Though I’ve never really thought about it before, it seems that the first week or so of March fishers in the Northern Rockies start to dig out from their winter repose and start wiggling fly rods around.
With full-on dry fly season yet still a fantasy, the winter spent hucking nymph rigs and the occasional streamer didn’t necessarily make for days spent throwing sexy casting loops on local waters.
Just about every fishing compadre I’ve chatted with lately has admitted to spending a bit of time in the park or on local water just casting this week, working out the kinks and limbering up for the upcoming season.
Why just yesterday Fire Girl Jess and I headed across the street to a corner park here in Olympia to fine tune some of her casting mechanics as she heads off to spend a season on the Missouri with the Headhunters gang. (It felt damn good to handle a rod again, my first since dealing in earnest with a rotator cuff tear last fall.)
It’s the time of year when shops are talking about casting mechanics again; treasure those shop teams who want to talk mechanics to make you a better fisher and not just sell you those new pricey graphite sticks they didn’t move during the holiday last year.
Funny, I used to think that as a reasonable fisher casting practice was only for rank beginners. My opinion morphed as I met master fly caster after master fly caster who practiced religiously to get better.
The Headhunter’s gang even did a short vid last year John titled Spring Training – their team was working the kinks out as the season turned….
Spring Training from scumliner media on Vimeo.
This year I’ve made a solid commitment to upping my casting skills to a new level (and not just because of last years shoulder injury and rebuild). I’m lucky enough to have access to a superb casting guy (Zack Williams, working here and here) here on the coast and a bevy of friends with powerful expertise back home.
How do you plan to become a better fly caster this year?
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