Mark Wald Flycasting Lessons
22935 Lougheed Hwy V2X 2W1 Maple Ridge, BC, Canada

Fly Line Retrieval: Two easy methods Method 1. The Basic Retrieve. Once the line is cast out and on the water, with the rod tip pointed at the water or actually dipping in the water, you begin the retrieve by stripping the line. The beginning fly fisherman will often ask, What is the purpose of the retrieve? The simple answer - To imitate an insect swimming in the water. So within the retrieve, you try to mimic the action of the insect that your fly is imitating. Vary... the speed of your retrieve: slow strips, fast strips, slow and then fast. Vary the rate of the retrieve also: strip, strip, pause. Slow is usually better than fast, especially in a lake setting. Method 2. The Hand Twist Retrieve. This retrieve is slow, often punctuated with pauses. Hand twist two to five times, drop the line held in your hand, pause, then slowly hand twist. Retrieve until you feel that you need to cast again. Wait for the fly line to sink (sink rate of your line is indicated on the cartridge the fly line came on) i.e. 5 inches/second X 10 secs = 50 inches or about 4 feet, it is that simple. Knowing the sink rate of your line, and allowing time for it to drop to the depth desired, gives you a lot of flexibility to cover the areas where the fish are found. Either method of retrieval can be used with great success whether fly-fishing a lake, river or ocean. Vary the rate of retrieval to try to match the natural movement of the insect, leech, minnow, or attractor that you are using. If one method is not working, after a few casts and retrievals, try to modify your rate of retrieval. Don’t be stuck using the same speed for all your retrieves. See more

Individual fly casting lessons are available in the Maple Ridge Mission area. Message me on Facebook to arrange a lesson!

Fly Line Retrieval: Two easy methods Method 1. The Basic Retrieve. Once the line is cast out and on the water, with the rod tip pointed at the water or actually dipping in the water, you begin the retrieve by stripping the line. The beginning fly fisherman will often ask, What is the purpose of the retrieve? The simple answer - To imitate an insect swimming in the water. So within the retrieve, you try to mimic the action of the insect that your fly is imitating. Vary... the speed of your retrieve: slow strips, fast strips, slow and then fast. Vary the rate of the retrieve also: strip, strip, pause. Slow is usually better than fast, especially in a lake setting. Method 2. The Hand Twist Retrieve. This retrieve is slow, often punctuated with pauses. Hand twist two to five times, drop the line held in your hand, pause, then slowly hand twist. Retrieve until you feel that you need to cast again. Wait for the fly line to sink (sink rate of your line is indicated on the cartridge the fly line came on) i.e. 5 inches/second X 10 secs = 50 inches or about 4 feet, it is that simple. Knowing the sink rate of your line, and allowing time for it to drop to the depth desired, gives you a lot of flexibility to cover the areas where the fish are found. Either method of retrieval can be used with great success whether fly-fishing a lake, river or ocean. Vary the rate of retrieval to try to match the natural movement of the insect, leech, minnow, or attractor that you are using. If one method is not working, after a few casts and retrievals, try to modify your rate of retrieval. Don’t be stuck using the same speed for all your retrieves. See more

Casting from a float tube Fly fishing from a float tube allows the individual to become a structural part of the body of water. If there are weed beds, logs and stumps that offer zones of safety for fish, a float-tuber can get closer to resting and feeding fish. Casting from this position allows for shorter, more delicate casts. You need not cast long distances to feeding fish if you move about slowly and deftly with minimal fin movement. This past summer, a high number... of the fish netted were caught using these tactics: slow fin movement, shorter casts, limited false casting and minimizing the water disturbance as the fly and line settle on the water surface. The emphasis here is to minimize the amount of water being slapped by the line and fly that would spook a wary fish. One way to minimize this is short casts, 30 feet or so, then ending by shooting the line an extra 10 or 15 feet. This allows a good length of line for retrieval, using a real slow hand retrieve by whichever method one finds best for them. The double haul, although a staple casting technique, is a challenge for a beginner/intermediate caster, it is the ability to do a reach or shooting line cast that offers stealth and distance when casting in a float tube. So what is a shooting line cast? Simply put, determine the length of cast that you normally accomplish. If, for instance, you cast thirty feet of line quite well (with good line control and nice tight loops) this is the basis of the shooting line cast. Pull off the reel another 10 or 15 feet of line and let it coil nicely on the float tube apron. Cast as normal, remembering to accelerate the rod tip and stop the rod tip to form the tight loops. You need only false cast two or three times. To shoot the line, on the second forward cast, stop and release the line from the left hand to shoot through the guides the extra length. Remember, rod tip is pointed at or in the water as you retrieve. This is most important. We are not using a spinning rod where the weight is at the end of the line, rather the weight is in the fly line itself. Therefore when a fish strikes, simply lifting the rod tip smartly will set the hook. Fish on! Here is a picture of fishing second week of October near Princeton BC, air temperature was 4 C. Keeping warm was a consideration, thus the wooly attire! Have a look at the casting video on this page to see just how the reach or shooting line cast is done. Often overlooked, it is a very simple and efficient cast. See more