When fly fishing with the single Spey cast remember that the line always follows the rod tip. Immediately the rod stops the line continues in the direction the rod tip was pointing when you made the stop. Some of what we’re saying here may be self-evident, but every good rule is worth repeating – this is just as true for experienced anglers as it is for beginners.
Little understood, but critical to every single casting technique, is the fact every direction the line takes is produced by the rod tip’s movement. To put it in the most basic terms, if you make the rod tip move in a straight line, the line will go in the same direction. Exactly the same principle applies to other techniques, like casting in circles, or parts of circles, ellipses or other shapes that benefit from continuous motion during the casting stroke.
Casting can be a real science, the physics of it almost impossible to explain in words alone. Watch a good video on the subject, get yourself an experienced teacher, or even as a more experienced friend to show you the ropes. Sheer persistence alone might pay off, though, if you remind yourself of the first principles we talk about in the casting techniques blog postings. And don’t force it…you’re bound to get frustrated at first when everything isn’t going as you think it should. But think of fly fishing like learning a musical instrument, such as the guitar – you learn the basics step by step and, given time, muscle memory and experience take over.
