We if you do, it’s often because you are casting with what is known as a tailing loop. With out going in to physics, tailing loops and the knots in your leader can often be formed because you are putting too much power into your cast or your application of power is jerky, uneven or you are using a throwing action.

Try backing off the power, slowing down your casting strokes and generally smoothing out your casting action. It’s amazing how much power you can take out of the fly cast and still cast a beautiful long line!

Here’s a video I found on you tube that shows how a tailing loop is formed:

The post Knots In Your Leader When Casting appeared first on Peaks Fly Fishing.

One of the delights of fly fishing on the river is that we can often enjoy using just a short, simple cast. Not only is this relaxing and gentle on the old elbow but it is a very effective method.

If you are moving up or downstream either fishing blind (not casting to rising fish) or stalking fish who are rising for flies, it is crucially important that you do not cast over any fish lying in front of you. You must search all the water methodically using a short line to avoid spooking fish.

The classic example (and we are all guilty of this) is when dry fly fishing. You spot a lovely rise upstream and full of excitement you sling a long cast up towards it! There are two issues with this;

1. The longer cast you make the less accurate it is likely to be, so there is more chance of spooking the fish.

2. There is a good chance that there will be fish lying between you and the fish you are casting to and it is probable that your line will spook them.

It’s far better to bite your lip, contain yourself and work the stream up towards the rising fish and put in a more accurate cast over it if you do not hook anything in the preceding water.

These short line casts can be a roll, overhead or side cast using a dry, wet or nymph – it doesn’t matter as long as you work all the water piece by piece.

Using this technique you will surprised how many takes you get right in front of you!

The post River Fly Fishing – Using a Short Line appeared first on Peaks Fly Fishing.

When we are teaching fly fishing for beginners and we are looking at the overhead cast there are always a few common problems we encounter. In this series we address some common issues.

To successfully master the overhead cast it is vital that, on your backwards cast you stop the rod just beyond the vertical position. One of the most common issues when we are teaching fly fishing for beginners is that although the arm may stop the rod keeps going. This is because of what we call a “broken wrist”.

Beginners rarely realise that they are allowing the rod to travel  beyond the correct stop position during the overhead cast. I always ask people I am teaching to show me where they think they are stopping the rod and they nearly always think they are stopping correctly. They cannot believe it when they are shown just how far back the rod has travelled!

If your cast just isn’t working and has no energy or doesn’t shoot out across the water and present the fly well then this could well be an issue.

Fly Fishing for Beginners Tips

• Get a friend to watch your cast to see where your rod stops.
• Video yourself when casting to assess your stop position.
• Buy some double sided velcro and strap the rod to your wrist to provide support and stop the wrist from “breaking”.

The post Fly Fishing for Beginners – The Overhead Cast (where’s your rod really stopping!) appeared first on Peaks Fly Fishing.