# What am I doing wrong



## flyclimber (May 22, 2016)

Is the line dragging in the water? How tall are the platforms? Maybe practice with more wind in the yard? Also are you practicing with a fly that you would be fishing? (I break the hook point off a fly I know I will be practicing with) Are your leaders different between the two?


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## PeteS (Dec 30, 2016)

I take my casting platform off when I know I will be trying to not look like an idiot
Everything I practice with is the same on the boat with the exception I use a fly were I have removed the the hook point to practice with


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## Hank (Jan 14, 2019)

The pull off the water is like starting a lawnmower. Take up all the slack, feel that slack come out and then accelerate your pull. To start, get the line out in front, rod tip on the water, strip in any slack, then puuulllllllll the line off the water and behind you. Just like you meant for the line to lay out behind you just as it was in front. When you get this right you can feel the different parts of the line, leader and fly escaping the tension of the water. And all in that short distance you’ve pulled them through. Then finally feel them become air born.


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## flyclimber (May 22, 2016)

Do you use sunscreen without scrubbing your hands off with sand or really dry clean towel?

Do you have Linetacks or a stripping mat? The can get dirty and may need to be cleaned.


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Off the top I am going to say your form is falling apart on the water vs when you practice and it is not equipment related.


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## sotilloa1078 (Mar 27, 2014)

Lots of people do really well on the lawn and not so well on the water. When you’re on the boat and you add a target, the nerves start flowing and mechanics usually go to hell for beginners. Try to relax, take a deep breath and let it fly. 

funny story. Years ago I had a client on my skiff. When there wasn’t any Tarpon around, the guy could sling the fly beautifully. String shows up, he could barely get it out of the boat. I made him take and deep audible breath and shake his hands off EVERYTIME before he threw at any more groups for the rest of the day. After that he went on to feed 9 fish on the ocean catching two. It’s all about being in the right frame of mind and relaxed.


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## not2shabby (Sep 14, 2016)

I've been fly fishing for 25 years and sometimes I still turn into a five-year-old pretending to sword fight when I see a fish. 

Take deep breaths. Focus on form, not the fish. 

When you're looking for fish, but not seeing them, choose a target (grass, pothole, point, etc.) and practice a routine kind of like a MLB pitcher before delivering a pitch. @sotilloa1078 is exactly right. Breathe. Stand up straight. Relax your shoulders. Raise your rod and shoot. Get your nerves settled and find a routine that works for you. Practice that routine in your yard, too.

It's a lot easier said than done, but it will help!


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## Sethsawyer (Apr 5, 2019)

Nerves, line management on a smallish boat deck, and wind are the biggest differences. 

Practice somewhere you will get wind in your face and especially blowing into your dominant arm. I can cast a whole fly line easy with a nice big wind behind me change that to a moderate wind in the face and 30ft casts can be tough. Keeping from hooking yourself with stiff wind into your casting arm takes practice. (Backcast practice)
Keeping the line in the boat takes practice as well. Keep your deck clean and free from obstructions and practice throwing line behind you like you would to have it fall behind you and into the cockpit.


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## Outearly (Oct 20, 2015)

Sounds pretty normal to me. The more you fish and practice, the better things will work out.

one major difference - for me- between lawn practice and fishing is wind- both velocity and direction. I know I only recently started practicing with higher winds and turning so the wind is on the “wrong” side (Right to left- I’m a righty).

Finally- and it’s easier to do on a fresh water trout stream- sit on the bank and watch a few people cast. Most are flailing, occasionally you’ll see a beautiful cast.

if you’re practicing, I’ll bet you a beer you’re at least average.


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## scissorhands (Apr 8, 2012)

Almost every beginner will experience that, Keep calm and make the same easy cast you practice.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

I'm like you. As 'Zo and others suggested, I think it's just a bad case of "buck fever" for me!


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## PeteS (Dec 30, 2016)

Thanks for all of your input guys I'll just keep practicing and have a little more patience on the water. 
At least I have not put a hook in the back of my head touch wood


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## AZ_squid (Mar 14, 2018)

A well timed double haul can make a huge difference getting your line speed going in the wind. Keep at it and it'll all come together. If you have a buddy out with you have him video you and see if watching it afterwards you can pick up on what's going qrong. Nothing beats time on the water though. I'm going through the same thing with my girlfriend right now, she's slowly getting better but it's not gonna happen overnight. Best thing I can say is don't get frustrated and keep at it.


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

I'd recommend next time your on the water to start with an easy cast with just the head of the line out the rod (30 feet).

Don't drop the rod tip past the 10 o'clock position on the forward part of the cast until you want the the fly to land in the water (so if it's a false cast, keep the tip up) and your back cast position should be around the 2 o'clock position.

If your right handed you can "open your stance" a little to the right so you can see that the back cast straightens out before you start the forward cast.

On the forward cast when you want the fly to land in the water you need to keep the tip up until all the line (including the leader) is moving forward. Pause when the forward cast reaches the *2 * 10 o'clock position, let the rod straighten out .
Dropping the tip to soon buggers your cast... 

Not doing good at 30, try 20, good to go at 30, try 40 etc...
Once you manage the basic cast, then always pick where you want your fly to land even when your blind casting.

Good luck.

Just read my post and noticed that my inability to tell time when ever fishing is involved has followed me while typing about it too 
(edited the "forward cast reaches the *2 * to > 10 o'clock position"


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## Sabalo (Sep 6, 2019)

All good advice and mro is spot on. If I had to guess, when you are on the water and see a fish, in your excitement, you end up altering the timing on the cast and are most likely beginning your forward cast before your backcast has had time to straighten out thereby losing your line speed and the cast collapses. Concentrate on your timing with backcast and I wager you will cast much better. 

One other thing, try not to false cast too much. If you get the rod loaded well on a backcast, shoot it to the fish. Lots of people try to false cast too much and their mechanics break down and lose an opportunity whereas if they had shot the line early one they had a good shot at the fish. Not one does minimizing false casting help you but it also minimizes a fish from seeing the line and spooking thus helping you catch more fish Just my $.02. 

Keep practicing and good luck


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## 7WT (Feb 12, 2016)

Wow there are some great replies and good stuff in all of them. And well worth reading and working into your casting. At the end of the day like you say just keep doing it. It will come, you will figure it out. After 30 years of fly fishing I listen carefully to guide friends I fish with asking them to critique my casting and make suggestions. I'm still improving. Oh and I still occasionally hit the back of my head with a fly. It hurts!


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

Mark your line at 30 and 60 feet with 6” of solid black from sharpie. I just tried this after reading in some online article (which I thought was BS), and it seemed to help in a few areas. First, how the hell much line do I have out. Second, how the hell much line can I lift/carry/cast. Now mind y’all, I’ve been wading much more since the ‘Rona showed up during a super high-water, windy Spring, but having reference has helped me on the technical side of making (long) casts to fish up on shallow white sand. This should equate from the bow with some adjustment. One thing when wading is I don’t get those sneaker 20’ shots which are not gimmes from the boat...a 30’ mark won’t help you there. 

I read each one of the comments above and they all have good stuff to say. The biggest thing for me is wind and how to cast when it is up. My session this afternoon was pretty much a bust with dead water and wind except that I worked on keying the amount of line out with shooting at targets at varying angles to the wind. I missed a bunch, but those little marks helped me to not try and pick up too much line for a follow up that was going to crash a burn. 

Work on hitting targets with your back cast.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

-Get someone to video your cast, on the grass and on the boat. You can figure out a lot of your casting problems if you just see them.
-Get casting lessons. Look up certified casting instructors in your area or even better, hire a guide for some on the water real time lessons. Tell them you want to work on your cast primarily and that fish are secondary
-Practice your lawn casting with a heavy and bushy fly. The heavy lead eyes will help you feel your line through the rod a little easier then you can work on your timing. The bushy fly will help simulate casting in windy conditions.
-While a well timed double haul can make a huge difference in line speed and your ability to punch into the wind, if you don't have the basic mechanics of your cast down, a bad cast with a haul will just be a faster bad cast. It is easy to use hauling as a crutch to make up for poor line speed. 
-Practice casting to an actual target if you can. Accuracy is way more important than distance. There's an old saying in fly fishing the flats that most fish are caught within 40-50'. That's because most people can't accurately cast further than that.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

jay.bush1434 said:


> -Get someone to video your cast, on the grass and on the boat. You can figure out a lot of your casting problems if you just see them.
> -Get casting lessons. Look up certified casting instructors in your area or even better, hire a guide for some on the water real time lessons. Tell them you want to work on your cast primarily and that fish are secondary
> -Practice your lawn casting with a heavy and bushy fly. The heavy lead eyes will help you feel your line through the rod a little easier then you can work on your timing. The bushy fly will help simulate casting in windy conditions.
> -While a well timed double haul can make a huge difference in line speed and your ability to punch into the wind, if you don't have the basic mechanics of your cast down, a bad cast with a haul will just be a faster bad cast. It is easy to use hauling as a crutch to make up for poor line speed.
> -Practice casting to an actual target if you can. Accuracy is way more important than distance. There's an old saying in fly fishing the flats that most fish are caught within 40-50'. That's because most people can't accurately cast further than that.


Accuracy is one reason most fish are caught close, but the main reason is you can not see the fish more than fifty or sixty feet away unless the water is crystal clear, relatively calm, and the bottom is light color or sand.

When it comes to your cast breaking down when a fish pops up, try to pretend you don't care if the cast is good. 

In wind, some flies cast much better and a short 6ft leader turns over more often if your timing is off. 
Make sure your fly line matches the rod. In Texas wind, SA Grand Slam taper with modern fast action rods is one of the best lines in wind. The new SA Infinity will land a little softer but a cross wind can blow it off track.


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

You allow yourself to hope, therefore, you are rushing when you need to be smooth and lagging when you need to be quick.

There is no hope; there are no fish. Let it go. Embrace the futility of the endeavor to achieve enlightenment. Catching fish is for troglodytes; you are an artist and are above such earthly distractions. Catching a measly fish will only interrupt your dance with the wind and line.

Seriously dude, I have no freaking clue. Just know you aren’t alone.

Nate


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Big open loop, no distance, and spaghetti line on the water make me think too much wrist in your casting stroke


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## formerWAflyfisher (Sep 5, 2008)

Everyone has given you great advice. You can always try a lesson with a casting instructor or guide. But mostly just fish more......


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

*lol* Welcome to the Dark Side...

Some days my casting is on, some days my casting is off...way f'ng off...but I don't know until I am out there and those first few shots knock the nerves and rust off. Usually when its bad, it means I am distracted and lack focus. Work and/or Covid bullshit has monkeyed around with my focus the last few times out.

I try to slow down when I see a fish so that I can see which way he's pointing or which direction he's moving. Probably because I like to cast to a spot in the fish's path instead of at the fish itself. I'm sure that has cost me shots...because sometimes you have to be aggressive and just get the fly on the fish quickly, like in a tailing or rolling situation.

But then...maybe sometimes its better to watch that fish and let him settle down for a shot instead of charge at him?

Hell, I don't know. 

What I do know is that you need to be able to do the following:

1) See a fish and reach him with a max of two false casts out to 60-70' on the initial shot.
2) Use a water haul to pick up an errant cast and resend your fly to the right zone with one back cast and a delivery stroke.
3) At least fake a decent back cast out to 30-40'...(mine is terrible and tragic)...

Good luck!


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## Hank (Jan 14, 2019)

A decent casting instructor can probably sort this out in about 30 minutes.

I personally have never thrown a bad line.

Y'all figure out which is the truth.


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

PeteS said:


> Probably a hard question to answer on a forum but I am obviously doing something wrong. I am new to fly fishing but there is a noticeable difference between my practicing and and actual fishing.
> Back yard practicing I'm Lefty Kreh, consistent 60 foot casts nice loops fly line glides through my fingers
> On the water I'm an IDIOT, no distance, loops look like a bowl of spaghetti cant get the line to glide through my fingers when its wet
> Any help is appreciated
> ...


Pete, When fishing, you have the element of time pressure to contend with. Spotting a fish at 100-150’ doing a slow cruise in crystal clear water, with the most favorable wind angle, thus plenty time to work out some line without excessive false casting (to build confidence as to angle and distance, mostly) penalizing you by spooking the fish, happens only occasionally. Often you must overcome the time limitations by casting more aggressively/forcefully, and Right Now. If you don’t have this arrow in your quiver , and attempt it under stress, it gets ugly. Guys with excellent vision or visual interpretation gain time. Guys who practice Quick Shots at the proper lead to a target from 60’ in, against the clock would predictably catch more fish. It is easier to perform the calculus with fewer variables, thus wading is easier than fishing out of a moving skiff concerning accuracy, time, and possible number of shots before fish spook. The shots are typically shorter so hero casts, which we love, are seldom needed. Wind is your Friend, so befriend it. Practice at all wind angles. The probability you have a backcast shot is 50%, and many opportunities are blown waiting for a guide to turn the boat to give the green-ass a forehand cast. Don’t be the green-ass ! Spend a lot of time on practicing your back cast presentation. Finally, be bold on the shot. Focus on the spot you want to hit, and let the bastard fly ! The indecision, the “just one more false-cast” has lost innumerable fish. A perfect cast is sweet, but do Not pussy out on a sorry one. The fish may turn. Work the bait ! Until it’s hopeless, then cast again. Once your mechanics are honed, you no longer think about it. Poof, the buck fever is gone. You are excited, but a Predator. Seymour


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