Domenick, your teaching style is excellent. You are concise, on-point, clear and encouraging. You don’t gum-up your presentation with confusing digressions or unneeded details. Many thanks.
Had to learn how to cast the mono rig by trial and error. The words in the articles just couldn’t truly articulate what this video displayed in mere minutes. For the mono rig newbie, this is pure gold. If you can cast the mono rig with tight loops, accurately i might add…….then you can cast anything! It has improved my casting dramatically. Thanks Dom
I’ve been fly fishing for 10 years….after watching this video I decided to go out and cast on the grass…..for the first time ever! I did this for about a week and decided to go fishing. Best day fishing I’ve had period end of story. Thank you man…..the light bulbs seem to just keep clicking. Love that you are sharing all this! No longer a lobber.
One thing I love about this video is the fact that I've read so many of your articles and worked on learning how to use a mono rig in a similar fashion to you. I know what I've been doing works, but seeing you walk through it visually step by step confirms that I've been actually been achieving the outcome that you intended to teach with your articles. Great stuff as always!
Following your blog for about 3 years now, have read a bunch on the mono rig but never been able to figure it out on the water. Recently moved to wnc and love the fishing, but this video put a lot of things in perspective. Thanks so much!
I recently started experimenting with this method. I didn’t learn anything new that I hadn’t already learned from your podcast, and I think that’s awesome. It’s difficult sometimes to explain fly fishing methods in just words, and I think you do a great job of that. Thank you for all the great information.
OMG... I've been tightlining for 5 years now and Dom, your demonstration just blew my mind. I have really been stuck on variations of the oval, belgian type case, which is really what you're seeing most (or all) of the tightliners online do. I really thought a regular flyline cast just wasn't possible with this rig. WOW... obviously nothing could be further from the truth. Need to get out and practice. Thanks Dom!
Good stuff. I would mention that leader design matters here too. The casting style you referred to has become more popular in the comp scene as an adjustment to the extra light leaders many are using.
I, too, use an oval style cast, as that was how I learned. I'll say, however, that my cast looks nothing like the lobbing cast in this video, which is flaccid and lacking speed. I suspect the lob example, in the video, was to illustrate how many people cast a tight line rig, but with practice an oval cast can have a lot of speed and accuracy, too.
@@E-M-C Good stuff. So . . . there is an oval to every good fly cast. I feel like this reference to "oval cast" carries some baggage. It's not a great description. My friend, Josh put it this way: A football is an oval, and there are points at the end of the football. And there ya go. I feel like the best casts with these rigs form an oval, and they are best with stops at the back and and front end of that oval. Now, your oval might be wider than what I prefer. But I still have an oval up there. It's just tighter one, and I believe that speed and crisp stops at the points of that oval are extremely beneficial. My terms of casting and lobbing also carry some baggage, and I acknowledge that. Essentially, if you have a fly first entry, with some momentum -- if the line turnover happens in the air -- you are casting. If the line turnover finishes on the water, if extra line lays on the water, if there is no momentu upon entry, if the tippet hits before or with the fly, you are lobbing. Cheers. Dom
@@Troutbitten Agreed on all points. Language can be imperfect, and I did notice an "oval" in your casting example, but it was more solidified after reading your response. As with anything... it's complicated. Cheers.
Phenomenal. Thank you for posting this video. I almost have the cast down and this video will help me dial it in. Still patiently waiting to order that hat and some of your rigs.
I've read this article so many times and had images in my mind about you on a gravel lot performing these casts. But, it was all in my head and I was having trouble visualizing this out on the stream. I struggled in particular at distance often only achieving a maximum cast of 15-20 feet. Hitting that 30 foot mark just seemed impossible. Now that I've seen you perform what you discuss in the "It's casting, not lobbing" article, I think I've been able to identify some flaws in my cast of dry flies and nymphs on the mono rig. I wasn't really lobbing, but believe I was not developing enough line speed. And when I tried to add more power to the cast, my casts were getting slop missing the nice clean stops. I'm excited to get some practice in and can't thank you enough for this, all of your other videos, and each one of the articles you write.
Dom, loved your discussion as you were gearing up. I will also add that “casting” creates accuracy. In addition, casting the mono rig allows for longer drifts in the strike zone. In my opinion, fishing the mono is a game of inches. Finally, I loved the segment of this video when you showed slow motion. Great visuals. JJ
Thanks Dom. Seeing this really ties together all you’ve written and talked about on the podcast. Those got 90% of the picture in my head and in my practice. This fully fleshed it out, particularly the forward part of the cast. I was try to shoot the flies into the water, which sort of gets the job done but this finishes with the rod higher and more instant control over the drift when they hit the water which had been a challenge. Super helpful. Thanks for all your content.
Dom, As always, amazing work. Since finding TB I’ve been using my 9 foot 4 weight with the mono rig system a lot more! I love the versatility. I put my nymphing rod away for now-especially in the warmer months when I know I’ll be switching back and forth from dries and nymphs. Your work is outstanding. Thanks for all you do!
I bought a euro Nimrod, and on several different occasions, have tried to use a mono rig with it and for the life of me couldn’t do anything other than lob it. I’ve tried to search on several occasions to figure out whether that’s just how it works, whether I might be over or underweighted on the fly, whether it was my technique, etc. Until now, I was frustrated because I couldn’t find anything on UA-cam to really confirm whether the lobbing action was normal or how to fix it. Super glad I found your video, it confirms that I need to work on my casting technique
Right on. I'll also emphasize that you don't need a specialized rod for any of this. Just tie a Standard Mono Rig on any 2-5 weight fly rod and start casting. Learn to do this, like casting a fly line, with no weight or fly on the end. Learn to cast the leader itself. That's the way to the promise land. I'll also mention, a micro mono rig will NOT cast itself this way. That's why I prefer what I call the Standard Mono Rig most times. More on that leader design here: Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/
Nearly the end of the season in Scotland and I’ve persisted with the mono rig, hated it at the start but if you stick with it the casting comes (and the fish)and now I leave my fly line on the reel even for swinging traditional wets. Thx to Troutbitten
Great stuff. Troutbitten rules!!! The thing I struggle with is getting a fly first entry and distance when you have constrained backcast ( trees etc). Used the roll cast for good effect for years in these situations with traditional fly line on short rods. With mono/tight line / 10ft+ my tactic is to get a lot closer and bow and arrow. Or Modify the tuck (e.g side cast) but looking for more ideas and examples in these tight fishing situations. Maybe I need to look at the trout bitten resources?
Hi Anthony/ Tight cover actually requires the most line control, line speed and tight loops. Lobbing in cover will put you in the trees. You don’t need back cast room. You need a good line hand recovery and a Pendulum cast. I show that with streamers here: ua-cam.com/video/kSJQxHpNxkE/v-deo.html You can do it with light nymphs too, if you have power built into the leader. Thin leader won’t allow for it. Hope that helps. Cheers. Dom
@@Troutbitten that’s awesome! Have kinda tried this, but I see the key is the stop and power. Will experiment with leader construction too. Really starting to appreciate your thoughts/advice about power with the mono rig. Mate, thanks so much. Can’t tell you how much I rate and appreciate troutbitten. Vid, podcasts, articles. The works. Yup. It even works a bunch on our little creeks down here in AUS!
Hi Steve. Respectfully, it's probably not the line. It's likely that you aren't building enough speed into the cast with crisp stops. troutbitten.com/2018/11/25/quick-tips-put-more-juice-in-the-cast/
Top video mate. I've been playing around a bit with tight line nymphing recently rather than dry dropper or indicator setups which are typical here in NZ. Each to their own, but to me while the method has proven really effective, lobbing things around rather than casting has felt super awkward and isn't really as enjoyable. I'm definitely going to give this a nudge.
Thanks for this and many more videos. Like your quiet, relaxed, informative style. With two or three flies and maybe some split shot no worries about tangles? Does a three fly set-up change the casting stroke? thanks again!!
Honestly, no. No worries about tangles. I understand the hesitancy.. People think that more speed will tangle more.. It doesn't. It actually gives you more control. Babying the cast in and hoping for fewer tangles actually creates more. This is assuming that you already have a good, small oval in the cast, as is always required with any fly fishing cast. Can't cast in the same plan back and forth. THAT is what creates tangles.
As with all of your content, you keep taking it to the next level. I struggled a bit with a couple of previous TB videos trying to locate the line, leader, fly, etc., and where and how all of those things land in the water. Your (or Josh's) decision to pan the camera out a bit, showing the full travel arc of the very visible line in that perfect lighting makes for a very viewer-friendly video. So great to be able to visually track your casting motion with how it translates to the line. Brilliantly done and so helpful. Unrelated question: All of these guitar riffs that are the backdrop to these videos and throughout the podcasts...is that your guitar-playing? Beautiful music, whoever is responsible.
Hi Mark. Thanks for your kind words. And yes, that's a big challenge. We've been working on it. Very tough to film a Mono Rig, no matter how bright the line. But we're finding ways.
So I tied up what’s pretty close to the “standard” mono rig and went out today to a local park and practiced. Very happy with it with a regular full back and forward cast. I found roll casting with it difficult. I don’t have much trouble with a dedicated euro set up as I mostly do that here on the tight streams in NC. Maybe the longer rod/shorter leader helps with that. Today I was using 9ft 5W, throwing a Wooly bugger, any tips on the roll cast with the mono rig appreciated!
Think I found some help in the other comments. Not exactly a small stream set up, but that’s ok, regular euro works great on the small pocket water. I look forward to trying out the mono on some bigger water.
Hi there. There are many things the Mono Rig does better than a fly line, and there are some that the fly line surely does better. Roll casting cannot be done with any tight line rig. Instead, we use a Pendulum Cast. You can find that shown in the following video: ua-cam.com/video/kSJQxHpNxkE/v-deo.html
I would argue that the Mono Rig can perform quite well on small water. You do need that tight, crisp casting stroke though. And if what you are calling a euro rig is a thinner version of the leader, it will have less power and be less versatile on small water, for the way I like to fish it. Cheers.
There is a case to be made for "lobbing" where some of us are confined to narrow tree choked streams (i.e. many NJ streams) where easy back casting is a rare luxury that we can only dream about, so it would really be instructive to see what you can do with a video on a refined lobbing technique for circumstances such as this. Hope you can tackle this challenge.
Hi Thomas, thanks for your comment. Respectfully, I think you and I are not on the same page with our terms. There is no such thing as "a refined lobbing technique," as you say. If you refine it, you'll turn it into casting. And that's a good thing. I grew up fishing small streams with tight cover. I still fish them a lot. They are all over the country, and everyone encounters these challenges. But if you lob the flies around, you will be in even more trees. Casting creates tight loops that are controllable. Lobbing leaves wide, open loops that are horrible in cover. I think what you are calling casting is actually false casting, or maybe not. But my point is, that the backcast is not what makes the distinction between casting and lobbing. It's the open loops or tight loops. It's control over the whole leader or hoping the cast will land somewhere right. When I do these videos, I always leave links to companion articles, to helpful material that I've written over the years. I can only put so much content in each video, so it helps to check out the supporting material. In this case, the link is to my article title, It's Casting, Not Lobbing. I also have a podcast on this. Cheers. Dom
@@Troutbitten Thank you for a very attentive reply to my brief question. "Lobbing" is the best term I can think of when trying to work a mono rig in the narrow tree choked streams that I mentioned above and as you have noted, gets sloppy and an exercise in futility. So what I'm looking forward to (I'm sure I am not alone in this) is seeing mono rig techniques you may have mastered that deal with small streams and tight cover. Please keep it mind for a future video idea. Best, Tom C
Hi again Thomas. While it's possible to cast the Mono Rig on small streams, and you can certainly cast it in tight cover, I rarely fish it on small streams. For me, one of the joys of fishing those kinds of rivers is fishing dries. If you do fish tight line rigs in cover, you MUST have a good line hand, doing a lot of work. Video on that is here . . . ua-cam.com/video/giwQHMc-0PU/v-deo.html Cheers.
Thanks Dom, that's maybe your best tip yet. Actually 100% it is. Quick question, I can only find Cortland bi-colour sighter here in Australia (no Amnesia) and it's fairly "limp". It's OK, and it's a great sighter, but wondering whether you reckon moving to a fluoro yellow only stiffer mono sighter would help tuck better? Cheers for your work mate.
It's alright, but I'd use something stiffer to preserve the power. Try Sufix Neon Fire, Gold Stren, etc. If nothing else, just don't use the limp bi-color stuff in anything less than 1X for your standard sighter. I do often extend my standard sighter with limp bi-color. Here's why/how/when. troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/ Lots of links in that one that lead to other articles explaining it all. Hope that helps. Cheers.
Hey man good knowledge... I tried this mono rig for the first time the other day, Was able to get a nice long drift with no drag.. I did experience some difficulty in the cast, sped up my motion a little bit but I still found it much easier to shoot line on the back cast and on the forecast... Is that normal?
Always tough to answer questions like this, because there are so many nuances. Here's an article link that will help. Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/ And a more direct answer, Amnesia will be fine, probably. But it's not as powerful as Chameleon. It also holds a coil more when cold. (Stretch all leaders first.) Green is stiffer than red. Colored butt sections will definitely spool a few more fish as well. Amnesia just doesn't have as good of a line feel either. I use colored butt sections only so they show up on film. Hope that helps. Cheers.
Dom.. appreciate the demonstration. No question the Mono can be cast if one has the proper technique, which most avid fly anglers at least approach. But, the lob that you demonstrate doesn't have the main requirement to properly lob a weighted nymph, or indie and nymph, or drop shot and nymph. Doesn't the leader and weighted fly/shot need to be downstream and straightening? I'm pretty sure if lobbed properly, the mono will lob just fine when its needed.... clearly not fishing dries this way, just lobbing a weighted system.
Respectfully, I don't think there is a proper way to lob nymphs. By my definition, lobbing finishes with unnecessary tippet laying on the water. Lobbing is simply when the turnover finishes ON the water instead of above it. You're talking about a water load. You can finish a water load with good casing turnover or bad lobbing. Those are my thoughts. Again, though, I recognize that other people may use terms differently.
Okay, I've resisted doing the tight line/mono rig thing but this video has convinced me to give it a try. Excellent job explaining it, this is what I needed to see. I was convinced the mono rig was nothing more than using all the weight of tungsten nymphs & split shot to throw the line.......i.e. just glorified spin casting. But this shows it is really fly casting. What weight/length rod are you using? I imagine something with a softer tip? Thanks for the great video, this is really advanced stuff.
Glad to hear it, Thomas. Fly rod: No, not necessarily something with an extra soft tip. That has it's downside for sure -- less power, less speed, etc. Here's a full article on rod choice for the Mono Rig: troutbitten.com/2021/09/22/the-best-fly-rods-for-the-mono-rig-and-euro-nymphing-my-favorite-rods/
Hi, Dom: Wonderful video. There’s an aspect of this casting formula that is still unclear to me. This is probably an easy question to answer, and I have some guesses, but I’d rather not make any assumptions. For reference, I’ve rewatched this video and read the comments, the accompanying article, and listened to your S3 Ep6 podcast on casting, in an effort to seek the answer myself (since I’m sure your time is very limited). If there’s another article in your archive that answers it, please feel free to just direct me there. To set up my question, let’s assume you are using your standard mono rig, and casting upstream two rod lengths and over one. Your rod tip will lead your mono rig down the drift, such that when you’re ready to cast again, your rod tip will be either perpendicular to the river or slightly downstream. My question is about how you reposition your line to make an accurate upstream cast. If you went directly into a backcast from the end of the drift, you would not seem be 180 degrees from where you’re about to recast. And I know you consider a false cast to be unnecessary. At first I thought you use the oval cast to reposition the line during the cast. But in your podcast, you describe the tip of the rod as returning to the same place it starts in the oval (or football) shaped cast. So that would not seem to redirect your line. And I know in the past when I’ve tried to aggressively change the direction of the line during the cast, it can create a helicoptering effect, making it very hard to be accurate. Perhaps when you pick up at the end of the drift you start your rod tip downstream rather than back toward you to create the proper directional backcast for an upstream cast. Not sure. Any guidance you can give would be really appreciation!
Thanks for your detailed question, Austin. I follow you and I understand. I believe the answer is simple. Don't face across stream. Face upstream. Troutbitten | Face Upstream, Fish Upstream troutbitten.com/2018/05/06/fifty-fly-fishing-tips-41-face-upstream/ If you keep your shoulder faced upstream, your targets will be there. You'll also stop trying to get a drift that goes past or even next to your position -- because you've already fished that. Couple more articles on this: Troutbitten | The Advantages of Fishing Upstream troutbitten.com/2022/01/12/the-advantages-of-working-upstream/ Troutbitten | You Already Fished That troutbitten.com/2021/04/28/you-already-fished-that/ That should help you out. It takes discipline not to try and get too much out of each drift. Good luck out there.
Great video Dom, I got taught by a comp angler so I started with the micro thin (4x) leader. I played around with the monorig using 20lb maxima chameleon and definitely noticed the difference between a lob and cast. The biggest difference I found was the 180deg rule, esp when you let your drift completely drift out. The monorig and casting made it easier to change the direction and has better accuracy. It’s takes a lot more effort to get the ultra thin rig where you want it. Im still playing with both systems. For some reason, I was not hooking up properly with the monorig, I was dropping the fish immediately after hooking up. A few head shakes then gone. Most of my hookups are by a blend of sight/feel. I don’t know if I’m loosing fish on the monorig because of early or late detection. Do you have any thoughts on this?
We build up inventory and have a leader sale 3-4 times a year. They sell out in a few days, usually. Last time it was 800 leaders. Can't keep up with that year round, honestly, so it's a few times a year. Next one in July. Thank you.
Trying to determine if this rig is right for me, as i mostly fish streamers and larger articulated nymphs for eastern US trout and smallmouth. Can i just put the rig onto my existing floating line and use it when called for? Are there limitations to the size streamer you can typically toss with the mono rig? Great video and much appreciated!
Alright... I'm.too curious not to ask. How did you rig up those interior rod holders in your vehicle? My rods are constantly sticking out the back window of my Tundra, which isn't ideal, and I can't bring myself to become part of the rod vault cult.
Is the length of the rod a bigger variable than I'm picturing it in my head? I fish skinny fast freestone canyon water here in northern colorado so need less sag. Curious if your thin and micro mono rigs are meant to be used on long euro rods or better suited for an all purpose rod/length.
My short answer is NO, the length of the rod is not a big variable. Regarding casting these rigs, and what is shown in this video, casting has almost nothing to do with the rod. I know the industry tells you something different. But you do not need a specialized rod for this stuff. Many more thoughts on all of that are in this Troutbitten article: troutbitten.com/2021/09/22/the-best-fly-rods-for-the-mono-rig-and-euro-nymphing-my-favorite-rods/ Lastly, if you are fishing skinny and fast freestone canyon water, I don't know that you want to go thinner on the leader build. There are many approaches to this stuff, though. More thoughts are in the following video. ua-cam.com/video/7qbEFsIQdys/v-deo.html Make sense?
Not really, Fernando. Here are my thoughts on all that: troutbitten.com/2018/05/30/the-trouble-with-tenkara-and-why-you-dont-need-it-2/ Essentially, what you can do with Tenkara can be done better, more efficiently and with more versatility on a Mono Rig. Those are my thoughts. Cheers.
Thanks for asking. There are a few solutions: -- Don't fish thin mono rigs. Fish standard mono rigs with thicker butt sections. Here's an article about that leaader: Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/ -- Cast with more speed, meaning don't rely on the weight of the fly to do the job of the cast. Focus on getting good fly casting style casts be generating speed. The leader will not stick. -- Use more weight rather than less. If none of this works for you, the line can be prevented from sticking to the blank by removing the leader. Then spiral 3x monofilament, or similar, around the blank, attaching it at the rod tip and near the stripping guide. This is a time consuming solution, but it works if you choose not to follow the recommendations above. Cheers, and have fun out there. Dom
What hat is that? Looks much more low-profile than the ones listed in the website (besides the dad hat). Hate the billboard look, but no ready to accept the dad-hat!
Hi there. I always list the exact product number in the descriptions in the Troutbitten Shop. So that hat is a Richardson 112fp. It's not a tall trucker style. They list it as a mid-style. It's just right, in my opinion.
Yeah, one of the biggest misconceptions about fishing a long leader (mono rig) is that it's just lobbing. You're passing a lot of good water if all you know how to do is lob. You can't lob under a tree or between two trees.
I've heard this many times. But I disagree. In fact, in the toughest of cover, that's when I want the best casting stroke. That's where I would start away from the lob. We're probably talking about two different things though.
@@Troutbitten After watching this video I will pay more attention to my casting. It seems that I "lob" a lot, but I'm not sure. I usually have the shore right behind me and often have trees above the spots where I need to cast.
Fantastic video- perfect topic for video vs. just written article. The casting demonstration was powerful & I'm sure it's surprising to folks who've not fished with a mono-rig before. Question for you Dom-- how many takes did your Mr. Rogers style video introduction require? Just one take? :) You did it well.
Respectfully: That is simply not the case. Maxima Chameleon is quite a unique material. It lays flat after stretching and does not hold a coil. Yet, it performs with stiffness, and that equals power. This is why so many anglers of all styles choose Chameleon for leader builds. All leaders should be stretched. Euro fly lines need to be stretched (especially ones with a mono core) and even regular fly lines should be stretched before use, in all but the warmest weather. It's just part of the fisherman's process. It's the first thing we do every day. I lay all of that out in this article: troutbitten.com/2020/03/18/how-to-easily-avoid-the-mono-rig-coiling-problem/ Not sure if you mean Trilene XT or XL or other. But if you found something that works well for you, that's what it's all about. For me, Trilene XL is far too limp to perform with the casting style and advantage shown in this video. Cheers. Dom
Jeez Louis. Had to restart this video like 4 times. Keep looking at your stuffed to the max vest. 2 hemos? Can we get a video of comparison for everyone's loadout. Hard to believe bill is rocking a lanyard and you look like your going to war against the invasive species on behalf of all of us.
There is so much gold in this video and that's even before you started to demonstrate the cast. Troutbitten has to be the best resource I know.
That's nice. Thanks.
Domenick, your teaching style is excellent. You are concise, on-point, clear and encouraging. You don’t gum-up your presentation with confusing digressions or unneeded details. Many thanks.
Cheers. That's very kind.
Had to learn how to cast the mono rig by trial and error. The words in the articles just couldn’t truly articulate what this video displayed in mere minutes. For the mono rig newbie, this is pure gold. If you can cast the mono rig with tight loops, accurately i might add…….then you can cast anything! It has improved my casting dramatically. Thanks Dom
Agreed.
I’ve been fly fishing for 10 years….after watching this video I decided to go out and cast on the grass…..for the first time ever! I did this for about a week and decided to go fishing. Best day fishing I’ve had period end of story. Thank you man…..the light bulbs seem to just keep clicking. Love that you are sharing all this! No longer a lobber.
Nice
One thing I love about this video is the fact that I've read so many of your articles and worked on learning how to use a mono rig in a similar fashion to you. I know what I've been doing works, but seeing you walk through it visually step by step confirms that I've been actually been achieving the outcome that you intended to teach with your articles. Great stuff as always!
Thanks. Love hearing that. Cheers.
Thanks for the video Dom. I just got caught up on all your podcast now I have to wait for new episodes 😩.
Ha. Good stuff.
Following your blog for about 3 years now, have read a bunch on the mono rig but never been able to figure it out on the water. Recently moved to wnc and love the fishing, but this video put a lot of things in perspective. Thanks so much!
Nice
I recently started experimenting with this method. I didn’t learn anything new that I hadn’t already learned from your podcast, and I think that’s awesome. It’s difficult sometimes to explain fly fishing methods in just words, and I think you do a great job of that. Thank you for all the great information.
Thanks. That's kind. Have fun out there.
Unreal channel with so much value in your content! Can’t wait until this channel is huge!
Thanks very much.
OMG... I've been tightlining for 5 years now and Dom, your demonstration just blew my mind. I have really been stuck on variations of the oval, belgian type case, which is really what you're seeing most (or all) of the tightliners online do. I really thought a regular flyline cast just wasn't possible with this rig. WOW... obviously nothing could be further from the truth. Need to get out and practice. Thanks Dom!
Good stuff. I would mention that leader design matters here too. The casting style you referred to has become more popular in the comp scene as an adjustment to the extra light leaders many are using.
I, too, use an oval style cast, as that was how I learned. I'll say, however, that my cast looks nothing like the lobbing cast in this video, which is flaccid and lacking speed. I suspect the lob example, in the video, was to illustrate how many people cast a tight line rig, but with practice an oval cast can have a lot of speed and accuracy, too.
@@E-M-C Good stuff. So . . . there is an oval to every good fly cast. I feel like this reference to "oval cast" carries some baggage. It's not a great description. My friend, Josh put it this way: A football is an oval, and there are points at the end of the football. And there ya go. I feel like the best casts with these rigs form an oval, and they are best with stops at the back and and front end of that oval. Now, your oval might be wider than what I prefer. But I still have an oval up there. It's just tighter one, and I believe that speed and crisp stops at the points of that oval are extremely beneficial.
My terms of casting and lobbing also carry some baggage, and I acknowledge that. Essentially, if you have a fly first entry, with some momentum -- if the line turnover happens in the air -- you are casting. If the line turnover finishes on the water, if extra line lays on the water, if there is no momentu upon entry, if the tippet hits before or with the fly, you are lobbing.
Cheers.
Dom
@@Troutbitten Agreed on all points. Language can be imperfect, and I did notice an "oval" in your casting example, but it was more solidified after reading your response. As with anything... it's complicated. Cheers.
Phenomenal. Thank you for posting this video. I almost have the cast down and this video will help me dial it in. Still patiently waiting to order that hat and some of your rigs.
Cheers
This is what I’ve needed! Just built my first mono rig and can’t wait to get it wet
Nice
I've read this article so many times and had images in my mind about you on a gravel lot performing these casts. But, it was all in my head and I was having trouble visualizing this out on the stream. I struggled in particular at distance often only achieving a maximum cast of 15-20 feet. Hitting that 30 foot mark just seemed impossible. Now that I've seen you perform what you discuss in the "It's casting, not lobbing" article, I think I've been able to identify some flaws in my cast of dry flies and nymphs on the mono rig. I wasn't really lobbing, but believe I was not developing enough line speed. And when I tried to add more power to the cast, my casts were getting slop missing the nice clean stops. I'm excited to get some practice in and can't thank you enough for this, all of your other videos, and each one of the articles you write.
That's fantastic. And like you said, these fundamentals also improve the dry fly cast.
Thanks Dom! Great instructional video.
Glad it was helpful.
Dom, loved your discussion as you were gearing up. I will also add that “casting” creates accuracy. In addition, casting the mono rig allows for longer drifts in the strike zone. In my opinion, fishing the mono is a game of inches. Finally, I loved the segment of this video when you showed slow motion. Great visuals. JJ
Right on
Wow. I’m so impressed with this video. The content and production quality are exceptional!
Thank you.
Thanks Dom. Seeing this really ties together all you’ve written and talked about on the podcast. Those got 90% of the picture in my head and in my practice. This fully fleshed it out, particularly the forward part of the cast. I was try to shoot the flies into the water, which sort of gets the job done but this finishes with the rod higher and more instant control over the drift when they hit the water which had been a challenge. Super helpful. Thanks for all your content.
Glad to hear it. And thank you.
Great video!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks much.
Excellent demonstration for me ..nice to SEE the process and explanation..thanks.
Glad to hear it. Thank you.
Dom, what a great video! I can’t wait to try it out later in July
Cheers.
Dom, As always, amazing work. Since finding TB I’ve been using my 9 foot 4 weight with the mono rig system a lot more! I love the versatility. I put my nymphing rod away for now-especially in the warmer months when I know I’ll be switching back and forth from dries and nymphs. Your work is outstanding. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks, Jeff. That's nice.
I bought a euro Nimrod, and on several different occasions, have tried to use a mono rig with it and for the life of me couldn’t do anything other than lob it.
I’ve tried to search on several occasions to figure out whether that’s just how it works, whether I might be over or underweighted on the fly, whether it was my technique, etc.
Until now, I was frustrated because I couldn’t find anything on UA-cam to really confirm whether the lobbing action was normal or how to fix it.
Super glad I found your video, it confirms that I need to work on my casting technique
Right on. I'll also emphasize that you don't need a specialized rod for any of this. Just tie a Standard Mono Rig on any 2-5 weight fly rod and start casting. Learn to do this, like casting a fly line, with no weight or fly on the end. Learn to cast the leader itself. That's the way to the promise land.
I'll also mention, a micro mono rig will NOT cast itself this way. That's why I prefer what I call the Standard Mono Rig most times. More on that leader design here:
Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig
troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/
Nearly the end of the season in Scotland and I’ve persisted with the mono rig, hated it at the start but if you stick with it the casting comes (and the fish)and now I leave my fly line on the reel even for swinging traditional wets. Thx to Troutbitten
Surprised you hated it. Glad you enjoy it now. Cheers.
@@Troutbitten Didn’t hate the rig just the way I was using it incorrectly 😂
@@TheGhs1 Ha. Good stuff.
Great stuff. Troutbitten rules!!! The thing I struggle with is getting a fly first entry and distance when you have constrained backcast ( trees etc). Used the roll cast for good effect for years in these situations with traditional fly line on short rods. With mono/tight line / 10ft+ my tactic is to get a lot closer and bow and arrow. Or Modify the tuck (e.g side cast) but looking for more ideas and examples in these tight fishing situations. Maybe I need to look at the trout bitten resources?
Hi Anthony/
Tight cover actually requires the most line control, line speed and tight loops. Lobbing in cover will put you in the trees. You don’t need back cast room. You need a good line hand recovery and a Pendulum cast. I show that with streamers here:
ua-cam.com/video/kSJQxHpNxkE/v-deo.html
You can do it with light nymphs too, if you have power built into the leader. Thin leader won’t allow for it.
Hope that helps.
Cheers.
Dom
@@Troutbitten that’s awesome! Have kinda tried this, but I see the key is the stop and power. Will experiment with leader construction too. Really starting to appreciate your thoughts/advice about power with the mono rig.
Mate, thanks so much. Can’t tell you how much I rate and appreciate troutbitten. Vid, podcasts, articles. The works. Yup. It even works a bunch on our little creeks down here in AUS!
@@anthonyclark6118 Nice
Excellent video Dom. And superb video. Casting a mono rug is a problem I have a issue with. I’m thinking it might be my main line, 12 lb Amnesia.
Hi Steve. Respectfully, it's probably not the line. It's likely that you aren't building enough speed into the cast with crisp stops.
troutbitten.com/2018/11/25/quick-tips-put-more-juice-in-the-cast/
Hi Dom! Great info as always. I was waiting for you to say, you gotta put more juice in the cast. HEY NOW!
Truth
Top video mate.
I've been playing around a bit with tight line nymphing recently rather than dry dropper or indicator setups which are typical here in NZ. Each to their own, but to me while the method has proven really effective, lobbing things around rather than casting has felt super awkward and isn't really as enjoyable.
I'm definitely going to give this a nudge.
There ya go. Casting is not only more fun, its WAY more effective. Good luck out there. Cheers.
THANK YOU !!!!
Cheers.
NICE! I struggle with the pause, 'cause sometimes I cant feel it with a dry/light dropper
More speed. That's really all it takes.
Thanks for this and many more videos. Like your quiet, relaxed, informative style. With two or three flies and maybe some split shot no worries about tangles? Does a three fly set-up change the casting stroke?
thanks again!!
Honestly, no. No worries about tangles. I understand the hesitancy.. People think that more speed will tangle more.. It doesn't. It actually gives you more control. Babying the cast in and hoping for fewer tangles actually creates more. This is assuming that you already have a good, small oval in the cast, as is always required with any fly fishing cast. Can't cast in the same plan back and forth. THAT is what creates tangles.
@@Troutbitten Thanks for the quick response. I just set up a mono rig on my euro rod a couple weeks ago. I'll give this a try this coming weekend!
@@patsheridan Good stuff.
As with all of your content, you keep taking it to the next level. I struggled a bit with a couple of previous TB videos trying to locate the line, leader, fly, etc., and where and how all of those things land in the water. Your (or Josh's) decision to pan the camera out a bit, showing the full travel arc of the very visible line in that perfect lighting makes for a very viewer-friendly video. So great to be able to visually track your casting motion with how it translates to the line. Brilliantly done and so helpful. Unrelated question: All of these guitar riffs that are the backdrop to these videos and throughout the podcasts...is that your guitar-playing? Beautiful music, whoever is responsible.
Hi Mark. Thanks for your kind words. And yes, that's a big challenge. We've been working on it. Very tough to film a Mono Rig, no matter how bright the line. But we're finding ways.
So I tied up what’s pretty close to the “standard” mono rig and went out today to a local park and practiced. Very happy with it with a regular full back and forward cast. I found roll casting with it difficult. I don’t have much trouble with a dedicated euro set up as I mostly do that here on the tight streams in NC. Maybe the longer rod/shorter leader helps with that. Today I was using 9ft 5W, throwing a Wooly bugger, any tips on the roll cast with the mono rig appreciated!
Think I found some help in the other comments. Not exactly a small stream set up, but that’s ok, regular euro works great on the small pocket water. I look forward to trying out the mono on some bigger water.
Hi there. There are many things the Mono Rig does better than a fly line, and there are some that the fly line surely does better. Roll casting cannot be done with any tight line rig. Instead, we use a Pendulum Cast. You can find that shown in the following video:
ua-cam.com/video/kSJQxHpNxkE/v-deo.html
I would argue that the Mono Rig can perform quite well on small water. You do need that tight, crisp casting stroke though. And if what you are calling a euro rig is a thinner version of the leader, it will have less power and be less versatile on small water, for the way I like to fish it.
Cheers.
@@Troutbitten preciate the response, gonna keep working at it.
There is a case to be made for "lobbing" where some of us are confined to narrow tree choked streams (i.e. many NJ streams) where easy back casting is a rare luxury that we can only dream about, so it would really be instructive to see what you can do with a video on a refined lobbing technique for circumstances such as this. Hope you can tackle this challenge.
Hi Thomas, thanks for your comment.
Respectfully, I think you and I are not on the same page with our terms. There is no such thing as "a refined lobbing technique," as you say. If you refine it, you'll turn it into casting. And that's a good thing.
I grew up fishing small streams with tight cover. I still fish them a lot. They are all over the country, and everyone encounters these challenges. But if you lob the flies around, you will be in even more trees. Casting creates tight loops that are controllable. Lobbing leaves wide, open loops that are horrible in cover.
I think what you are calling casting is actually false casting, or maybe not. But my point is, that the backcast is not what makes the distinction between casting and lobbing. It's the open loops or tight loops. It's control over the whole leader or hoping the cast will land somewhere right.
When I do these videos, I always leave links to companion articles, to helpful material that I've written over the years. I can only put so much content in each video, so it helps to check out the supporting material. In this case, the link is to my article title, It's Casting, Not Lobbing. I also have a podcast on this.
Cheers.
Dom
@@Troutbitten
Thank you for a very attentive reply to my brief question. "Lobbing" is the best term I can think of when trying to work a mono rig in the narrow tree choked streams that I mentioned above and as you have noted, gets sloppy and an exercise in futility. So what I'm looking forward to (I'm sure I am not alone in this) is seeing mono rig techniques you may have mastered that deal with small streams and tight cover. Please keep it mind for a future video idea.
Best,
Tom C
Hi again Thomas. While it's possible to cast the Mono Rig on small streams, and you can certainly cast it in tight cover, I rarely fish it on small streams. For me, one of the joys of fishing those kinds of rivers is fishing dries.
If you do fish tight line rigs in cover, you MUST have a good line hand, doing a lot of work.
Video on that is here . . .
ua-cam.com/video/giwQHMc-0PU/v-deo.html
Cheers.
Thanks Dom, that's maybe your best tip yet. Actually 100% it is. Quick question, I can only find Cortland bi-colour sighter here in Australia (no Amnesia) and it's fairly "limp". It's OK, and it's a great sighter, but wondering whether you reckon moving to a fluoro yellow only stiffer mono sighter would help tuck better? Cheers for your work mate.
It's alright, but I'd use something stiffer to preserve the power. Try Sufix Neon Fire, Gold Stren, etc. If nothing else, just don't use the limp bi-color stuff in anything less than 1X for your standard sighter. I do often extend my standard sighter with limp bi-color. Here's why/how/when.
troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/
Lots of links in that one that lead to other articles explaining it all.
Hope that helps.
Cheers.
Hey man good knowledge... I tried this mono rig for the first time the other day, Was able to get a nice long drift with no drag.. I did experience some difficulty in the cast, sped up my motion a little bit but I still found it much easier to shoot line on the back cast and on the forecast...
Is that normal?
Try this.
ua-cam.com/video/sMeJrASam9U/v-deo.html
Except video! Can you tell me what belt system you use to hold your net, etc?
Thanks. Here ya go:
troutbitten.com/2019/05/01/lets-rethink-the-wading-belt/
Is the 20lb Maxima chameleon really important here? Is 20lb Amnesia suitable?
Always tough to answer questions like this, because there are so many nuances. Here's an article link that will help.
Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig
troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/
And a more direct answer, Amnesia will be fine, probably. But it's not as powerful as Chameleon. It also holds a coil more when cold. (Stretch all leaders first.) Green is stiffer than red. Colored butt sections will definitely spool a few more fish as well. Amnesia just doesn't have as good of a line feel either. I use colored butt sections only so they show up on film. Hope that helps. Cheers.
@Troutbitten Thanks for the reply. The article is very helpful. As always, thanks for the excellent content, and for caring about nuance. Cheers.
Ah, right on. Glad to share. Cheers.
Dom.. appreciate the demonstration. No question the Mono can be cast if one has the proper technique, which most avid fly anglers at least approach. But, the lob that you demonstrate doesn't have the main requirement to properly lob a weighted nymph, or indie and nymph, or drop shot and nymph. Doesn't the leader and weighted fly/shot need to be downstream and straightening? I'm pretty sure if lobbed properly, the mono will lob just fine when its needed.... clearly not fishing dries this way, just lobbing a weighted system.
Respectfully, I don't think there is a proper way to lob nymphs. By my definition, lobbing finishes with unnecessary tippet laying on the water. Lobbing is simply when the turnover finishes ON the water instead of above it.
You're talking about a water load. You can finish a water load with good casing turnover or bad lobbing.
Those are my thoughts. Again, though, I recognize that other people may use terms differently.
Okay, I've resisted doing the tight line/mono rig thing but this video has convinced me to give it a try. Excellent job explaining it, this is what I needed to see. I was convinced the mono rig was nothing more than using all the weight of tungsten nymphs & split shot to throw the line.......i.e. just glorified spin casting. But this shows it is really fly casting. What weight/length rod are you using? I imagine something with a softer tip? Thanks for the great video, this is really advanced stuff.
Glad to hear it, Thomas. Fly rod: No, not necessarily something with an extra soft tip. That has it's downside for sure -- less power, less speed, etc.
Here's a full article on rod choice for the Mono Rig:
troutbitten.com/2021/09/22/the-best-fly-rods-for-the-mono-rig-and-euro-nymphing-my-favorite-rods/
@@Troutbitten yeah, just found that article. Excited to try something new. Thank you
Hi, Dom:
Wonderful video. There’s an aspect of this casting formula that is still unclear to me. This is probably an easy question to answer, and I have some guesses, but I’d rather not make any assumptions. For reference, I’ve rewatched this video and read the comments, the accompanying article, and listened to your S3 Ep6 podcast on casting, in an effort to seek the answer myself (since I’m sure your time is very limited). If there’s another article in your archive that answers it, please feel free to just direct me there.
To set up my question, let’s assume you are using your standard mono rig, and casting upstream two rod lengths and over one. Your rod tip will lead your mono rig down the drift, such that when you’re ready to cast again, your rod tip will be either perpendicular to the river or slightly downstream. My question is about how you reposition your line to make an accurate upstream cast.
If you went directly into a backcast from the end of the drift, you would not seem be 180 degrees from where you’re about to recast. And I know you consider a false cast to be unnecessary. At first I thought you use the oval cast to reposition the line during the cast. But in your podcast, you describe the tip of the rod as returning to the same place it starts in the oval (or football) shaped cast. So that would not seem to redirect your line. And I know in the past when I’ve tried to aggressively change the direction of the line during the cast, it can create a helicoptering effect, making it very hard to be accurate.
Perhaps when you pick up at the end of the drift you start your rod tip downstream rather than back toward you to create the proper directional backcast for an upstream cast. Not sure. Any guidance you can give would be really appreciation!
Thanks for your detailed question, Austin. I follow you and I understand. I believe the answer is simple. Don't face across stream. Face upstream.
Troutbitten | Face Upstream, Fish Upstream
troutbitten.com/2018/05/06/fifty-fly-fishing-tips-41-face-upstream/
If you keep your shoulder faced upstream, your targets will be there. You'll also stop trying to get a drift that goes past or even next to your position -- because you've already fished that.
Couple more articles on this:
Troutbitten | The Advantages of Fishing Upstream
troutbitten.com/2022/01/12/the-advantages-of-working-upstream/
Troutbitten | You Already Fished That
troutbitten.com/2021/04/28/you-already-fished-that/
That should help you out. It takes discipline not to try and get too much out of each drift.
Good luck out there.
@@Troutbitten Thanks! That answers my question perfectly, and gives me some good articles to study further.
@@austinweaver3193 Excellent. Try it out, and let me know how it goes.
Great video Dom,
I got taught by a comp angler so I started with the micro thin (4x) leader.
I played around with the monorig using 20lb maxima chameleon and definitely noticed the difference between a lob and cast.
The biggest difference I found was the 180deg rule, esp when you let your drift completely drift out.
The monorig and casting made it easier to change the direction and has better accuracy. It’s takes a lot more effort to get the ultra thin rig where you want it.
Im still playing with both systems.
For some reason, I was not hooking up properly with the monorig, I was dropping the fish immediately after hooking up.
A few head shakes then gone.
Most of my hookups are by a blend of sight/feel. I don’t know if I’m loosing fish on the monorig because of early or late detection. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Good stuff. Never had that issue, really. Cheers.
Will you have the Mono Rigs for sale again this year?
We build up inventory and have a leader sale 3-4 times a year. They sell out in a few days, usually. Last time it was 800 leaders. Can't keep up with that year round, honestly, so it's a few times a year. Next one in July. Thank you.
Trying to determine if this rig is right for me, as i mostly fish streamers and larger articulated nymphs for eastern US trout and smallmouth. Can i just put the rig onto my existing floating line and use it when called for? Are there limitations to the size streamer you can typically toss with the mono rig? Great video and much appreciated!
Yes. The Mono Rig is just a long leader. Treat it that way. Attach it to a regular floating line. No limitations on streamer size, no.
Cheers.
Alright... I'm.too curious not to ask. How did you rig up those interior rod holders in your vehicle?
My rods are constantly sticking out the back window of my Tundra, which isn't ideal, and I can't bring myself to become part of the rod vault cult.
Right on. It's a Smith Creek Rod Rack. Check this out:
ua-cam.com/video/4JIZUJbtCco/v-deo.html
Hope that helps.
Cheers.
@@Troutbitten Awesome. Thanks! Keep up the great work. Love your stuff.
Is the length of the rod a bigger variable than I'm picturing it in my head? I fish skinny fast freestone canyon water here in northern colorado so need less sag. Curious if your thin and micro mono rigs are meant to be used on long euro rods or better suited for an all purpose rod/length.
My short answer is NO, the length of the rod is not a big variable. Regarding casting these rigs, and what is shown in this video, casting has almost nothing to do with the rod. I know the industry tells you something different. But you do not need a specialized rod for this stuff. Many more thoughts on all of that are in this Troutbitten article:
troutbitten.com/2021/09/22/the-best-fly-rods-for-the-mono-rig-and-euro-nymphing-my-favorite-rods/
Lastly, if you are fishing skinny and fast freestone canyon water, I don't know that you want to go thinner on the leader build. There are many approaches to this stuff, though. More thoughts are in the following video.
ua-cam.com/video/7qbEFsIQdys/v-deo.html
Make sense?
Seems like a Keiryu rod and techniques might be better suited for tight lining... It is the OG mono rig after all.
Not really, Fernando. Here are my thoughts on all that:
troutbitten.com/2018/05/30/the-trouble-with-tenkara-and-why-you-dont-need-it-2/
Essentially, what you can do with Tenkara can be done better, more efficiently and with more versatility on a Mono Rig. Those are my thoughts.
Cheers.
@@Troutbitten Appreciate the response and a well thought out article. Trying a mono rig next time!
Good day, I faced such a problem - when I catch a euro nymph or a mono rig, the monofil sticks to the wet blank. what can you advise on this?
Thanks for asking. There are a few solutions:
-- Don't fish thin mono rigs. Fish standard mono rigs with thicker butt sections.
Here's an article about that leaader:
Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig
troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/
-- Cast with more speed, meaning don't rely on the weight of the fly to do the job of the cast. Focus on getting good fly casting style casts be generating speed. The leader will not stick.
-- Use more weight rather than less.
If none of this works for you, the line can be prevented from sticking to the blank by removing the leader. Then spiral 3x monofilament, or similar, around the blank, attaching it at the rod tip and near the stripping guide. This is a time consuming solution, but it works if you choose not to follow the recommendations above.
Cheers, and have fun out there.
Dom
@@Troutbitten thank you very much. I will try all options.
Good luck!
HEY NOW!
Hey now.
Love your videos…what brand waders and hoodie are you wearing in this video? Thanks Tim from Iowa
Hi Tim. Those are from Skwala. Great stuff.
skwalafishing.com/
AND........ where's your shades? I think that's the first time I saw you in a video without your sunglasses. lol.
Right on.
What hat is that? Looks much more low-profile than the ones listed in the website (besides the dad hat). Hate the billboard look, but no ready to accept the dad-hat!
Hi there. I always list the exact product number in the descriptions in the Troutbitten Shop. So that hat is a Richardson 112fp. It's not a tall trucker style. They list it as a mid-style. It's just right, in my opinion.
Yeah, one of the biggest misconceptions about fishing a long leader (mono rig) is that it's just lobbing. You're passing a lot of good water if all you know how to do is lob. You can't lob under a tree or between two trees.
Agreed
in some conditions when the space is limited, "lobbing" is the only way
I've heard this many times. But I disagree. In fact, in the toughest of cover, that's when I want the best casting stroke. That's where I would start away from the lob. We're probably talking about two different things though.
@@Troutbitten After watching this video I will pay more attention to my casting. It seems that I "lob" a lot, but I'm not sure.
I usually have the shore right behind me and often have trees above the spots where I need to cast.
Agreed. That's what I show here. Trekking poles. $40 gets you two of them.
Fantastic video- perfect topic for video vs. just written article. The casting demonstration was powerful & I'm sure it's surprising to folks who've not fished with a mono-rig before.
Question for you Dom-- how many takes did your Mr. Rogers style video introduction require? Just one take? :) You did it well.
You like that? Ha. It's a beautiful day . . . Putting on the shoes. Yes, one take. I'm a professional, after all.
Maxima has too much memory and needs to be stretched out before you start fishing. I have used trilene mono for my leaders for years now.
Respectfully:
That is simply not the case. Maxima Chameleon is quite a unique material. It lays flat after stretching and does not hold a coil. Yet, it performs with stiffness, and that equals power. This is why so many anglers of all styles choose Chameleon for leader builds.
All leaders should be stretched. Euro fly lines need to be stretched (especially ones with a mono core) and even regular fly lines should be stretched before use, in all but the warmest weather. It's just part of the fisherman's process. It's the first thing we do every day. I lay all of that out in this article:
troutbitten.com/2020/03/18/how-to-easily-avoid-the-mono-rig-coiling-problem/
Not sure if you mean Trilene XT or XL or other. But if you found something that works well for you, that's what it's all about. For me, Trilene XL is far too limp to perform with the casting style and advantage shown in this video.
Cheers.
Dom
Jeez Louis. Had to restart this video like 4 times. Keep looking at your stuffed to the max vest. 2 hemos? Can we get a video of comparison for everyone's loadout. Hard to believe bill is rocking a lanyard and you look like your going to war against the invasive species on behalf of all of us.
More stuff catches more fish, Alex. Just a fact. Ask Bill. He'll tell you he doesn't catch half as many.
😉
you 2:41
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