42 Irishangler

Fly CasterAndrew Ryan starts this newseries by describing how toperform the overhead cast.

Game Fishing

Rod Choice And Line RatingsFor beginners, the range of fly rods on

the market can be very confusing. When choosinga rod, remember that you must opt for the correctlength for the type of fishing you are doing. Forriver fishing an 8ft to 9ft rod is best. For loughfishing I would suggest a 10ft rod.

Only a line of the correct weight will load (flex)any particular rod. A line that is too light willhardly bend the rod when you try casting, and onethat is too heavy will overload the rod and make itdifficult to cast. Generally, the larger the fly youwill be fishing, the higher the line rating you willneed. For example, when river fishing, the best linerating is a 5-wt or 6-wt but for lough fishing a 6-wtto 8-wt is more suitable.

Rod ActionCommonly, there are four types of fly-rod actions in use today. These are:

through-action blanks, medium-action blanks,medium to tip-action blanks and tip-action blanks(also called fast blanks).

The through-action rod is more suited toexperienced anglers as they are difficult to cast.They are also known as slow-action rods due tothe slow recovery speed of the blank (recoveryspeed is how quickly a rod regains its originalstraight shape after casting).

Through-action rods are usually built fromolder technologies, such as split cane andfibreglass, though you can obtain carbon versions.These rods flex from the tip to the butt.

Medium-action rods are easier to cast, but are

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Rod Actions

still more suited to accomplished casters. There ismuch more ‘feel’ when fighting a fish and theycast more delicately than stiffer rods.

Medium to tip-action rods are ideally suited tobeginners. They are stiff enough to hold a goodlength of fly line in the air and yet are not toostiff for beginners to cast. The flex occurs fromabout a third of the way up the rod. Plus they areeasier to play fish on.

Finally, tip-action rods are designed forexperienced anglers who want to cast longdistances. These rods are stiff up to the very tip.They are often called ‘fast’ rods due to the taperof the blank. This taper gives a fast recoveryspeed of the blank and allows high line speeds tobe achieved; enhancing the distance good casterscan reach.

Through or slowaction with a fullflex.

Medium action,mid-flex.

Mid to tip action. Tip or fastaction.

Rod SectionsBeginners should also consider howmany sections they should have to

their rods. Modern fly rods have from two to eight sections.

I would suggest that you buy one with at least threesections, as they are easier to transport and can bestowed, hidden from view, in the boot of yourvehicle. Rods with more than three sections areideally suited to those who wish to travel abroad. Ifish a lot with a six-piece rod and have found it tobe equally as good as two or three-piece rods. It’sup to you which you use, really.

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Fact File

Andrew Ryan runs winter courses in Dublin and Cork.In summer he instructs at Clonanav Fly Fishing Lodge,which is located in the Nire Valley just outsideBallymacarbry in Co Waterford.

You can call him on 00 353 (0) 52 36141 or 00 353(0) 87 2680213. His e-mail address isandrew@flyfishingireland.com . He also has a website,www.flyfishingireland.com .

The basicoverhead castisn’t that difficultto master.

This is thecorrect way to

grip your rodwhen casting.

This is thecorrect way to

grip your rodwhen casting.

Paint the partof your linewhere the

shootingsection ends.

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44 Irishangler

Game Fishing

Fly LinesWhen choosing a line, there are a fewsimple things to look out for. Most

obviously, the line weight must match that of thefly rod. Therefore, if your rod is a 9ft blank that’srated for a 6-wt line, then use a 6-wt line with it. Ifthe rod has a range of line ratings, from 5-wt to 7-wt, you will be able to use a 5-wt, a 6-wt or a 7-wt.

Line TapersThese days there are two tapers of flyline that are popular: the weight

forward (WF) and double taper (DT). Forbeginners I suggest using a weight-forward line.Double tapers have their uses but they are notrecommended for beginners. Many anglers whouse them tend to false cast (casting the linebackwards and forwards in the air), much morethan is necessary or desirable.

There are now many WF lines on the marketsuitable for beginners. They have a shorter headlength, which means that the angler will need toaerialise less line to shoot to greater distances. Ilike to mark my fly line at the end of the headusing a permanent marker . This makes it easier toknow how much line I am casting with.

Reels And LeadersFly reels will not affect the way youcast. Just get a lightweight, good-

quality, large-arbor aluminium reel with a gooddrag.

When it comes to leaders, I would suggestpurchasing a 9ft tapered leader. Level leaders(untapered) do not turn over at the end of the castso easily. Making a tapered leader is an easy affair;just connect three 3ft lengths of 12lb, 8lb and 6lbnylon, tying your fly to the 6lb cast.

CastingThere are two main styles of casting:overhead and roll. Overhead casting

involves two stages, the back cast and the forwardcast. The line has to be lifted from the water,projected into the air behind the angler, thenprojected forward and laid out on the water. Theoverhead cast is the most commonly used fly cast.It is the one I like to teach first, so that an anglercan get used to the feel and action of the rod. It isan easy cast to learn and is divided into two parts,

the back cast and the forward cast. You will seefrom the sequence of diagrams how this castshould be performed.

Before you start casting, set up your equipment.Connect a 9ft leader to the fly line and tie on ashort length of brightly coloured wool as a ‘fly’.This will stop the fly line from making a crackingnoise, like a whip, as you cast. If you are a novice,don’t start with a real fly as it is very dangerous.You MUST wear polarised sunglasses whilecasting, as these will protect your eyes.

Mark your fly line at 40 feet (or at the end of thefly-line head). Begin your casting on grass and,holding the rod in your hand, strip line from thereel until you have the marker just outside the reel.Lay the rod down on the ground and pull the lineout from the tip of the rod until the full length ofline is laid out straight on the ground. You are nowready to begin your cast.

Grip And StanceHold the rod with a semi-tight grip,thumb on top, with the line between

your index finger and the cork handle of the rod.This will give a tight grip on the line. Do notcomplicate issues by holding the line in your lefthand.

A comfortable, relaxed stance is essential. Putyour right foot forward if you are casting withyour right arm, or left foot forward if you areusing your left arm. Your foot must be onlyslightly forward; or you will tend to move yourback too much.

Casting is done with your forearm. It is notnecessary to involve your back or shoulders in theexecution of the cast. Too much wrist movement,called ‘breaking the wrist’, will give the anglervery little control over the rod. Keep the wriststiff while casting as the casting is done with theforearm and not with a ‘flick of the wrist’, as isoften believed.

As can be seen in the diagrams, the cast can bedivided into five different stages. These are: thelift; the back flick; the pause; the forward flick;the laying down of the line.

I have explained in the diagrams the positionand movement of your rod and where your armshould be during each of these stages. I have usedthe hours on a clock face to describe where yourrod tip should be at certain points during the cast.

Step-By-Step Guide To Th

Line Tapers

Here, we have diagrams that show what a weight-forward line and a double-taper line look like.

STEP One – RodLow To WaterBegin with the rod closeto the water and with theline straight. Your elbowshould be bent and youshould not be reachingforward.

STEP Two – LiftTo 11 O’clockLift the rod tip to 11o’clock – start slowly andaccelerate to 11 o’clock.

STEP Three –The Back FlickAt 11 o’clock ‘flick’ therod tip back to 1 o’clock,to project the line intothe air behind you. Therod bends at this point,powering the line.

STEP Four – ThePauseAt 1 o’clock make asudden stop, allowingthe line to straighten outbehind you. The line stillhas a looped shape.Pause until the linestraightens.

STEP Five – TheLine StraightensWhen the line has fullystraightened with the rodtip still at the 1 o’clockposition, begin theforward cast.

STEP Six – TheForward HitNow flick the rod tipforward to the 10 o’clockposition, stoppingbriskly. Note the narrowloop shape your lineshould be forming.

STEP Seven –Laying DownAfter you have flicked theline forward, lower therod tip down to 9 o’clock. This lays theline softly onto the water.

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Mainstream Double-Taper Floating Fly LineMainstream Weight-Forward Floating Fly Line

Running Line BodyBackTaper

FrontTaper Tip Tip Upper UpperBody Tip

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To The Overhead Cast

Insufficient Pause OnThe Back CastThis requires a little patience to cure.

Watch the line straighten out on the back cast. Youwill then be able to see when it is time to flick theline forward. It is essential that the forward flick isa downward stroke and not outward. If you aredisplaying your armpits, then you are not castingcorrectly. Anyway, I hope that these tips willimprove your casting. See you next month!

10Breaking The WristI use a camcorder to record faults andplay them back. Breaking the wrist is

one of the more common faults and can lead toproblems, such as the line hitting the groundbehind you. There are three different ways tocorrect the problem. One is to tuck the rod butt intoyour sleeve, another is to use a wrist support.Thirdly, you can position the rod in your hand sothat the reel lies flat instead of straight down.

9It is essentialthat theforward flickis adownwardstroke andnot outward.

STEP One STEP Two STEP Three

STEP Four

STEP Five

STEP Six STEP Seven

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