Previous articles have focused on the development of skills necessary and leading up to a strong false cast. False casting, making the well controlled parallel loops seen in the air, represents classic fly casting. The quality of those loops is the benchmark of good fly casting. In the future, as you develop a repertoire of line mending techniques and fly presentation methods, nearly every cast you make will require that you use a false cast or two to prepare.

False casting is the act of moving the rod from one casting angle to another, stopping the rod at each angle to form a loop and to carry the fly.

To define the stopping points of the rod, we will refer to the clock. Although it is helpful to establish points of reference, the problem with the clock metaphor is that some have drawn an arc from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock so that in a diagram it looks as though the rod travels in a curved path. In reality, there is no clock face or pivot point but only points of reference at which you stop the rod in relationship to the flat ground or water. You are not casting an arc, but to an angle. Your rod tip must travel in a straight path. Your rod must travel in a straight plane. Your hand should move up and down along a diagonal straight line approximately forty-five degrees to the ground.

We use a variety of angles depending on distance. The degree of angle to the ground gets closer to parallel as the cast lengthens. For a longer cast, we use a longer stroke and for a shorter cast, we use a shorter stroke. Distance casting requires reversing the whole process so that the back cast is low and the forward cast is high. Distance casting will be covered in a future article.

To practice the false cast. Let out twenty-five to thirty feet of fly line. Make a roll cast to straighten the line out. Put the index finger on the right side of the rod handle, (for right handers) so that the finger is parallel to the rod handle. This is only an exercise. Placing your finger on the side will help prevent you from breaking the wrist on the back cast.

Avoid putting your thumb on top as this may cause you to break the wrist on the back cast.

Placing the thumb on top may also lead to the undesirable curving of the plane and or path of the rod when you move on to distance casting. You will return your finger to it’s superior free wrist or key grip position later.

In this practice, the rod becomes an extension of your finger. Immediately and smoothly accelerate the line off the water into a back cast. Stop the rod so that your finger is pointing at about 2 o’clock. The hand should be at about eye level and you should be able to see your hand in your peripheral vision. Allow the line to turn over almost completely, then accelerate forward to a good positive stop. Your finger should be pointing at about 10 o’clock.

At the forward stop, your forearm should be almost parallel to the ground or water. Your hand should have moved in a straight line downward and forward along that forty-five degree angle line. There should have been no arc in your hand, elbow or shoulder movement. It’s more of a lift to a stop and drop to a stop.

The only way to do this properly is to allow the wrist, elbow and shoulder to move freely and follow that forty-five degree angle. (This is something that you may not find in any books or videos) If you are not following that angle, your casting stroke will suffer.

Utilizing this casting stroke will help you avoid joint fatigue and gain better control of your casting. Top casters who use this method seem to have fewer problems with casting injuries such as tennis elbow, rotator cuff problems and tendinitis. And, they can fish longer.

After the forward stop, allow the loop to unroll and the fly to turn over almost completely, then accelerate up the forty-five degree angle and stop the hand at about eye level, stopping the back cast at 2 o’clock. You want to lift to the back cast and drop to the forward cast stops. You will also need to be aware that the tip of the rod must move first. You will be pulling the tip forward and downward through the forward casting stroke. You will be pulling the tip up on the back cast. This will allow the rod to load and bend as it maintains the straight line path of the rod tip.

Remembering that it is impossible to have a completely objective view of your own loops, observe your loops on the forward cast only. The top and bottom of the loop should be close to parallel to each other and to the water. Have a buddy observe your loops on the back cast. Looking at your own loops in the back cast is sure to distort your form. Your loops on the back cast should also be parallel. It’s fine to have the loops slightly up in the back cast and slightly lower in the forward cast. But certainly, they should not be low enough to hit the water. The best way to observe this is with video.

Tempo and timing should be approximately the same for the forward and back cast. Repeat this false casting exercise about ten times so that you will begin to ingrain muscle memory. Then, lay the fly on the water. Shake out your hand to avoid hand fatigue. Roll cast to straighten the line and begin again.

Avoid the ‘push pull’ method because it doesn’t load the rod efficiently and often leads to tailing loops. Avoid the ‘pulling of a light chain’ method because it reduces the ability to accelerate forward smoothly and restricts the use of the elbow and wrist. Also, avoid the book under the elbow method as it restricts the use of the shoulder. You want to use all three joints in a controlled natural manner. None of the joints should be locked. You’ll need them all to make the cast.

The Many uses of the False cast:
To Lengthen Line - From thirty feet to forty feet: Roll cast out to straighten the line. Lift the line to begin a back cast. As you move the rod through the back cast stroke, strip about two and one half feet of line off the reel with the line hand. Stop the rod in the back cast, holding that slack line taught with the line hand. After the loop unrolls behind you, start the forward stroke and let the two and one half feet of line slide through the guides when you stop your forward cast. Your loop will need to be powerful enough to pull the slack line through the guides. It may take four casts to gain ten feet in distance. To add more distance, continue stripping line off the reel in the back cast and shooting it on the forward cast. You should be able to let a little line out each time you make a forward stop.

To shorten line - From forty to thirty feet: With the line laying in the water, reach up to the first stripping guide with the thumb and forefinger of the line hand and grasp the fly line. Pull the line to the middle finger of the casting hand and hook the line over that finger. You will have created a loop about one and one half feet long between the middle finger of the casting hand and the reel.

Now, lift the rod into a back cast and using your line hand, strip in about two and one half feet of line as you load the rod and move into the back cast stop position. You will be dragging line over your finger. Be careful not to burn your finger with line friction. Stop at about 2 o’clock. Both hands will stop moving at the stop point.

ock the line under your casting hand and let the line unroll behind you. Let go with your line hand and accelerate forward with your rod hand. Then, grasp the line behind your casting hand and repeat the above process of stripping line on the back cast until you achieve the desired length of line.

As you stroke forward, stopping the rod at 10 o’clock, since the line is now shorter, your timing and tempo will have to change.

The distance the rod tip travels will shorten. If you don’t decrease the speed and the distance that the tip travels, you will be using too much movement and energy. You only need enough energy and acceleration to turn the fly over. If you use too much force, you will get a snapping or popping sound from your fly. Also, be careful not to rush the forward and back cast or you may pop your fly off.

As you lengthen and shorten the line you will be constantly adjusting the power, timing and tempo of your casting stroke. For a long cast, you use long strokes and more power. For a short cast, you use shorter strokes and less power. For this short line you may not need to stop the rod at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock. You may find that you will stop at 10:30 and 1:30. For the longer cast you may need to stop at 9:30 and 2:30. It will all vary.

You lengthen line on the forward stroke and shorten line on the back cast. Be sure to repeat the practice of lengthening and shortening line with the false cast. This will help you develop line handling skills that will be invaluable when it’s time to learn to single, double and yes, even triple haul.

To Dry the fly - False cast three or four times to dry your fly before returning it to the water. Be sure not to false cast over a fish as it will see movement and head for cover.

To Change Direction - False casting is used when you want to cast in a new direction. In order to make a ninety degree change in direction you will need to make at least three false casts of approximately thirty degrees each. First, make the back cast. Turn your body thirty degrees. Make your forward false cast. Make another back cast and turn another thirty degrees. Make another forward false cast. Make your back cast, turn the final thirty degrees, make the cast, stop the rod and present the fly. If you try to accomplish a ninety degree change of direction in one cast you may find yourself wearing a size 20 Blue Winged Olive earring. Or even worse, a 2/0 Whistler.

To set up for a mend - The false cast will help you get your loops and timing under control so that you will be ready and have the energy in the line necessary for the mend.

To set up for a fly presentation, wet or dry - False casting will help get the line and loop under control which is essential for a good presentation of the fly.

To get the timing and tempo right to cast distance or throw a shooting head- False casting will allow you to feel the load of the rod so you will know when it’s time to shoot that long distance cast.

To measure distance to a fish or a target - When fishing, measure your distance off to the side lengthening or shortening line as needed. When you have it right, turn, (no more than thirty degrees) cast and present the fly. When casting to a target, you can measure directly over the target.

Be sure to review previous articles regarding grip, stance, path and plane of the rod, etc. The information in each article applies to the next and is intended to be cumulative. Next month we’ll shoot a little line and add the haul.

As always, I will be happy to answer any questions regarding false casting or other fly casting techniques at the GGACC casting ponds or at email.

Tight Loops!
Floyd Dean