Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from TU’s book, “Trout Tips,” which is available online for overnight delivery.
You’re throwing a weight and you should feel that. Granted, that weight looks like a 90-foot piece of spaghetti. But unlike conventional fishing, where the weight is concentrated at the lure (or bait), you cast and the line itself is virtually weightless, in fly fishing, the flies weigh very little, and the line itself contains the mass.
That’s key, because you need to be in the mind-set that the long fly rod you are using (and they make the average fly rod 9 feet long for a reason) is a launcher, specifically designed to help you throw that weighted line.
But you need to be thinking about your fly line as much or more than you are the fly rod. One of the best practice tips is try and “cast” the fly line using only your hand. Done right, you can feel that weight extend behind you, and that sudden tunk will tell you when to transfer the energy and move the cast forward. Some expert cssters can actually thrown more than half a fly line without a rod at all.
When you add the fly rod to the mix, casting naturally gets a whole lot easier. But it starts with feeling that weight transfer in your bare hand. A great rod will help you do that, but there’s no substitute for practice.
— Kirk Deeter