Wifee got me my first fly set up last Christmas. She got me an Orvis Battenkill 5 weight reel and 5 weight line with a Temple Fork Outfitters rod. So I am working with decent gear. I had a buddy who has been fly fishing most of his life give me a crash course in casting. After 45 mins of instruction, he said I had the jist of it. Wish I could have had longer with him, but he moved to AZ. I have been using little nymphs and these little foam rubber spiders I picked up at Academy. And some other flies. So the flies I am using are very small and light. So I cast and get enough line out and moving to reach out as far as I want into the water. When I make my final cast forward and let the line drop, the backing lays out nicely, but the leader and tippet just fall in a pile on the water instead of stretching out. So I am losing about 3 to 4 feet of distance. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for any help!

While I'm no casting instructor I would dare to say that you are making too many false casts and not utilizing the energy of the rod to transfer your cast. Just a guess. Its very hard to say exactly without seeing you cast.

Where are you located? If you can attend the Ft Worth ff'ing event, "Summer Spool", on August 7 you can get some free casting help.


Rex

Lunky, are you in Plano? There are lessons at both Bass Pro as well as Cabelas on most weekends. There are also groups, Red Rvier Fly Fishers and Dallas Fly Fishers who have monthly meetings where assistance is available. There are also a bunch of us Collin County types running around loose in public with whippy sticks.

The reason I say all this is that, while you have rendered an accurate description of the end result, there are a number of different possible causes. Someone else coaching would be immediately effective in resolving this issue. The old "picture worth a thousand words" trusim.

I'd be glad to get together with you sometime and do what I can to work out that casting bug.

I work in Plano and live in Aubrey. That would be great! I would really appreciate it. I have been meaning to go to Bass Pro or Cabela's. Do they do one on one instructions? Or is it mostly just a public demonstration? I saw a guy demonstrating at Bass Pro so it didn't appear to be a one on one deal. Unless I did not see that portion of it.

I'd give them a call, the fly shop can advise when the lessons happen. They aren't always on the website for the stores.

But yes, they do have lesson days.

You are right there between Ray Roberts and Lewisville. If you have something that floats that you can sit in/on there are a world of opportunities open to you

I think rrhyne56 just solved my issue via PM. On my last cast to lay out the line, I was following through with the rod tip like I do with my bait caster, therefore "killing the power in the loop". Makes total sense. I am not doing that sudden stop I should be doing. Thanks, rrhyne56, and everyone else for your insight. I can't wait to get back out there and give it another try!

You should not give up on getting a good lesson in person. You will enjoy it, and it will put you about a year ahead on your current learning curve. So 1 hour = 1 year of frustration. Get it?

I second the motion re:casting lessons. You will save years of frustration.

my advice would be to shorten your cast until you can turn the tippet, fly and leader over....and you'll catch those fish that youve been throwing the line over. Some folks think you gotta make a 35-50 foot cast to catch a fish and then the fish will hit the fly right beside you while youre eating a sandwich.

I say some one ending the cast by dropping the tip too low

the last cast, like every false cast

should end aimed at the sky

Absolutely! I recall attending events where Al Crise gave demos. I'd always have a moment of clarity "so that's why I can't..."