How far "should" I cast?

[ts47]

I'd like to hear from some of the more experienced casters/fly fishers here. I'm working on my casting skills and would like a realistic goal to work towards - one that would simply say I have a good skill set for fly fishing. Again, I'm not looking for bragging rights at the bar, just a realistic target that will tell me I've made it.

Speaking in terms of trout fishing with a 9' 5wt St Croix Legend Elite (fast action rod) and a SA textured GPX line, how far should I want to cast accurately?

I just bought a 9' 8wt TFO BVK (fast action) and a rio Versitip II fly line. I'll be using this for large streamers, steelhead, bass, shad, etc. This question is likely a little more complicated in that I could throw a floating or sinking tip. I've never cast a sink tip line before and don't know if there would be a difference in casting distance over a floating line. How far accurately for both?

I tried to search this question before posting. I did find the forum poll that discusses how far people can cast. The question I am asking is different. Also, the rod and line used were missing from most of the posts in that thread making the information much less usable. If this is a repeat of an old thread, please feel free to post that link.

If it helps you understand where I'm coming from... I'm 50 and have been fly fishing seriously for only two years.

Thanks,

Todd

 

[littledavid123]

An accurate 50' cast is probably more than sufficient for most situations. Will be interesting to see what the other members have to say about this.

Dave

 

[axle27]

The real answer is to where the fish is.

But, one with some reasonable skill SHOULD be able to cast at least 50 ft. Without double hauling, I can go just shy of 80ft. with a 7wt. I'm not casting expert, and any expers would instantly laugh at my cast. But, putting it where the fish is (or above it for a drift) is more important.

Another part is finding a rod that speaks to your cast. I've done some lawn casting with my boss and we've gone from slower Avid's to fast TFO's and it affects how things happen. I'd find the one rod/line that speaks to you and learn to put it where you want when you want it.

I've owned several St. Croix Avids over time and could never make them work. I finally got a 9ft 5wt and after actually considering what the rod wanted, it's my favorite.

 

[brookfieldangler]

I think that the term "accurate" increases in scale in direct relation to the distance.

In other words, if you are casting 20 to 30', you probably want to be able to put the fly within 6 or so inches of your intended target.

As that distance increases, so does your range of acceptable accuracy. Of course, it would be fantastic to be able to put a fly within 6" of your target from 90' out but I am guessing that there are only a handful of people that could do that consistently. I know that I can't.

Instead, I try to be withing a foot or two when I am casting 75+ feet. My targets are different at that range though. I am not trying to put the fly right in front of a fishes face at that point. Instead, I am trying to cast to an area that looks fishy or even a shadow. I am trying to get a fly to land in a small cove on an otherwise flat bank. I am trying to hit a point of a lily pad base.

 

[ts47]

The real answer is to where the fish is.

But, one with some reasonable skill SHOULD be able to cast at least 50 ft. Without double hauling, I can go just shy of 80ft. with a 7wt. I'm not casting expert, and any expers would instantly laugh at my cast. But, putting it where the fish is (or above it for a drift) is more important.

Another part is finding a rod that speaks to your cast. I've done some lawn casting with my boss and we've gone from slower Avid's to fast TFO's and it affects how things happen. I'd find the one rod/line that speaks to you and learn to put it where you want when you want it.

I've owned several St. Croix Avids over time and could never make them work. I finally got a 9ft 5wt and after actually considering what the rod wanted, it's my favorite.

Let me put a little more definition to my question.

A "new" fly fisher who can cast somewhat accurately at a distance of 30 feet (with a 9' 5wt rod) would likely have a good chance at catching a lot of fish. That same person with a 9' 8wt rod would likely cast 40 to 50 feet by virtue of the stronger rod and greater mass of the heavier line.

What should a good "intermediate" level fly caster strive for in terms of accuracy and distance with each rod, keeping in mind that distance will increase with the 8wt being thrown farther than the 5wt?

I do not yet know the double haul, but am working on it. Again, I'm looking for a realistic goal to strive toward.


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[bigjim5589]

Todd, I've been fly fishing for about 48 years, and I'm not a great long distance caster. I can get a fly out 85-90 ft sometimes, even without double hauling, but those casts are few & far between.

IMO, for 99% of freshwater fly fishing, accuracy & line control are far more important than distance. Most freshwater fishing will be within 50 ft, and much will be in the 30-40ft range or less. There will be situations where longer casts are needed, but usually those can be minimized by finding a better casting position.

Again, this all comes down to accuracy & line control. If you're primarily fishing in waters with current, both of these become even more important. On stillwaters not as critical.

If you can accurately cast in the 60 to 75ft range, then IMO that's a good distance range with any weight rod. If you get into salt or some of the big freshwater situations, then certainly being able to cast beyond 75 ft would be advantageous for those few situations where it becomes necessary.

Learn the double haul, and practice it. But again, learn to be accurate with it, and understand that no extra distance will overcome a lack of line control.

By line control, I mean both while casting & while on the water. If you lose control of the line, you lose control of the fly, so a 75 ft cast that you have no control over the fly is nothing more than casting practice!

 

[fredaevans]

Interesting answers above, with witch I agree (50' for a 1hander). Much beyond that point (moving water) you may have to do a lot of mending in the early part of the cast.

Actually accurate (distance casting) is fairly easy with a 2hander. Once you've got the line stripped off it becomes a question of aiming where you want the fly to land. A lot of that has to do with anchor placement .... practice, practice, practice!

 

[bigjim5589]

Much beyond that point (moving water) you may have to do a lot of mending in the early part of the cast.

Fred, good point! That's why I said accurate casting is more important. I know from my own experience when I was learning, I would get too much line out on the water, and no amount of mending would correct poor accuracy. Mending is a technique of line control, but if a cast is so far off the mark to begin with, the current usually takes the line & fly so far off target before the angler can respond that it becomes a futile effort.

BTW, my idea of accurate casting at any distance is within 4" to 6" of a target consistently.

Funny, but back in Sept. I had a situation casting to a moving Redfish on a grass flat where I was making 75 to 80' casts with an 8 wt. The fly landed all around the fish, but I couldn't seem to get it in front of it. Had I been able to move closer it would not have been an issue, but the tide had started to fall & that fish was moving fairly quickly towards deeper water. I lost the opportunity to hook up with that fish simply because I could not make an accurate cast in front of that fish at that distance.

 

[planettrout]

Since the majority of the fly fishing me and my tribe do is sub-surface, our casts are fairly short and usually limited to less than 40' (this allows for better line control and mending). We generally use 10' rods in the 4wt. - 6wt. range for most of our fishing and rod wt. is determined by the size of the river, wind and sometimes the size of the intended target...



My son Michael is working the soft water, on the other side of the white water, in the above photo, on the East Walker River. with a 10', 5wt. Loomis Streamdance. Dependening on the flows, we position ourselves to the side, directly below or directly above, an area to be targeted or to sighted fish . Most of the fish we catch are less than 20' away...

Even when using dries and emergers we KEEP our casts short...positioning is everything...

PT/TB :thumbup:

 

[runningfish]

I have to be able to cast far since I am fishing the stillwater lakes from the shore so I can comb the water from 20ft-60ft. The good thing is I don't need to have a pinpoint 6" from the target cast. As I am casting farther in the stillwater, I am basically blind casting. The fish are more scattered and much deeper in the stillwater compared to the stream or river where the fish are more isolated in pools or eddies. It takes a lot of energies to repeatedly cast 60ft into deeper water with sinking line or leader trying to figure out what depth the fish are holding.

I never caught anything when I bombed my line out. Sad but ALMOST true, you'll mostly catch them in the 40ft.

 

[ts47]

Todd, I've been fly fishing for about 48 years, and I'm not a great long distance caster. I can get a fly out 85-90 ft sometimes, even without double hauling, but those casts are few & far between.

IMO, for 99% of freshwater fly fishing, accuracy & line control are far more important than distance. Most freshwater fishing will be within 50 ft, and much will be in the 30-40ft range or less. There will be situations where longer casts are needed, but usually those can be minimized by finding a better casting position.

Again, this all comes down to accuracy & line control. If you're primarily fishing in waters with current, both of these become even more important. On stillwaters not as critical.

If you can accurately cast in the 60 to 75ft range, then IMO that's a good distance range with any weight rod. If you get into salt or some of the big freshwater situations, then certainly being able to cast beyond 75 ft would be advantageous for those few situations where it becomes necessary.

Learn the double haul, and practice it. But again, learn to be accurate with it, and understand that no extra distance will overcome a lack of line control.

By line control, I mean both while casting & while on the water. If you lose control of the line, you lose control of the fly, so a 75 ft cast that you have no control over the fly is nothing more than casting practice!

Bigjim,

The line control point is a good one. I understand what you mean. Some places I intend to fish include... The Delaware River is someplace I plan to fish with a guide and from a boat. I'm told that this will take some good long distance casting with a dry fly. It's big water without some of the extreme current changes you would find in say tailwater below a dam. Another first time adventure for me will be a shad run on the Potomac with my new 8wt from the shore. Unless I decide to rent a boat, punching a shad dart out there a long way will be important.

I was expecting the answers to be (accurately) 65-75 feet for the 5wt and perhaps a good 80 ft for the 8wt. Since I can't "currently" do these these things and don't really know the answers, I thought I would put it out there to the group. I'm excited to read the balance of the answers. There are also a few specific folks I'm hoping will add their thoughts to the discussion.

Todd


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---------- Post added at 11:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 AM ----------

Interesting answers above, with witch I agree (50' for a 1hander). Much beyond that point (moving water) you may have to do a lot of mending in the early part of the cast.

Actually accurate (distance casting) is fairly easy with a 2hander. Once you've got the line stripped off it becomes a question of aiming where you want the fly to land. A lot of that has to do with anchor placement .... practice, practice, practice!

Thanks Fred! I would like to keep it to a one hander for now. If I can get my casting skills better developed, I would consider a two hander. That would be down the road though.


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[Rip Tide]

I was expecting the answers to be (accurately) 65-75 feet for the 5wt and perhaps a good 80 ft for the 8wt.

Well..... actually that's just about right

Distance isn't always needed but the better you can cast, the better off you be whether you're fishing in close or not.

 

[ts47]

Well..... actually that's just about right

Distance isn't always needed but the better you can cast, the better off you be whether you're fishing in close or not.

Hi Rip,

Thanks for responding!

I'm starting to fish a variety of water. I've got the 30-50ft range down pretty well. I'm probably not as accurate at 50 as I'd like to be. I've also learned to mend somewhat proficiently. There are other times, depending on what kind of water I'm fishing, where it would be nice to really punch something out there - calmer waters, bigger waters or if I'm prospecting with a streamer and not able to put myself in that ideal casting position.


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[mridenour]

Whenever I am out on the water and decide to cast really far, I find the trees behind me are much closer than I thought they were. Then when I finally do get a nice long cast out there the current puts a giant belly in my line and yanks my fly up off the bottom. I don't catch many fish this way. It is nice to have a lot of line out to strip a streamer upstream or in still water. I'm still usually relatively close to where the fish actually are. They can be feeding really close if I am stealthy. I'm not so stealthy trying to cast 90 feet.

I've never measured how far I can cast. I have cast all my fly line out on my 9wt. That was in great conditions in my yard. I usually cast plenty far enough to catch fish though.

I have one tip for ya'...never ever expect a single definitive answer to a question on this forum!

 

[ts47]

I have one tip for ya'...never ever expect a single definitive answer to a question on this forum!

Agreed! . I've tried a time or two to keep responses on point. With this said... Sometimes when you're still somewhat new like I am, you don't always know all the right questions to ask. Having all that extra information can be a really good thing!

Todd

 

[jaybo41]

Interesting discussion and lots of good response thus far as I'd have expected. My thoughts on this are much like many of the previous responders. Cast to where the fish are within reasonable accuracy and then it's all about presentation. Where and how we're fishing will mandate how far exactly that is. What I mean by this is some of the small spring creeks I fish I don't need to cast much more than 10 feet to catch fish on nymphs. On bigger water, that may or mat not cut it, but more than likely I'd need to get more line out there to get my dry fly or streamer out where it needs to be. So I'm of the opinion that the mechanics of casting depends on the technique being used to try and seduce the fish into taking your fly. I guess I don't get hung up on how far I can cast as much as am I employing the right techniques at the location I'm fishing given the type of fishing I'm doing. Much like mridenour, I too have found that trees, branches and grass are much closer than where I've thought they were. Even when I look over the area to find my casting lanes, I somehow find an obstacle that likes my fly better than a fish. Don't get me wrong, I have been frustrated at times trying to get line out, which lead me to casting lessons.

I am far from being a great caster but I've significantly improved the past couple of seasons largely in part due to taking lessons and practicing. Learning the mechanics and having a casting instructor watch me and provide feedback as to what's right and wrong has helped immensely. Have you taken casting lessons? If not, I'd highly recommend it. There's good reason why PGA Tour pros have swing coaches, casting lessons aren't much different.

 

[silver creek]

You should try to cast accurately into an 18 inch circle at 50 feet, 12 inch circle at 40 feet and a 6 inch circle at 30 feet.

In terms of distance with a dry fly try to cast 80 - 85 feet, all casts with a 9 ft 5 wt rod.

 

[cpowell]

Cast out to your maximum comfortable, controllable distance. Work up from there. Do NOT lose control of your cast.

The distance and accuracy should always improve through your life of casting.

Do not put a finite number on it, always work to do better from your last point of most perfect control.

If distance was the only factor in successfully casting to and hooking of fish then it would be quite easy. Line Control is the biggest factor in distance casting and fishing. Be able to control the line, the cast should become second nature as you concentrate on your line control.

 

[calftail]

Buy this book ! It will be the best buck you ever spent in your life. The book will explain everything you need to know, even more distance. There are practice drills you can do in the back yard to improve.

Fly Fishing Strategy by Doug Swisher: Crown Publishers, Inc. 9780517523711 Hardcover - Slategray Ventures

 

[lake flyer]

You should try to cast accurately into an 18 inch circle at 50 feet, 12 inch circle at 40 feet and a 6 inch circle at 30 feet.

In terms of distance with a dry fly try to cast 80 - 85 feet, all casts with a 9 ft 5 wt rod.

I think for the shorter distances that these are good goals especially when you add the reach cast and the aerial mend both left and right with the same accuracy and the same distance. For dry fly trout fishing your catch rate will improve dramatically over just straight casts. Out to eighty feet it becomes a lot harder to do the mends with any accuracy, not impossible but hard. From the majority of responses you can see most people stress distance AND accuracy.