev]

I never fully understanded what is meant by the expression 'to know how to cast'. In fishing trout streams ,small rivers to mid rivers and sometimes in bigger rivers distance fishing is not the best tactics. So if by the above mentioned saying is meant fishing at distance by casting at disntance in trout fishing it often is not the best approach.I know a few folks who seem to 'know how to cast', but who are mediocre at best at catching fush. The same holds true about some virtuoso fly tiers too.

[Massew]

Furthermore, I have never met a guide that didn't wish their clients where better casters, not a single one!

That's strange Lasse, I thought you were a pretty decent caster. I hope you get a refund at those occasions.