To the uninitiated the underhand cast in fly fishing may look very much like other roll casting or switch casting techniques. But it’s the subtle movements that will evade the casual onlooker.
If the word “underhand” suggests craftiness or deviousness, that’s probably as good a definition as any, because it involves a similar same attention to detail and emphasises harmony between man and equipment.
For a roll casting method, underhand requires minimum backspace. The leader and fly are the anchor and the short fly line is used in a controlled, optimised 'D' loop to load the rod perfectly and allow long shoots. Your hand positions are quite different than they would be in Spey or overhead casting, though, and relies on the lever and pivot principle with the hands fairly close together.
The upper hand grip uses the forefinger and thumb to encircle the handle. The lower hand takes a regular 'ball and socket' grip to deliver acceleration. Magnified by the rod, this the high line speed you will need for long casts. You should note, though to keep your upper hand relatively still, as most of the work is done by the underhand.
Broken down, it goes like this:
1. Lift the rod slowly to 1 o'clock and check before sweeping back to 11 o'clock. The hands are quite close together during the underhand cast.
2. After checking the rod at 11 o'clock allow it drift back to 10 o'clock as the D loop forms.
3. During the forward cast you deliver most of the energy by the underhand, pulling in towards your body.
That’s all of our fly fishing tutorials for now, but rest assured we will bring you more in future blogs.
