'Making The First Cast' - Far Bank Fly Fishing School, Episode 4

The art of fly casting is anything but simple - especially if you don't understand the basics of the cast. That's why we're bringing you an episode that focuses on the core steps needed to learn how to deliver your fly where it needs to be.

One of the hardest things to learn and control as a new fly fisher is the basic fly cast. As a fly angler, you need to know more than one cast, and this video will teach you the essential iterations to make your first cast today a success.

This episode dives into the main cast, the "Overhead Cast," that all aspiring fly anglers must know. You will learn the Pick-Up and Lay Down, False Casting, and Shooting Line to enable you to hit the water with confidence. In addition, we'll cover how a fly cast works so you can recognize common mistakes, making them easy to correct. Thanks to exceptional footage of casting in Far Bank's revolutionary "Loop Lab" along with clear, concise instructions from one of the leading fly instructors in the world—there's no denying this episode is the perfect place to start.

At the end of this episode, you will have learned the difference between fly casting and spin casting, as well as proper hand and body positioning. You will learn the concept of a casting stroke and how to make smooth, confident casts with ease, learn what a "loop" is, control it, and develop the correct timing to make casting effortless. In addition, you will be able to make the simple overhead cast in its various forms, be able to false cast, shoot a longer line, and change direction, and be left with some simple exercises that will help you speed up the learning process.

#flyfishing #learntoflyfish #howtoflyfish

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
00:30 CH1 - Safety Considerations
03:30 CH2 - Casting A Fly Rod vs A Spinning Rod
04:49 CH3 - Grip & Stance
07:56 CH4 - Safety Tip
09:16 CH5 - What Is A Casting Stroke?
11:45 CH6 - Casting Loops
14:38 CH7 - Casting Timing
18:02 CH8 - The Overhead Cast Step 1
20:18 CH9 - The Overhead Cast - Step 2
24:05 CH10 - The Overhead Cast - Step 3
27:00 CH11 - The Overhead Cast - Step 4
29:50 CH12 - The Overhead Cast - Step 5
31:59 CH13 - Casting Indoors

[carlportegys]

I don’t know how many “how to cast” videos I’ve seen but this is by far the best. Thank you.

[God_family_Fishing]

Was nervous about going into fly fishing but these breakdown videos are starting to give me the confidence to get some flys wet.

[neilmushrow]

Love how it breaks everything down to the small details, there is no presumption that you know anything. I have been casting a year and if I had found this when I started out I would be so much better off. I Watch this over and over and it irons out my glitches. Great video. I am not paid to leave to feedback.

[joeyshatley]

He has tons of videos on YouTube.The Rio how to videos are worth a watch.I’ve watched most of them a dozen times.

[roberthunt]

Excellent instruction… makes it easy and fluid to understand

[simonw]

This guy is great best casting video I've seen by far. Thanks fellow Simon

[Choptraverse]

Nice to hear someone explain the reason for a tight loop. Nice work

[alexdelgadillo]

This is by far the best intro to fly fishing video I’ve watched everything is explained well and you don’t need to go back to the video to see exactly what he said to do I didn’t learn how to cast excess line till I watched this video

[roccorizzo]

Excellent video, probably best I’ve watched to date. Very much enjoy watching Simons videos as they are very informative and always learning something new. Simon is a great instructor.

[specimenfishinguk]

I've been fishing a long time but fly fishing is brand new to me so I've been watching a load of video's. This is, without doubt, the best one I've seen on fly casting.

[wschield]

I grabbed my first fly rod 5 months ago. I wish I could have found this video back then. So much valuable information in one spot. Clear, concise and easy to understand. Thanks for posting.

[Dan-unjy]

I wish I had found these Far Bank videos sooner.

I've been fly fishing for 55 years. I've been asked at least a thousand times for casting tips from beginners. Since the inception of the video 'how to' internet I've been looking for a video reference I could refer those inquiries to. A link that I know would impart the intricacies of casting without boring them to death or scaring them away with complexities. I finally found one! Simon, you are an asset to the sport ... and .... my new reference point for anyone who wishes to learn or improve. Great job!

[runjosh]

10:19 ... nice...

hey i really like the tip about practicing without the fly on. I discovered this by accident because of the whip snapping a fly off once while I was still novice (well I still am novice). I had no flies left and realised I wasn't getting caught on branches and casting felt great without the snag frustrations so I just kept casting for fun. man I learnt so much in 5 minutes from going nuts not having to worry about getting stuck in the trees or hooking myself in the back and finally managed to get line shooting out. Ever since then I have been able to shoot line easily with flies on the end. It all came down to casting without a fly.

The one thing I've been searching for since January when I started fly fishing is that no video seems to cover is getting the fly in the water initially. I struggled even today with a 3 weight. I pull the line out from the tip (sometimes it slides back down annoying) then try to throw the fly into the water. It usually blows back to me or goes into a bush and gets tangled while scaring every fish away in the process. Getting the line in the water initially seems to be the hardest thing for me funnily enough. Once I get the line in then it is water loaded and surface tension holds it down so I can easily recast but it is such a process just to get that weightless fly in the water at the start.

[RobertPetrovic-mm]

Greetings from Berlin, the capital of Germany!

I must comment on the video as it truly blew my mind away! I've attended fly fishing casting courses in Germany several times, then in Denmark, Ireland, and Scotland, all in combination with casting courses and a fly fishing guide + fishing. I nearly gave up on fly fishing because I couldn't grasp it—I thought I was just too stupid! However, after watching your video, I've improved my casting skills from 30% to now 80%! This is absolutely incredible! You explained it so well! Thank you for the video and the other videos! It's amazing what you do—thank you in the name of all the fly fishing enthusiasts in the world.

If your travels ever bring you to Berlin, I would be delighted to treat you to dinner.

Best regards,
Robert

[johnaustin]

Excellent presentation and I have been flyfishing for years, thank you.

[Donny_Juanny]

I cannot begin to thank you enough for this thorough and well thought out video.

[rossmcnaughton]

Simon's videos are the best, this Far Bank channel is amazing, thank you!

[psimhan]

This is the most informative video I have seen on YouTube so far. You've explained fly casting perfectly.

[brianspage.]

Thank you for the lessons.
The best lessons I have seen on YouTube. I look forward to more.

[Abutado]

This is a master class. Thank you so much. I gave up on learning to fly fish but I think I'll try again. In fact, your video makes me excited to try again.