Take Advantage of Cold Weather and PRACTICE! pt 1

Instruction By Tom Dempsey

When the weather turns and you feel it’s too cold to get on the water, it’s time to work on your casting .The exercise will help warm you as you hone your casting skills for the bass spawn [that happens in lower Alabama in late January]

A few pointers will help you get the most out of your practice sessions.

First, always practice with the gear you intend to fish with. Use a “practice” fly made of a material you can easily see. I like fluorescent yellow nylon, used as a catfish line and available in sporting goods stores in a spool you will never use up.

Next, always practice with a purpose. This sounds idiotic but so many of us go out and flail about with our fly rods jumping from one task to another. Make out a a practice schedule like your work-out sheet so there is a “method to your madness. Start with the basics. Clean your line and dress it. Any good silicone will do. I like Whizz Lube, it makes the line shot like mad. A 7-1/2 foot tapered leader to 12 or 15 lbs. works nicely with your nylon practice fly.

Now for the routine. Ask yourself “What are my strengths and weaknesses ?” If you have trouble answering this question, get some help from a certified casting instructor who can observe, analyze, and help you work on your deficiencies. Money well spent prior to making that summer trip out west. Specifically with regards to practice routines, begin with the foundation of fly fishing, casting loops. Start with 30 ft. of line casting slowly watching your forward and back loops. Make sure you wait for the loops to unroll before preceding with the next stroke. Try and imagine your rod tip moving along a straight line during your casting stroke. It will ensure you cast a tighter and more efficient loop. In addition, make sure you smoothly accelerate your casts and end with a definitive stop.

By following the previous suggestions you have now formed the foundation of the casting essentials. Gradually add a foot or two to the line you are casting until you get to a point where your cast falls apart. Back down and work back up adding a bit more line each practice. Soon you will achieve the distance you want. Fifteen minutes 3 or 4 times a week will keep you sharp until your next trip. Other practice tips and drills will follow.

Tom Dempsey, certified casting instructor.

Practice with a Purpose

Instruction By Tom Dempsey CCI Gulf Coast Fly Fishing School , Mobile Al.

The first rule should be “Always practice with a purpose.” Most anglers practice very little and without a plan. A purpose forces you to:

1. Define a task or a problem

2. Develop an outline of how to deal with the issue. Which may be structured, I.E. use an instructor or unstructured, internet, videos etc.

How to overcome a task that consumes all practice time? First, determine WHY the task is consuming all the practice time. Often times we tend to “practice” mistakes. Get a qualified observer. They can save you a lot of pick and shovel work.

Practice on a regular basis — 15 to 30 min. daily will keep you from getting rusty. Always practice the things you do well in addition to working on the problems. I always start a practice session myself or with my student with a task that has been mastered, it gives you jump start.

Distractions and interruptions can be kept to a minimum by training on a large field away from everyone. I have the luxury of  access to a athletic field in the day time and at night ,a local neighborhood school has a synthetic play ground with security lights that illuminate a flyline giving a great silhouette on a black sky background. For a lay out I use a traffic cone with a yellow 50 ft. poly rope  marked at the precise distances corresponding to each task. Now all I have to do is stand on the spot marked with electrical shrink wrap for each task and cast. Roll it up afterwards and you have a portable layout.

The best way to promote interaction and feedback is to have a casting partner. I’m lucky. I cast with a master who lives 2 blocks away. In addition, I go to conclaves and pick the brains of other casters. I have picked up a number of pearls casting with the guys at the end of the day after the courses have adjourned and the official activities have ended at many of the conclaves.

Teaching tasks implies you can preform the task. Work with as many people as you can on the task. Everyone has a little different slant on how to do them and what is acceptable. By attrition, the “light”will come on and you will be in a position to proceed with teaching the task to students that often require you to be creative in order to get the idea across. This can only be achieved by experiencing the teaching techniques of many teachers.

Tom Dempsey CCI Gulf Coast Fly Fishing School , Mobile Al.