Double Handed Fly Rods for Overhead HOW TO CAST page 1

If there is anything that isn't clear, or requires more detail, please feel free to ask. The following instructions are for right Handed Casters. There are no rules in casting, no matter what some people will tell you. Casting is all about getting your fly in front of the fish, nothing more or less. How we achieve this, is your business, as everybody is built, feel and thinks differently, therefore so we must all cast differently. The below is for when your shooting head is retrieved in, all the down to your fingers. If the shooting is left out side the rod's tip, then a water haul can be practiced.

This component of casting is generally overlooked, however it as important to your casting performance as the rod and line. Maybe, more so than the rod and line.

Without the correct placement, your body cannot move smoothly and, therefore, the cast is not smooth and flowing and as a result you cannot generate suitable distances or fly placement.

Your body must flow and become a part of the rod. All that is rod and body, must flow with a smooth easy movement.

Your feet : Left foot forward, about 350mm in front of your body. Right foot to the side and 350/400mm to the left hand side of your body. These positions may change slightly to allow you to feel comfortable and therefore, able to flow freely.

Your feet position will rotate the hips and thus allow a flowing body movement. Your shoulders will then rotate without any stiffness. During casting, allow your total body to become a part of the rod and to move with the cast, and the rod.

Your body MUST move in fluid like movements.

2 The DOH Grip and Lower Hand

The Grip

The rod grip we have developed is a different grip to the 'normal' grip used by most Double Handed Overhead casters.

Lower hand Left hand fingers are only held in a cupped position. This position, stops the rod's butt from falling on the ground. The left hand fingers are not to hold or control the butt/rod in any way!

If your fingers hold the rod's butt, this will take away energy from your rod. Which equals less distance cast. The holding of the butt also reduces the rod's overall length to that point. Which could reduce the rod's length by as much as 6inches/150mm or even more. When we require rod length to gain tip line speed, yes, 150mm/6inches is very important. The butt's ball, on the bottom, must be allowed to roll around in the palm of your hand, without any restriction, making your left hand the pivot.

This hand when casting is to be held against your stomach, (as shown.), to form an anchored hinge point for the rod's overall length.

Top Hand.

The ideal position is when your thumb can just touch the top of your shoulder.

Casting a Double Handed Overhead rod

The top hand governs the position of the lower hand, (the left hand,) against your body.

The thumb is positioned as shown. This helps deliver a smooth push action that is critical to good distance casting. The thumb position also forms a straight line in your wrist and arm back to your shoulder, this then produces a wonderful snap, dead stop movement when casting. This is one of the clues to longer distance casting. Remember, you just have to be a smooth.