Over the years I have really enjoyed working with newbies on the fundamentals of casting. It's always amazing to witness the magical moment when a beginning angler goes from waving the rod around to actually feeling it load. It almost always occurs when by chance, the one cast out of their first 10 or 20 or 50 fires out the rod tip in a narrow loop and settles on the water in a straight line.

"Whoa, that one felt good!", they say. "Did you feel the road load that time?", I'll reply. "Yeah! That was amazing". "That's what we're looking for." It's the realization that they are in fact casting the fly line, not the fly, and the goal is to make the rod bend.

So, I finally decided to get certified as a casting instructor with the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF). My little plaque, patch, and badge arrived in the mail several weeks ago, and I felt like I had just won first prize at the school science fair!

Does this certification mean you are a bad ass caster, capable of launching it over the back curtain at the Fly Fishing Show, with your off hand while balancing a tomato on your forehead and using a 2wt?

No. In fact, I think like most anglers who have been fishing a while the casting portion of the test is a relative no brainer. It's the teaching exam and philosophy that will get you. It's being tested on the concise language, the ease of communicating, and the ability of teaching complex casting theories in a simple presentation. That's where the good stuff is at, and that's where it gets tricky. The certification helps instructors participating in the program to get on the same page. It's about trying to bring some consistency to the myriads of people bringing new fly fishers into the world.

The FFF is dedicated to bettering the sport through conservation, education, and restoration. I've found the members I've met to be fiercely passionate about the sport, and nurturing new anglers who want to participate. Two qualities I strive to emulate myself. I encourage everyone to learn more about the FFF and their goals. Becoming a member is easy and inexpensive.

The Federation of Fly Fishers

You'll hear it thousand times over from pros and guides, and I've fallen victim to it myself. "My clients just couldn't cast today! We could of absolutely hammered fish if we could get a cast on them."

It's often more important than your flies, your gear, your lunch, or your lucky fishing hat. If you spend half as much time on your casting as you do tying flies for you next big trip you'll flat out catch more fish. Many people save up all year for their annual trip to the Bahamas, Belize, or the Henry's Fork. Get yourself in the game by practicing your casting before your next big trip.

Having just completed my FFF casting instructors certifiation, I really came away with some improvements in my casting after spending just a few days in the park getting ready for the test. I hadn't actually practiced my single hand casting in a non-fishing scenario in years. I have to say I was humbled by the experience because it did expose some flaws in my technique.

Heading to park and trying to launch your whole fly line will not help you. Instead, try the following in advance of your trip. Use a small piece of yarn instead of a fly or you'll be sure bury one in your face.

Be able to perform all tasks without a tailing loop.

1. Roll cast to a target from your normal casting position and off-shoulder.

• Make sure your forward loops are flat and powerfull, and that your rod tip is tracking on a level plane, and that your forward and back cast are 180 degrees to each other.
• Be accurate to a 30 inch ring at 25, 35, and 45 feet. 

2. Practice carrying 45 feet of line in the air and tune yourself up by casting both open and tight loops.

• Sometimes an open loop is more effective than a tight one in a real world scenario.  Being able to control the shape of your loop is critical when dealing with strike indicators, or weighted streamers.
• Do this from both sides of your body.

2. Pick up 45 feet of line, and cast into a head wind.

• Tip the trajectory of your cast low in front and high in back. Remember, short cast = short stroke, long cast = long stroke. Don't force it!
• Practice a single haul on your forward stroke to speed up your line.
• Practice this both sides.

3. Pick up 45 feet of line, and cast with a cross wind coming from your casting side.

• Lean the tip of your rod into the cross wind and cast side arm to keep the fly from hitting you or the rod.
• Turn around and place your back to the target, and present your yarn with your back cast.

4. Practice distance casting to 70 feet with minimum false casts and a properly timed double haul.

• Make sure your leader lands flat, and that you do not cause a tailing loop.

5. Change of direction cast. Work on switching targets at 50 feet across a 180 degree span in front of you.

• Pick the line up and set it down with no more than one false cast.
• The more time your line is in the air, the less fish you will catch.

Give it a try and let us know your results. Harder than you thought? Have things you need to work on? Do you have some tips I didn't mention? Did you nail it and prove to yourself you are a Rajeffian superstar?