False casting is a necessary evil for fly casters, but it’s important to realize that it serves several purposes. First, if you’re fishing dry flies, it helps dry your fly and keep the fly floating longer during a fishing session. Second, as TROUT Magazine Editor Kirk Deeter demonstrates in this week’s edition of Trout Tips, false casting is how we measure the length of our casts in relation to a target.
But, as Kirk points out, particularly in sill or flat water, false casting can spook the very fish we’re trying to catch. So Kirk’s solution is brilliant in its simplicity. When you’re false casting, do so away from your target. Makes sense, right?