# Casting Drills



## ElLobo (Sep 14, 2020)

I've been practicing with my non dominate arm. Never know when it may come into play but its getting better.


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## UpStateAngler (Sep 2, 2021)

I like to video my casting practice. Helps to diagnose flaws. Not a bad idea to have a buddy video you casting to fish as well, amazing how quickly things can fall apart under a bit of "excitment"...


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

I've used paper plates and loops of yellow nylon rope for targets, spaced at different distances and angles. Need to break them out again and tune up.

Here's a good video from Joe on his casting techniques.





Another excellent instructor in the central part of the state is Capt. Mark Benson. He is based in Orlando.


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## Cory Michner (Jan 28, 2020)

ElLobo said:


> I've been practicing with my non dominate arm. Never know when it may come into play but its getting better.


I think one of the best investments I've made is learning to cast left-handed. Go get it!


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## flyclimber (May 22, 2016)

I made some permit shapes out of ply wood before my trip last year. Tried to make them close to shape so mentally it would be closer to the real thing. It paid off that trip.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

I practiced yesterday and think I will again tomorrow and Wednesday. The real kind of practice....lol. Seriously lawn practice is worth doing but nothing beats the read deal.


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## kjnengr (Jan 16, 2018)

I need to get after it myself. 

One thing I would add that I've been trying to work on myself is getting in the habit of leading the fish even with practicing. If you learn to hit specific targets, your hand-eye coordination will learn to put the fly where you are looking. However, if you stare directly at the fish, that is likely where the fly will land. I have to get in the habit of not looking at the fish, but where I actually want the the fly to land (a distance in front of the target). Therefore, when I pick a spot to "aim" at while practicing, I'll pretend that its a fish heading in a certain direction and that I have to land the fly in front of that fish.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

kjnengr said:


> I need to get after it myself.
> 
> .


Yes you do.... signed, everyone who's ever push poled you.......🤣🤣 ... but glad you listened to that tidbit.tryi

A drill I like is to have one target at about 30 feet and another at 55-60 feet and practice dropping the fly in the 30 foot target, then picking up and on one back cast trying to hit the target at 55-60 feet. I also like to practice direction changes, unfortunately I haven't been practicing a lot and need to get after it. I think it was apparent the last time I was on the front of a skiff.


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## 7WT (Feb 12, 2016)

That video of Joe Mahler: Very Interesting. Different approach in much of it from say Lefty. I will try his techniques and see how they work for me. Especially liked the explanation for curving a cast. Not often that I do that but it would make a lot of sense when sight fishing. Thanks for posting that. Currently trying to catch the elusive white snow trout. They are tough to see!


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

The casting drills really depend on how good your basic cast is. Are you consistent and accurate? Distance is the last thing to work on and it comes with a more efficient cast. 
I like to start by just warming up with few casting strokes with say 20-30' of line. Then I work on some pick up and lay down casts for consistency, usually around 30-40'. I'll add some some distance out to 70' or so to finish warming up. Then I start working on focused accuracy and different distances and directions. I will often add in the quick cast to see how quickly and accurately I can get my practice fly to my target. Personally, I don't like changing hands to cast so I work on making the cast on my back cast instead of changing hands, but whatever works best for you. I don't usually practice cast for more than 10 minutes at a time. Much longer and my arm starts to get tired and I start making little mistakes. This is where practicing with someone helps. They can video your casts and then y'all can swap out.

My favorite drill requires another person to help. I'll stand at the ready, fly in hand with my eyes closed or looking down. The other person will call fish at some clock position and throw a frisbee. When hearing their voice I look for the frisbee and try to get my fly to where the frisbee lands. Usually by the time you hear them call the shot, process the cast in your mind and make the cast the frisbee has landed or almost. Very often the frisbee doesn't track perfectly straight so there is an extra random element added into the drill.


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## richarde206 (Sep 9, 2021)

DBStoots said:


> I stopped in Fort Myers on my way back from the Nature Coast for a casting "tune up" with Joe Mahler. (BTW: if anyone needs lessons, from beginning to experienced, I highly recommend Joe. He's a very nice guy and an excellent instructor). Anyway, I haven't been practicing like I should and that prompted me to order some hoops and cones.
> 
> View attachment 195649
> 
> ...


A few drill suggestions...

1) Casting limbo bar. The intent of this drill is to simulate casting underneath overhanging structure, be it a dock, branch, whatever. Create what I call a casting limbo bar. Set two vertical poles into the ground and affix (however you want to do it) a horizontal cross bar to them. The spacing can be whatever you want it, but I generally suggest 6-8'. Place a hula hoop on the ground, to use as your casting target, slightly 'behind' the limbo bar from where you will be standing (say, 25' - 30' away). You will attempt to cast under the bar and into the target. You'll need a tight loop and perhaps a bit of a sidearm cast to get it done. It's pretty fun.

2) Another drill (no name) is to set two cones, say, 2'-3' apart and a hula hoop behind (respective to where you will be standing to cast) the cones. The cones will set the limits of what would simulate a small cut or opening in structure. It's somewhere similar to just casting at a hula hoop with no cones, but for some reason adding distracting structure to anything makes the shot/cast more difficult. Think about hitting a gold ball over a lake. A golfer should focus on just hitting the ball to the green, but the lake distracts and the golfer will focus on not hitting the lake and the ball often ends up where the golfer focuses. Aim small.

3) Casting accurately for distance. Many folks, when practicing distance, just pull off a bunch of line (often forgetting to stretch it, but that's another issue), and after several (or many) false casts let the fly line go to see how far they do or don't cast. Learning to cast for distance is useful, but it's best when done with accuracy, at least reasonable accuracy. Set up two cones at a distance, separated by say 24" , 80-100% of the distance you anticipate you can cast. Use these posts as goal posts attempt to center your cast in between them. In lieu of the goal posts, if you use a tape measure when you practice, to accurately measure your cast, you could also attempt to finish your cast along the top of or as close to or aligned with the tape.


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

jay.bush1434 said:


> The casting drills really depend on how good your basic cast is. Are you consistent and accurate? Distance is the last thing to work on and it comes with a more efficient cast.
> I like to start by just warming up with few casting strokes with say 20-30' of line. Then I work on some pick up and lay down casts for consistency, usually around 30-40'. I'll add some some distance out to 70' or so to finish warming up. Then I start working on focused accuracy and different distances and directions. I will often add in the quick cast to see how quickly and accurately I can get my practice fly to my target. Personally, I don't like changing hands to cast so I work on making the cast on my back cast instead of changing hands, but whatever works best for you. I don't usually practice cast for more than 10 minutes at a time. Much longer and my arm starts to get tired and I start making little mistakes. This is where practicing with someone helps. They can video your casts and then y'all can swap out.
> 
> My favorite drill requires another person to help. I'll stand at the ready, fly in hand with my eyes closed or looking down. The other person will call fish at some clock position and throw a frisbee. When hearing their voice I look for the frisbee and try to get my fly to where the frisbee lands. Usually by the time you hear them call the shot, process the cast in your mind and make the cast the frisbee has landed or almost. Very often the frisbee doesn't track perfectly straight so there is an extra random element added into the drill.


I like the frisbee drill!👍


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## g8rfly (Oct 9, 2011)

kjnengr said:


> I need to get after it myself.
> 
> One thing I would add that I've been trying to work on myself is getting in the habit of leading the fish even with practicing. If you learn to hit specific targets, your hand-eye coordination will learn to put the fly where you are looking. However, if you stare directly at the fish, that is likely where the fly will land. I have to get in the habit of not looking at the fish, but where I actually want the the fly to land (a distance in front of the target). Therefore, when I pick a spot to "aim" at while practicing, I'll pretend that its a fish heading in a certain direction and that I have to land the fly in front of that fish.


Great point there. Thank you!


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## Loogie (Jul 24, 2019)

For new casters, I recommend to cast 30-40’ hundreds of times until you can feel the weight of the line in the back cast, and you can repeat it without thinking.


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## Paul Mills (Mar 26, 2018)

Following this one.


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## richarde206 (Sep 9, 2021)

Loogie said:


> For new casters, I recommend to cast 30-40’ hundreds of times until you can feel the weight of the line in the back cast, and you can repeat it without thinking.


Good advice, but I'll preface this practicing with practicing correctly. Find someone who is knowledgeable about casting - be it a casting instructor, a friend, or someone at a shop - and have them watch your casting from time to time and provide you basic critiques and comments. Practice is good, but good practice is better...


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## TR. (Sep 28, 2019)

I take my casting very seriously so I practice with moving targets as it really helps with fish on the move. 10 points for a jet skier dead on the chest. 5 if you hit the jet ski but 10 if you scratch or dent it with dumbbell eyes. You lose your turn if you whack them in the face, but 2 points if you make them flinch. 4 points if they come for another go-round. the way I figure it, if they come that close…

sorry DB couldn’t resist lol.


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## richarde206 (Sep 9, 2021)

TR. said:


> I take my casting very seriously so I practice with moving targets as it really helps with fish on the move. 10 points for a jet skier dead on the chest. 5 if you hit the jet ski but 10 if you scratch or dent it with dumbbell eyes. You lose your turn if you whack them in the face, but 2 points if you make them flinch. 4 points if they come for another go-round. the way I figure it, if they come that close…
> 
> sorry DB couldn’t resist lol.


Cute! You perhaps remember the old Scott ads years ago where a fly fisher on the deck of a skiff had hooked a jet skier and (with the Scott's incredible lifting power) yanked the skier off his ride. Brian O'Keefe was the angler on the boat, and I remember him telling the story about how the photo was created.

Regarding moving targets, in more seriousness, I participated in a casting contest about 5 years ago which included, as part of the event, a moving target. A rope was set up on a tree and then connected at a downslope to a pole maybe 20 feet away. The angler was set up maybe 30' perpendicularly from the rope. A hoop about 24" (perhaps 30") in diameter was connected via a carabiner to the rope. The hoop was brought upslope to the tree, then left ago for the hoop to swing and slide down the rope to the pole. The angler had to fire a tight loop through the moving hoop (through as in the yarn had to go through the loop and hit the ground on the other side). Required several skills - anticipating and leading the location of the hoop (target), creating a tight loop, and firing the cast at the right moment. Pretty cool!


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Cory Michner said:


> I think one of the best investments I've made is learning to cast left-handed. Go get it!





Cory Michner said:


> I think one of the best investments I've made is learning to cast left-handed. Go get it!


So I'm left handed. I got that side haven't tried right handed yet


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

The best thing you could do on the water is make your presentation one cast earlier. I've seen more bad presentations when they try to make one more false cast and over power it.


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## numbskull (Jan 30, 2019)

Buy a tape measure and use it.
Forcing yourself to master the skills required to comfortably make a straight 100’ cast (without wind assist) will pay huge dividends when fishing……..even when the fish is 30’ away.


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

I have a bazillion tree rats in my yard, when the acorns and pecans are falling, they make good targets  doesn’t even faze them.


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## Plumb Crazy (Mar 10, 2018)

Sometimes just a little practice or extra focus on instruction for others will give you the edge in a trophy fish situation.


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

DBStoots said:


> I stopped in Fort Myers on my way back from the Nature Coast for a casting "tune up" with Joe Mahler. (BTW: if anyone needs lessons, from beginning to experienced, I highly recommend Joe. He's a very nice guy and an excellent instructor). Anyway, I haven't been practicing like I should and that prompted me to order some hoops and cones.
> 
> View attachment 195649
> 
> ...


Joe is a great guy, we were working with some wounded vets the other day and he showed me a few drills to help me with my offhand casting.


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## a_cole_p (Jan 15, 2018)

I take two different colored bundles of para cord and measure out a ~10ft section then cut 9 more out of the rest of the para cord. You want to end up with 5 10 ft sections of one color and 5 10 ft sections of the other color. Join the pieces together, alternating the colors so that you have a 100 ft of alternating colored 10 ft sections. I take it out to the park and use a tent take at either end to secure. Use these little lightweight "drills" rings as target. 

Takes about 15 mins to build and makes a quick and easy way to set up your distance makers for casting practice.


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## Barbless Bob (Apr 22, 2019)

DBStoots said:


> I stopped in Fort Myers on my way back from the Nature Coast for a casting "tune up" with Joe Mahler. (BTW: if anyone needs lessons, from beginning to experienced, I highly recommend Joe. He's a very nice guy and an excellent instructor). Anyway, I haven't been practicing like I should and that prompted me to order some hoops and cones.
> 
> View attachment 195649
> 
> ...


I'm so glad to see a reference to Joe Mahler here. I think his insights and drills would help just about every caster from beginner to advanced. They certainly have helped me. Joe's somewhat unorthodox casting style and instructional methods are based on making the process simple, fun, and physically easy to accomplish. Some of his exercises and drills such as his pick-up-and-lay-down and line-shooting exercises have been published in 2020-2021 issues of Fly Fisherman magazine with excellent illustrations. I've had the privilege of casting with him on many occasions and always come back with a much better understanding of how to perform specific skills (such as curve casts and quick casts at moving targets) with precision, accuracy, and consistency. Because he is a master illustrator, he has a brilliant way of breaking down the most crucial steps in the casting process, so they are understandable to beginners and advanced casters alike.


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## richarde206 (Sep 9, 2021)

numbskull said:


> Buy a tape measure and use it.
> Forcing yourself to master the skills required to comfortably make a straight 100’ cast (without wind assist) will pay huge dividends when fishing……..even when the fish is 30’ away.


So true. I can't tell you how many people I've met that say they can pop a 90-100' cast, and when the cast is measured it might be 75-80'. The tape laid out straight also provides a visual guide for the fly line, and it's fun to see what kind of distance a person can get and have it be tight to the tape and, ideally, as straight.


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## richarde206 (Sep 9, 2021)

WC53 said:


> I have a bazillion tree rats in my yard, when the acorns and pecans are falling, they make good targets  doesn’t even faze them.


Doesn't faze them? The tree rats or the acorns or pecans?


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## blpthree (Aug 19, 2021)

Out of curiosity, do you guys practice with a fly with the hook snipped off or just leader/tippet?


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## richarde206 (Sep 9, 2021)

blpthree said:


> Out of curiosity, do you guys practice with a fly with the hook snipped off or just leader/tippet?


For convenience I use yarn. Yep, I should probably use a snipped fly, but Mr. Frugal here can't bring himself to do it...


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## flyclimber (May 22, 2016)

blpthree said:


> Out of curiosity, do you guys practice with a fly with the hook snipped off or just leader/tippet?


Snipped hook with correct weight.


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

flyclimber said:


> Snipped hook with correct weight.


Yep, snipped hook. I practiced with yarn, but when you tie on a weighted fly, it changes somewhat. Practice what you fish.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Feelings

Most casters will look at their forward and back casts for flaws while practice casting. That's great when you're in the learning stages and are making the connections between cause and effect. But looking back changes your ergonomics, and taking your eye off of the target decreases accuracy. And the "looking" tends to dilute the "feel" of the cast, and that's why video is a great tool for learning..

So what I like to do when I first start practice casting is to cast without looking. No blindfolds or blinders. Just look down or away and focus on the "feel" of the casts with a "look" at the resulting presentation after stopping the rod on the final forward cast.


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## Buffalo Bob (Aug 28, 2019)

I certainly can agree w/ DB's Post re: Joe Mahler. I too have received helpful instruction from Joe. After a serious rotator cuff tear and successful surgery to repair the shoulder several years ago, I found I no longer could consistently control my injured arm. Plus, my upper arm from elbow to shoulder just flat-out hurt! Joe's method has helped me overcome this and while i am by no means an excellent fly caster, I am able to cast now w/ relative minor discomfort, I am finding consistency and getting better each time I am on the water or when practicing. On top of everything Joe is a great guy, easy going, and fun to be around. Highly recommend him for instruction and definitely to anyone who has suffered shoulder, arm, elbow, injury, etc.


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

richarde206 said:


> Doesn't faze them? The tree rats or the acorns or pecans?


Rats and pecans. The acorns on the other hand are little nuts


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Man all these measuring ways to measure a cast. I cast lay the rod down then walk it off. My step is a yard so it easy. I’m not in the habit of casting 100 ft. There always wind while fishing and if I can get it to the fish I don’t try to calculate the distance


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## Drifter (Dec 13, 2018)

If I had enough time to practice casting 9 out of 10 times I just go fishing. The only exception is getting ready for saltwater when Im in Montana.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

WC53 said:


> I have a bazillion tree rats in my yard, when the acorns and pecans are falling, they make good targets  doesn’t even faze them.


A feisty cat acts a lot like a fish, you can tease them to pounce then strip set them with any hookless fly. It’s entertaining, you get practice and the cat gets exercise.


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## Michael S (Feb 2, 2019)

Below is a link to a series of drills from basic to advanced. This comes from the Back Country Fly Fishers of Naples site. We have casting classes 2 -3 time's a month during season. We have a dozen FFI Certified Casting Instructors. The biggest issue for folks that work is our classes are on Friday mornings. Casting classes are free with club membership/ $60 per year. Joe Mahler and Dusty Sprague will be helping instruct at our 2/25 class.

Mike









Backcountry Fly Fishers, Inc. - Practice Drills


New page




www.flyfishingnaples.com


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

blpthree said:


> Out of curiosity, do you guys practice with a fly with the hook snipped off or just leader/tippet?


I use the foam strip indicators. They come in 4 or 5 packs, have a little neoprene ring to tie onto and they even resemble a fly. 
Foam Tip Toppers


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## blpthree (Aug 19, 2021)

jay.bush1434 said:


> I use the foam strip indicators. They come in 4 or 5 packs, have a little neoprene ring to tie onto and they even resemble a fly.
> Foam Tip Toppers


Nice, that's not a bad idea either!


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## CKEAT (Aug 26, 2015)

I find most of the time folks that struggle are not letting their back cast open up. Generally excitement causes that so watching can help at first but patients on the back cast is crucial. 

When out on the water, instead of standing waiting to see a fish, start picking out spots on the flats and cast to them, not just the ones in front of you, back casts will be needed a lot on front of a skiff. I mean casting to your 6. Also, keep feet close together, learning to use the tool more than body strength is huge. 

The drills are great but I would rather fish so use that time to drill more while out there. My 2 cents


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

blpthree said:


> Out of curiosity, do you guys practice with a fly with the hook snipped off or just leader/tippet?


One of the drawers in my tying desk is almost full of almost ran flys which are my go to flys for lawn casting. If I live long enough to run out of hooks, that's where I'll get some


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