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Started fly fishing a week ago. Couldn't cast more than 15ft without getting my line looking like spaghetti lol. After watching this a few times and practicing I'm getting 50ft+, thanks a lot caught my first Crappie on a fly rod the other day!
Thanks Ryan - I am working on a casting montage, which will be a culmination of casting basics, double haul and distance all in a single shortened tutorial video. I am also going to produce a roll casting video which is also essential for the PNW! FISH-ON!!
Just started picking up fly fishing, this actually broke it down in simple enough steps for me to practice at home before hitting the lakes nearby. Thanks, Dan!
A couple of key points, one to which Dan alluded… First, be patient on the backcast. Allow time for the loop to unroll. The more line carried in the air on the backcast, the more time required fir it to unroll. Second, finish your backcast ‘high’. Gravity will want to pull your line to the ground, and stopping thd rod tip high on the backstroke or, another way of looking at it, angling your backcast in an upward angle (relative to a level to the ground plane) will allow time for the line and loop to unroll before the line drops too much and ticks the ground or water behind you.
Thank you! As a saltwater fisherman just picking up fly fishing, this is super helpful! I was at the beach the other day and saw tarpon rolling on top! Other circumstances lead me to not get them, but I don't believe that I would have been able to cast to them effectively as a beginner... Great work and great dedication being in that rain!
Awesome! Thank you for the numerous tips on how to cast for distance. I seldom have to cast for more than 20 feet as I primarily fish in small streams but I totally agree with you there is time even on a small stream I wish I could cast further. Sometime I cut the hook on my fly and work on my presentation trying to make as many fish as possible rise to my fly. I cut the hook to decrease the number of flies I loose on the over hang or the branches behind me. I really enjoy the accuracy of a cast but distance is sometime required too. I tie my own flies and one day to my big surprise I had a dragon fly trying to steel one of my Moskito fly. No need to say that I was very proud of that tribute from that dragon fly. Fishing has it’s way to surprise us. 😁😁😁😁😁
I mostly fish small local creeks as i hate the need to spend more than a few minutes in the car that i could be fishing. I have gone exclusively to short rods from 2wt to 5wt in 6ft length. My time in the trees is greatly reduced and fly loss has also been greatly reduced. I also have a 7ft 7wt that i like for bass out of the yak as it is much easier to boat the bass with a shorter rod. The trend today is to longer rods but the short rods for me are much less cumbersome in much lf my fishing. I still use the typical 9ft rods in the salt and where few other obstructions present themselves. 60ft casts and even longer are possible with these 6ft rods. If you are dealing with mending for current a little longer rod becomes beneficial.
Great video. Most videos try to explain more about the physics of a double haul than actually teaching how to actually do it. Refreshing to see such a to the point instructional video. Keep up the great work 👍
This is why fly fishing is an art. Younger and newer fly fishermen need to watch this video. To get that roll onto the water, lay it out instead of slapping onto the water. Just great Dan!
Like everyone else is saying your breakdown is great for beginners. I am 32 and just as of 3 weeks ago got my first 5 weight rod. Spent a modest amount but didn't order on Amazon, but didn't spend orvis money yet. I am grateful for your willingness to put this advice out for all of us, and I cannot wait to get into a good rhythm with my fly rod and start catching more fish. My name also happens to be Dan.
While it is important to keep a mental discipline regarding your rod position at 10-2, your arc will begin to widen slightly beyond this point as your distance increases. However, it's important to have this mental discipline in place so that your cast won't degrade. You will find that your arc will widen organically to near 9 - 3 (or 170 degrees max) as shown in this video and as you continue to generate line speed with greater distance.
Good Lad, Cheers Dan I'm back flyfishing in the UK after a 10 year break so I thought I'd watch a few vids and YOU put me right with this one pal, Thanks...
Nice! Very happy to hear and how cool is it that we can be connected from so far away. Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to watch. Cheers!
How did you know that I had been searching "long distance fly casting" on UA-cam for the past month? It's uncanny. Great topic! Thanks for your great content, keep it up!
FlyFishDan thank you! Ironically I am researching a Sage. I currently have an inexpensive 5wt but am wanting to go with a 5wt Sage X. Due to the price am researching throughly. Thoughts on this rod? Primarily anything from trout l to crappie to bass. Many have suggested an 8wt but seems like an overkill to me.
This is some serious stuff! I watched your first video on how to fly cast and I doubled my cast distance and got really close to catching a fish. I’ll have a crack at this sometime.
Great job, Your video is the only video on you-tube that walks people through basic casting techniques, and it’s a long cast video. No other video ever mentions that line must be stripped prior to casting, they always leave out that important detail. I can only imagine how many beginners get frustrated without that crucial information.
Great technique, and congratulations for your channel. I believe you should talk about the casting principles, and share with everyone briefly to build a good casting foundation from there, we all are tie to them regardless the skill level or technique. It’s a very common mistake in a non certified casting instructors, trying to help telling others to visually learn mimicking your own gratefully casting technique. To me it’s close to having someone explain how to building a house from the roof, and not from the foundation. Keep up the good effort 👍
Thank you for the great comments, I do appreciate that! I will take your advise - I hoped to 'boil' down the basics visually in these instructional videos while guiding the new fly fisher with mental discipline on a few techniques (rod position, patience on the back cast and line control). I recently created a montage of three casting tutorials into one instructional video with notes along the way...I plan to release that in a few weeks. In the meantime, I will get to work on what you suggested - because it's a great idea! Thank you again!
Excellent advice! You’re surely outstanding in your field, and so will I be outstanding in my field practicing. I’m also going to setup some distance markers similar to yours and practice the single & double haul casting.
Dan, just saw this. Excellent tips for sure. Some things to consider, if you don't mind me adding, is the increase in difficulty mending for a drag free drift and setting the hook with a long cast. Most of the time (for freshwater fishing) it's better to position yourself to get closer to the fish (rivers or lakes...). Unrelated, I assume that you're west of the Cascades (where I grew up); I had to laugh as it started raining just as you were getting into the details, recalling that I would do anything in the rain including washing my car - overwise nothing would ever get done between late September and July 😆.
I think if youre considering casting for distance learning how to cast a shooting head is an invaluable tool. Very easy to cast 70+ feet with a two handed rod and skagit head effortlessly. I have never really needed to cast in a river much past 50 ft tbh. Saltwater double hauling is very important though
IMO, the most important factors in long distance casting are composure and timing. The more line you have out, the easier it is to rush things and those problems become much more pronounced with longer casts. Learning to haul effectively was THE key component for me…it keeps your energy in check and allows you to focus on the task at hand. One of my best practice routings was always just hauling around the yard/park/whatever…try to false cast for a bit, double hauling every time. A quick single haul to energize your line into the back cast. Hauling is something you have to learn the basics for then just get out there and feel it for yourself. You’ll know when you do it correctly because your rod loads up like a 12 gauge compared to the amount of effort you’re putting in.
Dan, you are creating an addiction. I'm creating a new 12 step program. Meetings start after the evening hatch at your local spot. Thanks for sharing, Dan!
This is really good. To me the reason is, that you start out by showing whats its supposed to look like, and then go back to show the details. Most, if not all, goes the other way around, and I loose the “big picture. Very very good… :-)
Pulling the line for the double haul works fine, I have trouble feeding it out and coming out of my hand. Any tips on using your left hand. After you get a long cast, do you usually strip a bunch back in before the next cast or just a little before picking up the line for the next cast. Thanks
Ive been doing fly fishing for less years, you can lift up a long leader off from grass but off water a too longer lead gets caught up in water, so you need to start with shorter line then double haul to a longer line. Plus I use a fast tip rod and not a mid to tip flexing rod
Make sure you’re using a tapered leader, 9 foot and or 12 foot will easily lift off the water or roll onto the water during a cast. The taper on the leader helps immensely with presentation and rolling over the fly. Cheers!
I have another video for casting in the wind and different tactic to use. Double haul, off shoulder cast and tightened loops. Always tough - no matter how good a caster you are. Cheers!
Nice and simple explanation. A question, if the fly is quite heavy (recently started pike fly fishing) any easy way to get it started? or any tips in general for heavy flies?
Thank you! With heavier flies, start out with a single haul as you lift the larger fly out of the water. I fish for Muskie with 6" flies with a 5wt and start out every cast with an immediate haul. Hope that helps and thank you for watching!
Try using a thick, short leader and look up the oval cast. The stop on the back and front casts will cause the problems with heavy flies. The oval cast (Belgian cast)is a continuous casting stroke. Take it slowly.
Great video Dan! Got a question on how much line to leave outside of rod before re-casting on lakes. Would you strip almost all the fly line in before casting again or stop some distance out to get extra line weight to begin the next cast? Can't seem to find the answer anywhere.
You doing a nice tight loop mate, but whats that strong whistle sound? For sure you had a dummy fly cuz there was no whip bang 🤔 do you use those rifled lines? I learned castig on a really crapy hardwarestore rod and line, got over the time a decent range, could improve it a bit with a way better rod but when i got really far out and started to feel a huge impact on my casting capabilities was when i bought a expensive flyline with propper shooting head and running line. Now i get that 100' with a couple false casts on my #6 and #8 rods. Maybe you should mention that fact in further videos, the line is by far the most important
Must have scottish blood in you. Didnt even give a fek when it started raining lol we regularly walk around in shorts when its pisses down outside 🤣🏴 cheers for the tips dan
Rain certainly has never bothered me - wait until Saturday’s video, it was pouring! And I just kept going...Thank you for the kind words and you are most welcome! I appreciate your support! Cheers!
As you let more line out I understand that you need to wait longer in the back cast. How do you know how long to wait? Are you going by the feel of the rod loading?
For anyone relatively new to the sport, I would recommend watching the line extend out behind you...once fully extended, then bring the rod forward. I recently uploaded another tutorial you might find helpful. Cheers! ua-cam.com/video/LNy0fcCq-Nw/v-deo.html
Differing with Dan on this Rio Gold (the line in the link) line as a distance line. It’s a solid all-around fishing line, but this line has an average length head, which is not conducive for carrying long false casts. With the average length head, carrying a cast will cause the loop to be carried by the running line, and the running line isn’t built for that and the cast/loop will collapse. If you want to cast for distance 1) buy a line with a long head, such as a distance line or a steelhead/salmon line, for an all-around line or 2) buy a specialty distance line, a shooting head style line, either an integrated head line or looped running line/head setup.
Thank you! The more line you hold in the air while casting requires a slightly longer cadence. One of the most common mistakes while casting is not waiting long enough on the forward or back cast. So yes, you would want to keep both equal. I’m sorry for the confusion there!
@@FlyFishDan Thanks for clarifying this. But I think it feels like you have to wait longer for the line to straighten out on the back cast. Probably me too eager to start the forward cast.
@@TheElsondo with practice, you’ll start to feel the cadence improve. Another good tip is to watch your fly line behind you while casting to see when it’s fully extended. If you come forward too fast - you’ll hear a whip slash sound as well - your line will generally let you know if you’re too hurried. Thanks for commenting!
Happy new yeahr ....I think its great for new casters to use a clockwise instruction for starting in this sport but then it stops it’s all a matter of what rod and line that is used if I used the power you use in the cast I would use much too many false casts in my situation I need a rod that loads quickly and throws a far distance in many cases I throw about 30 meter + with one rool cast and then one false cast my setup is a sage x #5 with an Rio grand elite slick cast and that setup is just making bad and shorter casts if I use the force you are using but due to your video here I just ordered the Rio Gold elite I wanna c if that line really is that bad.
Thank you! During the double haul, you will release a little bit of line on both the forward and backward part of the cast once you’ve generated line speed. Careful not to create any slack when doing so, just let the line slide to your fingers at the end of the haul. Cheers!
Had to watch the whole thing from about 5:00 on, where you turned toward the camera, to see if you stuck the fly in the tree behind you like I normally would. :o)
Also noted your grip position changing from a thumb on top front cast to a thumb on side (or first finger knuckle on the bottom)on the back cast to keep tracking straight.
I will have to watch it back, however, I believe my grip stayed consistent. I keep my thumb on the cork for leverage which helps gain distance with less power. Thanks for watching!
@@FlyFishDan It's not a criticism but an observation, my prefered grip is to have the fore finger knuckle on top at all times,(like Peter Hayes) if you watch your reel you see the full roundness on the forecast and a side view on the back cast, Lefty Kreh looked similar to me, your both awesome fly casters.
@@alhughes101 thank you for replying back and I appreciate the comments and compliment - I am humbled to be even mentioned in the same context as the others. I appreciate you taking the time to watch :))
Started fly fishing this past week, have been able to cast short distances accurately and consistently but the biggest problem when going the distance seems to be my line doesn’t want to feed out of the top of my rod without snagging. Any tips?
Thanks for taking the time to watch - I do appreciate that. I suggest starting out with a full rod's length of floating line beyond the tip of the fly rod...that way, the line to leader won't get hung up. Hopefully that helps!
Will this work with a 6’3 rod? I bought my first rod and went short since I fish small creeks with tiny trout. I’m having trouble getting distance. Is it possible to cast 50 ft with a shorter rod?
Do you find a faster action benefits tighter looping? I've got a pretty floppy action on my 5 wt and I feel like I'm struggling to keep the tip from bouncing around.
Faster action definitely helps out with tighter loops and longer casts (especially in the wind). Soft action rods can be tough to cast for distance (big open loops). Thanks for watching! Cheers!
The best overall fly rod is a 5 weight, I prefer a 4-piece rod (easy to transport). Look for a faster action rod, that will help you shoot out line much farther than a slower/softer action rod. I prefer RIO Gold fly line - Cortland also makes a quality fly line - look for a longer shooting head when choosing the right fly line. Hope that helps!
@@FlyFishDan Thank you for trying to help me. You clearly know what you are doing. I will try to find a great rod with a faster action. I am looking for something in the 7wt size because I was asking for Pyramid Lake trips where a 5wt would be too light for those big fish. I know i need to work more also on my form, but was looking for any tricks for casting a big indicator. I just ordered a couple new rods to try out including a Sage Payload rod. I also found an extra fast Echo EPR rod (both 7wt.) I fished Pyramid last month and noticed that I was only getting out there about 70% as far as some of the best folks. Thanks again.
I have watched over a dozen double haul videos and can’t find any that answer these basic questions: when do I let go of the line with my left hand? Does line shoot out on each back cast and each forward cast, or only on the final forward cast?
Great question. Keep the following in mind when making a long cast- you want to aerialize the most amount of line you can comfortably control (control is a key word), with the fewest amount of false casting. To do this, while you’re double hauling, you let line slip through your fingers while still holding on to your line. This will allow you to shoot line on both the backcast and the forward casts. When you reach your maximum line length in the air, you let go of the line on your final forward cast. Aim for doing only three backcasts, letting it go on the following final forward cast. Check out this video- ua-cam.com/video/cNYWZA3Z5N0/v-deo.html
how do you keep the line on the ground from instantly ratnesting when it whips thru?? and what if i dont have that much space behind me? say theres a cliff or trees ten or twenty feet back... this works great out in an open field... i dont usually fish in open fields lol
Hello! If you are just starting out...Echo makes a great rod, so does Redington...you can get them both as combos for under $200 bucks...and it includes the line. When you are ready to level it up, Sage and Orvis are two great higher end rods. Hope that helps!
@@christophergarcia636 Hello! These specific setups come with both the reel and fly line. The rod and the fly line are the two most important components to a fly fishing set up. The combinations that I spoke about have a great fly rod, an average reel and mediocre line. First thing I would do would be to change out the fly line when become a little more proficient at casting. The rod is great and the reel will last you several years before you might want to upgrade.
hi Dan,it is a good idea to practice with fly line 4 weight ?(for a beginner to the double haul ). Because i have some trouble to improve the distance ,the best i do it's 43 47 foots with my z axis 490 and 4 weight ligne rio gold
Typically - if fishing for trout you will be using a 4-6 weight rod when fly fishing. Casting is more about technique - check out this recent video I did about gaining distance. (Rio Gold is a GREAT fly line!) ua-cam.com/video/cljaXhrCtdM/v-deo.html
Distance is at least 90% technique rod and line are the remaining 10% heavy and large wind resistant flies also have a bearing on distance but once your technique improves you will be surprised at the size fly that can be cast on a 3wt rod. Believe me, it will get better.
I have found me using more wrist and less arm to cast to work best. Is that okay to do? My arm doesn’t move much, more my wrist and just let the momentum and weight of the line do the work.
Typically, the same principles will apply. Fiberglass can be a much slower action fly rod, just be sure the line fully extends behind you before bringing it forward and it's more about finesse than power.
Hello! I was using a fast action fly rod (Sage TCR 590-4) with a weight forward 5-weight floating line (exact line in the description). Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Am I the only one that watched this and was waiting for a bolt of lightning to strike the tip of his rod as it passed the 12 o'clock position, like a Looney Toons Cartoon? And while I can't speak for Dan, but the 10 and 2 is a good rule of thumb for people starting out with double hauling that don't have good power or timing, in order to keep the increasing length of the line up. Because he is proficient and has enough power, he can open up the that angle to 9 and 3 and keep the line up off of the ground.
I have been fly casting for months but I just cannot get more than a 15 foot cast out on the best of days, and even then the line often isn't straight. I have been ensuring my timing is right, false casting, and double hauling, but no luck. Any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong?
I would set up your phone and record yourself casting...look at these things first: Rod arch (should be right around 10-2), cadence (are you waiting long enough for the line to fully extend behind you before bringing the rod forward in the cast), straight line path to the tip of the rod (are you opening up your wrist during the cast), and finally...make sure you have a quality fly line...even the best casters will have trouble with an old or bad fly line. Hope that helps and keep practicing! Cheers!
Hello! You’re arch will increase with distance - it’s important for anyone new to fly casting to have the mental discipline of 10-2 or everything just falls apart.
It will take a bit of practice - it's likely about timing. Check this playlist out - hopefully it will help! ua-cam.com/play/PLg2mW5p6kuW32SRQqm6ZiJYXHrRwO9zlo.html
Join the FISH-ON member group and get your river tips PDF upon joining! Lots of other perks on their way as the group continues to grow. Don't miss out! Join here: ua-cam.com/channels/dLalR_ScgI_Tp05LTIvVqA.htmljoin
Started fly fishing a week ago. Couldn't cast more than 15ft without getting my line looking like spaghetti lol. After watching this a few times and practicing I'm getting 50ft+, thanks a lot caught my first Crappie on a fly rod the other day!
That is awesome, thank you for letting me know and congratulations! That’s pretty cool :-)
Congrats 👏
Congrats my friend because now you are hooked for life!
I still can’t get it past 15 feet myself even after practicing and watching these for months 🤦🏼
Much more difficult standing in water with an actual fly, part a weighted fly
Doing this in the rain is some dedication
Lol! I know - I was right in the middle of the lesson and things were flowing well so I just kept going! We all fish in the rain away, right?? :))
@@FlyFishDan if you want to fish in the PNW you do for sure. Great vid, I need to practice!!
Thanks Ryan - I am working on a casting montage, which will be a culmination of casting basics, double haul and distance all in a single shortened tutorial video. I am also going to produce a roll casting video which is also essential for the PNW! FISH-ON!!
Just started picking up fly fishing, this actually broke it down in simple enough steps for me to practice at home before hitting the lakes nearby. Thanks, Dan!
Awesome, thanks Ben! Very happy to hear that it helped. Cheers!
A couple of key points, one to which Dan alluded…
First, be patient on the backcast. Allow time for the loop to unroll. The more line carried in the air on the backcast, the more time required fir it to unroll.
Second, finish your backcast ‘high’. Gravity will want to pull your line to the ground, and stopping thd rod tip high on the backstroke or, another way of looking at it, angling your backcast in an upward angle (relative to a level to the ground plane) will allow time for the line and loop to unroll before the line drops too much and ticks the ground or water behind you.
Too true, my local fly school in the UK, said that's a big thing to consider, its better go for a 11-1-2 angle, depending.
Thank you! As a saltwater fisherman just picking up fly fishing, this is super helpful! I was at the beach the other day and saw tarpon rolling on top! Other circumstances lead me to not get them, but I don't believe that I would have been able to cast to them effectively as a beginner... Great work and great dedication being in that rain!
Always find myself distance casting my flies mid winter to not go insane :)
Awesome! Thank you for the numerous tips on how to cast for distance. I seldom have to cast for more than 20 feet as I primarily fish in small streams but I totally agree with you there is time even on a small stream I wish I could cast further. Sometime I cut the hook on my fly and work on my presentation trying to make as many fish as possible rise to my fly. I cut the hook to decrease the number of flies I loose on the over hang or the branches behind me. I really enjoy the accuracy of a cast but distance is sometime required too. I tie my own flies and one day to my big surprise I had a dragon fly trying to steel one of my Moskito fly. No need to say that I was very proud of that tribute from that dragon fly. Fishing has it’s way to surprise us. 😁😁😁😁😁
Thank you Marc for the great comments - they are appreciated. I am glad you found this helpful - Cheers!
I mostly fish small local creeks as i hate the need to spend more than a few minutes in the car that i could be fishing. I have gone exclusively to short rods from 2wt to 5wt in 6ft length. My time in the trees is greatly reduced and fly loss has also been greatly reduced. I also have a 7ft 7wt that i like for bass out of the yak as it is much easier to boat the bass with a shorter rod. The trend today is to longer rods but the short rods for me are much less cumbersome in much lf my fishing. I still use the typical 9ft rods in the salt and where few other obstructions present themselves. 60ft casts and even longer are possible with these 6ft rods. If you are dealing with mending for current a little longer rod becomes beneficial.
Great video. Most videos try to explain more about the physics of a double haul than actually teaching how to actually do it. Refreshing to see such a to the point instructional video. Keep up the great work 👍
Awesome, thank you!
This is why fly fishing is an art. Younger and newer fly fishermen need to watch this video. To get that roll onto the water, lay it out instead of slapping onto the water. Just great Dan!
Thank you! I appreciate that!
Like everyone else is saying your breakdown is great for beginners. I am 32 and just as of 3 weeks ago got my first 5 weight rod. Spent a modest amount but didn't order on Amazon, but didn't spend orvis money yet. I am grateful for your willingness to put this advice out for all of us, and I cannot wait to get into a good rhythm with my fly rod and start catching more fish. My name also happens to be Dan.
Nice - here is a more recent tutorial on fly casting, hopefully you'll find this helpful as well. Cheers! ua-cam.com/video/0-9GqI-f5PE/v-deo.html
Sweet work.👍 Love watching someone who is really talented at casting.
Thank you very much!
While it is important to keep a mental discipline regarding your rod position at 10-2, your arc will begin to widen slightly beyond this point as your distance increases. However, it's important to have this mental discipline in place so that your cast won't degrade. You will find that your arc will widen organically to near 9 - 3 (or 170 degrees max) as shown in this video and as you continue to generate line speed with greater distance.
Every beginner should watch this video, straight to the point, great job.
Thank you! One of my first vids :))
Good Lad, Cheers Dan I'm back flyfishing in the UK after a 10 year break so I thought I'd watch a few vids and YOU put me right with this one pal, Thanks...
Nice! Very happy to hear and how cool is it that we can be connected from so far away. Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to watch. Cheers!
How did you know that I had been searching "long distance fly casting" on UA-cam for the past month? It's uncanny. Great topic! Thanks for your great content, keep it up!
That's awesome! And great timing for sure! (funny how those things happen...) I am glad it helped!
Thank you too for the kind words - I do appreciate it!
Great video! May I ask your rod and line used?
rogeremeadows Thank you! I’m using my Sage TCR 5wt 9’ fly rod with Rio weight forward floating line.
FlyFishDan thank you! Ironically I am researching a Sage. I currently have an inexpensive 5wt but am wanting to go with a 5wt Sage X. Due to the price am researching throughly. Thoughts on this rod? Primarily anything from trout l to crappie to bass. Many have suggested an 8wt but seems like an overkill to me.
This is some serious stuff! I watched your first video on how to fly cast and I doubled my cast distance and got really close to catching a fish. I’ll have a crack at this sometime.
Great job, Your video is the only video on you-tube that walks people through basic casting techniques, and it’s a long cast video. No other video ever mentions that line must be stripped prior to casting, they always leave out that important detail. I can only imagine how many beginners get frustrated without that crucial information.
Thank you for the comments and I am very happy to hear that it helped. Thank you for taking the time to watch!
Great technique, and congratulations for your channel. I believe you should talk about the casting principles, and share with everyone briefly to build a good casting foundation from there, we all are tie to them regardless the skill level or technique.
It’s a very common mistake in a non certified casting instructors, trying to help telling others to visually learn mimicking your own gratefully casting technique.
To me it’s close to having someone explain how to building a house from the roof, and not from the foundation.
Keep up the good effort 👍
Thank you for the great comments, I do appreciate that! I will take your advise - I hoped to 'boil' down the basics visually in these instructional videos while guiding the new fly fisher with mental discipline on a few techniques (rod position, patience on the back cast and line control). I recently created a montage of three casting tutorials into one instructional video with notes along the way...I plan to release that in a few weeks. In the meantime, I will get to work on what you suggested - because it's a great idea! Thank you again!
Excellent advice! You’re surely outstanding in your field, and so will I be outstanding in my field practicing. I’m also going to setup some distance markers similar to yours and practice the single & double haul casting.
Nice!
Dan, just saw this. Excellent tips for sure. Some things to consider, if you don't mind me adding, is the increase in difficulty mending for a drag free drift and setting the hook with a long cast. Most of the time (for freshwater fishing) it's better to position yourself to get closer to the fish (rivers or lakes...). Unrelated, I assume that you're west of the Cascades (where I grew up); I had to laugh as it started raining just as you were getting into the details, recalling that I would do anything in the rain including washing my car - overwise nothing would ever get done between late September and July 😆.
Awesome video Dan!!! Tight lines my man!
Downstream & Downrange thanks Dan!!
I think if youre considering casting for distance learning how to cast a shooting head is an invaluable tool. Very easy to cast 70+ feet with a two handed rod and skagit head effortlessly. I have never really needed to cast in a river much past 50 ft tbh. Saltwater double hauling is very important though
IMO, the most important factors in long distance casting are composure and timing. The more line you have out, the easier it is to rush things and those problems become much more pronounced with longer casts. Learning to haul effectively was THE key component for me…it keeps your energy in check and allows you to focus on the task at hand. One of my best practice routings was always just hauling around the yard/park/whatever…try to false cast for a bit, double hauling every time. A quick single haul to energize your line into the back cast. Hauling is something you have to learn the basics for then just get out there and feel it for yourself. You’ll know when you do it correctly because your rod loads up like a 12 gauge compared to the amount of effort you’re putting in.
Dan, you are creating an addiction.
I'm creating a new 12 step program. Meetings start after the evening hatch at your local spot.
Thanks for sharing, Dan!
Love it!
Great video. I’m brand new to fly fishing and this really helped. Thank you
Glad it was helpful! Welcome to my channel!
Amazing thank you for this VDO. For people Start to fly fishing like me!
Very happy to hear that it helped - welcome to fly fishing! Cheers!
This is really good. To me the reason is, that you start out by showing whats its supposed to look like, and then go back to show the details. Most, if not all, goes the other way around, and I loose the “big picture. Very very good… :-)
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words and very happy to hear you found it helpful. Cheers!
Super clear tutorial! Very nice technique sir! I’m new to fly fishing and I find this super informative and practical! I subscribed 🤙🎣
Thank you! Welcome to my channel! Here is another video I put together recently...hope it helps! ua-cam.com/video/1sVUUuTzfYc/v-deo.html
New to fly fishing, thanks for the info and videos. Will let you know how it goes. 👍
Great tutorial on double hauling! You made it look smooth.
As always Dan great job.
Thanks 👍
Thank you, you're a great teacher. I guess lot and lot of practice will get me better at that technique.
You are most welcome - cheers!
Like your style Dan that lesson on double hauling wasxcellent👍♥️
Thank you Daryl for taking the time to watch! Cheers!
This channel is awesome, thank you for sharing tips like this.
My pleasure - thanks for being a part of the channel! Cheers!
Very good, I'm always learning even at my age.
Thank you for your comments and I appreciate you taking the time to watch. Cheers!
Been fly fishing a few times going again soon cant wait still yet to get a trout
You'll get there!
@@FlyFishDan I can only hope
Pulling the line for the double haul works fine, I have trouble feeding it out and coming out of my hand. Any tips on using your left hand. After you get a long cast, do you usually strip a bunch back in before the next cast or just a little before picking up the line for the next cast. Thanks
Just a little ...right at the point where the line is tight (no slack).
Ive been doing fly fishing for less years, you can lift up a long leader off from grass but off water a too longer lead gets caught up in water, so you need to start with shorter line then double haul to a longer line. Plus I use a fast tip rod and not a mid to tip flexing rod
Make sure you’re using a tapered leader, 9 foot and or 12 foot will easily lift off the water or roll onto the water during a cast. The taper on the leader helps immensely with presentation and rolling over the fly. Cheers!
@@FlyFishDan only need tapered leader if dry fly. Gold head flies for lake fishing would just break 😷
Looks like so much fun. Any suggestions for windy days?
I have another video for casting in the wind and different tactic to use. Double haul, off shoulder cast and tightened loops. Always tough - no matter how good a caster you are. Cheers!
Are you going to do a follow up video on how to manage 70 feet of line on/in the water?
Great idea Philip - I will be sure to do just that!
Nice and simple explanation. A question, if the fly is quite heavy (recently started pike fly fishing) any easy way to get it started? or any tips in general for heavy flies?
Thank you! With heavier flies, start out with a single haul as you lift the larger fly out of the water. I fish for Muskie with 6" flies with a 5wt and start out every cast with an immediate haul. Hope that helps and thank you for watching!
Try using a thick, short leader and look up the oval cast. The stop on the back and front casts will cause the problems with heavy flies. The oval cast (Belgian cast)is a continuous casting stroke. Take it slowly.
New follower here and thanks for the tips. Newbie here in fly fishing.
Welcome to my channel!
Great video Dan! Got a question on how much line to leave outside of rod before re-casting on lakes. Would you strip almost all the fly line in before casting again or stop some distance out to get extra line weight to begin the next cast? Can't seem to find the answer anywhere.
I will generally fish the fly all the way back - so often I have 40-60 feet of line at my feet before casting it back out. Hope that helps! Cheers!
@@FlyFishDan cheers Dan, that makes sense!
Great video! What size rod are you using? What is a good fly to use when practice casting? What color?
I typically use a 5 weight fly rod for trout fishing
You doing a nice tight loop mate, but whats that strong whistle sound? For sure you had a dummy fly cuz there was no whip bang 🤔 do you use those rifled lines?
I learned castig on a really crapy hardwarestore rod and line, got over the time a decent range, could improve it a bit with a way better rod but when i got really far out and started to feel a huge impact on my casting capabilities was when i bought a expensive flyline with propper shooting head and running line. Now i get that 100' with a couple false casts on my #6 and #8 rods. Maybe you should mention that fact in further videos, the line is by far the most important
Great feedback Pascal - thank you for that. And you are right - fly line makes all the difference. Thanks for taking the time to watch - Cheers!
Great class boss. It was a huge help
Glad it helped!
Must have scottish blood in you. Didnt even give a fek when it started raining lol we regularly walk around in shorts when its pisses down outside 🤣🏴 cheers for the tips dan
Rain certainly has never bothered me - wait until Saturday’s video, it was pouring! And I just kept going...Thank you for the kind words and you are most welcome! I appreciate your support! Cheers!
@@FlyFishDan cheers man. Cant wait
The technique of throwing the hook is very good, thanks for sharing .. Oh yeah what can I do for all of you?
Thank you! What can you do? Share the video with EVERYONE you know! :)) Cheers!
@@FlyFishDan ok
Thx Dan! Love your videos!
I appreciate that!
As you let more line out I understand that you need to wait longer in the back cast. How do you know how long to wait? Are you going by the feel of the rod loading?
For anyone relatively new to the sport, I would recommend watching the line extend out behind you...once fully extended, then bring the rod forward. I recently uploaded another tutorial you might find helpful. Cheers! ua-cam.com/video/LNy0fcCq-Nw/v-deo.html
I found this really helpful. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Looking to add distance? Having the right fly line makes all the difference, here is a link to the fly line used in this tutorial: amzn.to/3rckaZy
Thanks for sharing,i’m new in fly fishing
Differing with Dan on this Rio Gold (the line in the link) line as a distance line. It’s a solid all-around fishing line, but this line has an average length head, which is not conducive for carrying long false casts. With the average length head, carrying a cast will cause the loop to be carried by the running line, and the running line isn’t built for that and the cast/loop will collapse.
If you want to cast for distance 1) buy a line with a long head, such as a distance line or a steelhead/salmon line, for an all-around line or 2) buy a specialty distance line, a shooting head style line, either an integrated head line or looped running line/head setup.
Very informative. Thumbs up.
Glad you think so! Thanks for taking the time to watch. Here is another more recent vid that might help too: ua-cam.com/video/1sVUUuTzfYc/v-deo.html
Great video, but I have a question. Why do we have to wait half a second more on the back cast? Shouldn’t it be equal wait on back and forward cast?
Thank you! The more line you hold in the air while casting requires a slightly longer cadence. One of the most common mistakes while casting is not waiting long enough on the forward or back cast. So yes, you would want to keep both equal. I’m sorry for the confusion there!
@@FlyFishDan Thanks for clarifying this. But I think it feels like you have to wait longer for the line to straighten out on the back cast. Probably me too eager to start the forward cast.
@@TheElsondo with practice, you’ll start to feel the cadence improve. Another good tip is to watch your fly line behind you while casting to see when it’s fully extended. If you come forward too fast - you’ll hear a whip slash sound as well - your line will generally let you know if you’re too hurried. Thanks for commenting!
Great demo ! How long a rod , what reel, what weight rod ? Good demo, short and too the point.
Thanks! Typically...for trout - a 9' 5weight fly rod is ideal. Hope that helps!
Happy new yeahr ....I think its great for new casters to use a clockwise instruction for starting in this sport but then it stops it’s all a matter of what rod and line that is used if I used the power you use in the cast I would use much too many false casts in my situation I need a rod that loads quickly and throws a far distance in many cases I throw about 30 meter + with one rool cast and then one false cast my setup is a sage x #5 with an Rio grand elite slick cast and that setup is just making bad and shorter casts if I use the force you are using but due to your video here I just ordered the Rio Gold elite I wanna c if that line really is that bad.
Thanks for the comments - I hope this tutorial helps and I am sure the new line will make a difference for you. Cheers!
Brilliant video, on double haul do you release line on each forward cast also or just on final forward cast? Cheers
Thank you! During the double haul, you will release a little bit of line on both the forward and backward part of the cast once you’ve generated line speed. Careful not to create any slack when doing so, just let the line slide to your fingers at the end of the haul. Cheers!
Some nicely stated points...consider a visable rod and a higher viz line next time?
Thank you! Always tough to get on film for sure, I will certainly do my best!
Had to watch the whole thing from about 5:00 on, where you turned toward the camera, to see if you stuck the fly in the tree behind you like I normally would. :o)
Lol - one my original vids! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t put my line in that tree at some point :))
Hi Dan, can you please provide details of the rod and line wt being used during this demo? Also which rod, thank you.
Absolutely - I was using my Sage TCR 590 5-weight with Rio Ultra Slick weight forward line
@@FlyFishDan OK, thank you!
Thank you for your information! I appreciate it 🙏
Glad it was helpful!
Also noted your grip position changing from a thumb on top front cast to a thumb on side (or first finger knuckle on the bottom)on the back cast to keep tracking straight.
I will have to watch it back, however, I believe my grip stayed consistent. I keep my thumb on the cork for leverage which helps gain distance with less power. Thanks for watching!
@@FlyFishDan It's not a criticism but an observation, my prefered grip is to have the fore finger knuckle on top at all times,(like Peter Hayes) if you watch your reel you see the full roundness on the forecast and a side view on the back cast, Lefty Kreh looked similar to me, your both awesome fly casters.
@@alhughes101 thank you for replying back and I appreciate the comments and compliment - I am humbled to be even mentioned in the same context as the others. I appreciate you taking the time to watch :))
You just practicing with an indicator on there ? Just curious of your weight and suggestions on fly line .
I had a fly with the sharp end cut off - I would recommend Cortland or SA
Hi Dan. I need your help. I sometimes carry 80' of line. Should I still go with 10 to 2 you think?
Hello! As the distance increases, so will the rod arc. Attempting to carry 80 feet of line you’ll be closer to a 9 to 3 rod arc.
On your back cast, are you letting line out or only on the forward cast?
You let a little line out both on the forward and back cast. Cheers!
Great video Dan!! Remember the haters gonna hate and the ain’ters gonna ain’t!!!😜😜😜🍻🍻🍻👏👏👏🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👊💥
Thank you! And so true, thank you so much for your support!
what about drift? tracking? increasing line speed in different ways?
Something to cover on the next video tutorial for sure - cheers!
Started fly fishing this past week, have been able to cast short distances accurately and consistently but the biggest problem when going the distance seems to be my line doesn’t want to feed out of the top of my rod without snagging. Any tips?
Thanks for taking the time to watch - I do appreciate that. I suggest starting out with a full rod's length of floating line beyond the tip of the fly rod...that way, the line to leader won't get hung up. Hopefully that helps!
Excellent video!
Thank you!
Will this work with a 6’3 rod? I bought my first rod and went short since I fish small creeks with tiny trout. I’m having trouble getting distance. Is it possible to cast 50 ft with a shorter rod?
Use the same principles for shorter rods - shorter rods like the one you described are really designed for 10-30 foot casts in smaller water. Cheers!
Do you find a faster action benefits tighter looping? I've got a pretty floppy action on my 5 wt and I feel like I'm struggling to keep the tip from bouncing around.
Faster action definitely helps out with tighter loops and longer casts (especially in the wind). Soft action rods can be tough to cast for distance (big open loops). Thanks for watching! Cheers!
@@FlyFishDan
Thanks very much!
@@jpmc271 My pleasure!
Any recommendations (rod , line or technique) for casting 80-100 feet with an indicator. I will take any help offered
The best overall fly rod is a 5 weight, I prefer a 4-piece rod (easy to transport). Look for a faster action rod, that will help you shoot out line much farther than a slower/softer action rod. I prefer RIO Gold fly line - Cortland also makes a quality fly line - look for a longer shooting head when choosing the right fly line. Hope that helps!
@@FlyFishDan Thank you for trying to help me. You clearly know what you are doing. I will try to find a great rod with a faster action. I am looking for something in the 7wt size because I was asking for Pyramid Lake trips where a 5wt would be too light for those big fish. I know i need to work more also on my form, but was looking for any tricks for casting a big indicator. I just ordered a couple new rods to try out including a Sage Payload rod. I also found an extra fast Echo EPR rod (both 7wt.) I fished Pyramid last month and noticed that I was only getting out there about 70% as far as some of the best folks. Thanks again.
Wow!! Awesome
Thanks!
I have watched over a dozen double haul videos and can’t find any that answer these basic questions: when do I let go of the line with my left hand? Does line shoot out on each back cast and each forward cast, or only on the final forward cast?
I'll have to film a tutorial that really breaks it down - I will get to work!
@@FlyFishDan thank you!
@@jimc336 my pleasure! Cheers!
You let loose after your pull, when you feel the strongest backpull of the line or maybe a blink before. Regardless of the direction
Great question. Keep the following in mind when making a long cast- you want to aerialize the most amount of line you can comfortably control (control is a key word), with the fewest amount of false casting. To do this, while you’re double hauling, you let line slip through your fingers while still holding on to your line. This will allow you to shoot line on both the backcast and the forward casts. When you reach your maximum line length in the air, you let go of the line on your final forward cast. Aim for doing only three backcasts, letting it go on the following final forward cast.
Check out this video- ua-cam.com/video/cNYWZA3Z5N0/v-deo.html
how do you keep the line on the ground from instantly ratnesting when it whips thru?? and what if i dont have that much space behind me? say theres a cliff or trees ten or twenty feet back... this works great out in an open field... i dont usually fish in open fields lol
Roll cast - something you definitely want to learn :))
I'm still practicing how to cast, I yet can't do the double haul. I'm hoping to get it down so I can say I know how to fly fish
Even not knowing the double haul you can still say you know how to fly fish - hauling just helps you level up. You got this! Cheers!
Hey. I’m just getting into fly fishing. You have any good reels or rods to recommend?? Thanks
Hello! If you are just starting out...Echo makes a great rod, so does Redington...you can get them both as combos for under $200 bucks...and it includes the line. When you are ready to level it up, Sage and Orvis are two great higher end rods. Hope that helps!
@@FlyFishDan same thing for reels?
@@christophergarcia636 Hello! These specific setups come with both the reel and fly line. The rod and the fly line are the two most important components to a fly fishing set up. The combinations that I spoke about have a great fly rod, an average reel and mediocre line. First thing I would do would be to change out the fly line when become a little more proficient at casting. The rod is great and the reel will last you several years before you might want to upgrade.
@@FlyFishDan thank you so much. Looks like I will be purchasing an Orvis combo very soon
hi Dan,it is a good idea to practice with fly line 4 weight ?(for a beginner to the double haul ). Because i have some trouble to improve the distance ,the best i do it's 43 47 foots with my z axis 490 and 4 weight ligne rio gold
Typically - if fishing for trout you will be using a 4-6 weight rod when fly fishing. Casting is more about technique - check out this recent video I did about gaining distance. (Rio Gold is a GREAT fly line!) ua-cam.com/video/cljaXhrCtdM/v-deo.html
Distance is at least 90% technique rod and line are the remaining 10% heavy and large wind resistant flies also have a bearing on distance but once your technique improves you will be surprised at the size fly that can be cast on a 3wt rod. Believe me, it will get better.
@@rayditzenberger9517 well said Ray!
what kind of fly line are you using in this video? Is that a consideration?
I’m using Rio Gold Elite - The fly line is very important and something you should certainly consider. Hope that helps and thanks for watching!
Thank, s master 🙏🙏
Glad to have helped! Cheers!
Awesome video
I am lockin to start fly fishing,like you sead practice practice.i Wuld like to know you’r demo flyroad and flyline.thank you.
Welcome to the sport! On this day I was using a 5 weight with Rio Ultra fly line. A link should be in the description. Cheers!
Thank you.
I have found me using more wrist and less arm to cast to work best. Is that okay to do? My arm doesn’t move much, more my wrist and just let the momentum and weight of the line do the work.
Typically - using more wrist than arm can make things more challenging in the long run; especially when trying to gain more distance or for accuracy.
@@FlyFishDan good to know, thank you.
Cqn you do more videos on switch fly fishing
Any advice on casting a fiberglass rod
Typically, the same principles will apply. Fiberglass can be a much slower action fly rod, just be sure the line fully extends behind you before bringing it forward and it's more about finesse than power.
actually it is correct practice, practice and practice. Don't practice mistakes. Let someone competent watch you, at least in the beginning
Great point - thanks for watching!
U deserve more subs
Thank you for saying that - I appreciate it. Spread the word! :)). Cheers!
What weight line are you casting in this video?
Hello! I was using a fast action fly rod (Sage TCR 590-4) with a weight forward 5-weight floating line (exact line in the description). Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Thanks!🎯
You bet!
Am I the only one that watched this and was waiting for a bolt of lightning to strike the tip of his rod as it passed the 12 o'clock position, like a Looney Toons Cartoon? And while I can't speak for Dan, but the 10 and 2 is a good rule of thumb for people starting out with double hauling that don't have good power or timing, in order to keep the increasing length of the line up. Because he is proficient and has enough power, he can open up the that angle to 9 and 3 and keep the line up off of the ground.
Lol - that would be one way to go viral! Thanks for the comments and great insight! Cheers!
Seems like the majority of fish are caught between 20-30 it's one thing to be able to cast 60-100 but can you see your leader? Control it properly?
I have been fly casting for months but I just cannot get more than a 15 foot cast out on the best of days, and even then the line often isn't straight. I have been ensuring my timing is right, false casting, and double hauling, but no luck. Any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong?
I would set up your phone and record yourself casting...look at these things first: Rod arch (should be right around 10-2), cadence (are you waiting long enough for the line to fully extend behind you before bringing the rod forward in the cast), straight line path to the tip of the rod (are you opening up your wrist during the cast), and finally...make sure you have a quality fly line...even the best casters will have trouble with an old or bad fly line. Hope that helps and keep practicing! Cheers!
@@FlyFishDan Thank you!
@@speedbird1598 You are most welcome!
Damn this guy looks exactly like the guy that taught me how to cast a fly rod...
Lol - you know it Wren! I can't believe you actually watched one of my vids (finally)...:))
What size rod and line weight did you use?
This was my five weight Sage TCR with a Rio Elite Slick Cast Fly Line (also 5 weight). Cheers!
thanks
My pleasure!
That is a pretty lenient interpretation of "doesn't go any further back than 10 o'clock and no further forward than 2". Closer to 9 and 3 😅
Hello! You’re arch will increase with distance - it’s important for anyone new to fly casting to have the mental discipline of 10-2 or everything just falls apart.
What rod are you using.
For this demonstration, I was using my 5wt Sage TCR...a very fast action rod. Thanks for watching John!
I'm curious to the rod weight and line weight?
I was using a 5wt with matching floating line for this video
1 haul is easy for me but double haul doesnt work on the 2nd haul what am i missing? doing it too early?
It will take a bit of practice - it's likely about timing. Check this playlist out - hopefully it will help! ua-cam.com/play/PLg2mW5p6kuW32SRQqm6ZiJYXHrRwO9zlo.html
if you really want to focus on how the timing works speed playback speed to .25X 2:55