Bow & Arrow cast ... teaching

I saw that one come through. Since I have not taught it, I did not respond, but looked it up in Presentation on P 241. After much practice, here is how I would teach it -

First a brief explanation of its uses - primarily in tight quarters where rod movement might be limited by brush or limbs and an accurate cast is required to place the fly under an overhanging limb on a small stream or lake with heavy cover. When movement of the flyrod in a vertical casting plane would spook fish, a good application would be to approach the target on your knees preferably in the cover of weeds and use the bow and arrow cast for a stealthy approach to the fish.

Gary Borger recommends using a leader at least the length of the rod and pinch the hook with the bend in your fingers and the point of the hook facing away toward the target. Hold the other end of the line tight against the cork so it wont slip and pull the fly back putting a slight bend in the tip of the rod and release the fly in the direction of the target. This cast is good for up to 20 feet including a two foot reach, 9' rod length and 9' leader. (emphasize short cast / small bend)

For the extended cast, on P. 242, Mr. Borger recommends pulling 20 feet of line out of the guides and pinching the fly same as above. Then trap the flyline between the index finger and middle finger and pull that section of line back to create the bend in the rod. He recommends adding a bit of "downward wrist snap" to aid in extending the cast.

These casts would be extremely useful for some of the small creeks and streams here in the Mid-West. I'll work on it.

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Gordy et al,

For us trout fishers, I teach it by explaining question 2 (when used & why) first, so the student can visualize the why we need the cast or what it can do for us.

2. It can be used for fishing usually small, brushy streams surrounded by foliage making normal casts very difficult.

1. The casting image I try to project is shooting the fly through a window or small opening to a target. Get about one rod length of line out of the rod tip and use the stripping finger to pinch the line from the reel against the cork or handle. Then pull back on the fly to bend the rod like a bow. Point the rod thru the opening and at the target, then release the fly and let the bent rod unload and shoot the fly at the target ..

This is normally for short casts in tight areas.

3. I'll take a shot at extended casts.
When you have room at your feet to pile up some extra line and the leader, place the amount of line you can handle with respect to rod and line weight, wind in your face, amount of space, etc, then pinch the line as you would the fly, pinch line against the handle, pull back as before and load the rod, aim, and release. With enough practice and skill, one could also shoot a small amount of line after the unloading and while the line is being propelled forward. Using 0-4 weights, I find the line so light it is difficult to shoot any line.

4. I once caught a large snook in a mangrove creek while fishing with Bob Andreae at Chokoloskee a few years ago from Bob's canoe. No earthly other way to make a cast, since the creek was narrow and the mangrove trees so close overhead that they were at about head height. How in the world I was able to keep the critter out of the mangrove roots, neither Bob nor I could figure ! (We sometimes call that a, "suicide fish". I can't claim skill on my part.)

Cheers, Jim Phillips
skifishvail
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4.) When teaching the distance bow & arrow cast, crouching helps, because you have less line hanging down from your hand. That translates into less slack.

5.) The line shot out on the distance B&A cast, does not shoot through the guides. This line must be stripped from the reel and drawn out of the guides and tip top and placed on the ground or deck in front of the caster. You then pinch the line betwen the reel and the cork grip, and then reach forward to grasp the line out of the rod tip as far as you can reach and pull back thus bending the rod for a good load. As you let go of it for the cast, you flip the rod tip forward.

7.) On the distance B&A cast, you can, "cheat" a little by adding just a little stroke length and rod arc . (As shown in Jason Borgers, THE NATURE OF FLY CASTING, pp. 249-250.)

8.) Don't teach the distance ("extended" Bow & Arrow cast until your student gets proficient with the standard one.)