Ugh. The wind. The bane of every fly caster.
Well, not ever caster, obviously. But those of us who don’t often deal with the wind on a regular basis (read: those of us who might get to the bonefish flats but once every couple of years, for instance) can find the wind to be a cruel obstacle to casting to and catching fish.
As you’ll see above, thanks to Orvis’ Pete Kutzer, casting in the wind is largely about compensation. And Pete touches on my least-favorite wind condition—that stiff Sea of Cortez bluster that comes up from the south and frustrates me and every other right-handed caster that’s busy looking at the surf for rooster fish.
Several years back, as I struggled to get the sardina fly unhooked from the flesh on the back of my neck, I watched as a 40-pound jack moved into the first swell, just off the beach, chasing a school of baitfish. I never got the cast away, thanks to the wind that buried the fly in my neck. Missing the fish hurt way more than a fly in my skin.
The solutions, according to Pete? There are several. First, go with a side-armed cast that moves the fly away from your body (and your ears, head, neck … butt). If that’s not giving you the relief you need, cast the line at angle over your left shoulder, turn your back to the wind and employ a back-hand cast, or … simply learn to cast with your off hand.
The latter will, of course, give you the ultimate advantage.
There are lots of great wind tips in the video above. Enjoy.