This post may seem like it’s about golf, but read on…trust us.
You’re standing on the first tee at Pebble Beach with a buddy. You’ve been looking forward to this trip for a year. Your buddy mentions the time he’s spent at the driving range over the past couple of months, getting tuned up for the trip. You say “Man, I haven’t had these clubs out of the bag since last year”. Your buddy looks at you a little funny.
He hits a beautiful drive. You shank one into the rough. Fast-forward 17 holes, and he’s having a ball, playing well, enjoying a world-class course. You’re mad at your game, fuming at your lost opportunities, and just starting to get the feel for your swing when you finish up the round.
You’d never do that, would you? You’d never plan an expensive trip, take time away from your work and your family, and then not brush up a bit on your skills so you can really enjoy yourself, right?
You’d be amazed how many guests arrive at one of our lodges, not having taking their rod out of its tube since the same trip last year. Yes, they catch fish, and yes they have fun, but they spend a lot of their trip getting frustrated with their own rusty skills.
Time spent brushing up on your casting skills before your trip is well worth it.
- You don’t need to spend hours at it! It will make a huge difference if you simply make a few casts in your backyard, using the rod and line that you’re going to fish with, for 15 minutes a week during the few weeks approaching your trip.
- Casting lessons are a great idea too. For probably less than $100, your local fly shop can spend a little bit of time tuning you up, and the benefit will be huge. Expert casters regularly ask each other for help – don’t be afraid to ask for a little yourself.
You’re spending thousands of dollars and taking a big chunk out of your life to go fishing. Spend just a little bit of time brushing up on your casting before you go.
You’ll just have a lot more fun.
There is no substitute for practicing with the rod, line, leader, and fly that you plan to use. But time, and often space, can preclude regular practice with the real equipment. Tim Rajeff(and Ovris, too, I think) makes a little practice rod that is fun to play with when time and space are limited. The high visibility line makes it easy to see what you are doing right or wrong, particularly on back casts where many of us go wrong. It’s not a toy. Well, it is a toy, but it’s a fun toy and a useful way to refine some of the basics of fly casting.
Agreed, Aubrey – love those practice rods!