SW casts used in fresh water / flats fishing

I haven’t had a chance to read through the string of messages so I apologize ahead of time if my comments are repeated from others. Two quick things come to mind when using a salt water cast in fresh.

1. When walking the banks of a pond or lake (Stillwater) either looking to cast to cruising fish or casting to rising fish during a sparse hatch. The same technique in this situation needs to be used. You have to react fast and placement of the fly has to be precise. Again I don’t flats fish frequently , I do though get to the flats annually. Like the flats fishing I’ve experienced, when casting to fish in these Stillwater situations, all the same things can go wrong. The fish doesn’t see the fly, you line the fish, any other presentation failures that can come to mind. Coiling the line in your non-casting hand, or in a stripping basket helps control tangles around your feet, or on the weeds lining the bank and walking /stalking with the fly in either hand depending on how you are controlling the line to be shot.

2. When drifting a river in a drift boat casting streamers towards the banks, in pockets, or drifting and casting to the occasional rising fish. In both situations you need to be ready, cast accurately, and be able to judge distance. If you are unable to do so, you’ve missed your opportunity, because you just floated by…….. Being ready requires the same set up as in casting from the front of the flats boat. You must have a pre-determined amount of line outside the rod tip, along with line to be shot to the target, fly must be held in your hand in a manner not to hook yourself and the coils inside the line stripping area in the bow of the boat or in a basket to the stern must be coiled properly to make sure the coils are leaving from the top of the pile while shooting the line not uncoiling from the bottom.

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True it is that one can match any single SW flats situation or even combined SW flats situations when fishing in fresh water.

# More often the fish are moving .... sometimes faster than they appear to swim.

# More often than not, the wind is blowing like the dickens and there are few if any wind breaks at all. (Lots of fetch.)

# The fish may (and often do) appear suddenly and leave the scene just as quickly.

# Whether fishing the flats off Cape Cod or those in the Bahamas, there is often bright sun which can either help you spot fish or make it very difficult if it is at an angle which may yield glare.

# In some SW areas, the angler has to keep a sharp eye out for fish while wading, and an equally sharp eye out for sharks. Most of the time, the sharks don't bother humans ..... but I've fished in some areas (particularly in the Bahamas) where they are quite aggressive to waders. I've even had the tip of my push pole bitten by one of these. Sometimes the sharks are so aggressive that it is impossible to land a fish.

# On tropical SW flats, the angler may find it best to use a line designed to handle the blazing heat of the sun.

# Fish on SW flats as well as some fresh water fish may be quite spooky. I sometimes think the Permit may hold the world record for "superspookability" !

# When fishing with a guide on SW flats, the angler must also consider the position of the guide and the long push-pole.

# On SW flats, the angler may be fishing for toothy critters such as barracuda. Leaders have to be rigged differently ..often with wire bite (shock) tippets. Very different leaders for tarpon, too. (A whole other subject.)

# SW flats fish don't usually have lies or feed in feeding lanes. On the flat, they can appear almost anywhere.

# Most SW flats skiffs have forward casting decks with the cockpit behind and below. Any fly line coiled or draped on that deck may blow off unless one of the preventions are used such as a basket, stripping the line back into the cockpit, a device in which to place line called a "line tamer", etc., etc.

# Generally, the SW flats angler has to be ready to make longer casts. (This is not always true.... sometimes a fish will suddenly appear very close to the skiff or wader.)

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Gary Davidson is practicing these Quick casts. Here are his comments My comments in his text in bold blue italics. G.:-

Gordy,

Answers below are great, thanks a bunch. I have been practicing this technique and have some points below regarding the cast. I wanted to run these by you and see if you can see some areas I still need to address with regards to the cast.

Basically working the cast to 50 to 70' lengths,

Fine. Good to start with shorter distances and work up as you improve.

Been working to complete the cast within one to two back cast to the target. This depends on my initial back cast based on wind direction.

That's the idea. To get that fly to the fish with a minimum of back casts.

Been working on directional changes as needed to vary the presentation angles needed to simulate real situation. Moving to the left or right in seconds and at different degrees of angle to make the cast.

We didn't get into direction changes, but this is a good technique, especially when dealing with very spooky fish; make your first set of false casts in a direction which won't get the fish's attention, then change direction on either the forward or the back cast for the presentation.

Been changing hands with regards to holding the fly so both methods can be perfected by me and my students. Note holding the fly with the rod hand is default preference for me!

I'm doing the same thing.

Been keying in on line location under my feet to make sure it is in position and stage to where there is not a problem in delivery. Staging directly underneath me to simulate a deck, Staging behind me as if in the lower deck.

A related subject which I didn't cover.... yet very important. One of my buddies teaches it this way : STANDING ON YOUR FLY LINE DOES NOTHING TO IMPROVE YOUR CAST ! When fishing warm waters, most of us go barefoot or use socks (and sunscreen to prevent sunburned feet.) Going barefoot on a hot fiberglass deck can be a problem, so some of used a soft pad on the deck like a piece of carpet, a towel, or padding material made for that.

One very effective method for avoiding standing on your line ( or having it blow off the deck) is to strip the line back and down into the cockpit behind you. When windy, this is made easier by standing near the aft edge (back) of the deck. ( Many anglers stand as far forward a they can as though they are trying to get closer to the fish. This can be a problem.)

Been practicing the cast with out movement of the feet in order to cut down on weight shifting on the deck. Any rocking of the boat will jeopardize the day by spooking the fish in some situations.

Yes. Some anglers have no concept of this .... they drive their guides nuts by lurching back and forth on the deck !

Been working on energizing the fore cast while holding the fly to begin the back cast. By maintaining very good tension on the initial back cast helps greatly in shooting more line into the back cast. I have been working on using the advance spey cast by throwing line out in front of me creating a D or a V loop in front of me before making the back cast. What are your thought on this technique for this presentation in salt water. I understand that wind may be a great factor in when this is used. Do you use any special pre movements in the initial presentation for the back cast?

Frankly, I have not tried that nor do I make any pre-movements. Gordy
Gordy,

Answers below are great, thanks a bunch. I have been practicing this technique and have some points below regarding the cast. I wanted to run these by you and see if you can see some areas I still need to address with regards to the cast.

Basically working the cast to 50 to 70' lengths,

Been working to complete the cast within one to two back cast to the target. This depends on my initial back cast based on wind direction.

Been working on directional changes as needed to vary the presentation angles needed to simulate real situation. Moving to the left or right in seconds and at different degrees of angle to make the cast.

Been changing hands with regards to holding the fly so both methods can be perfected by me and my students. Note holding the fly with the rod hand is default preference for me!

Been keying in on line location under my feet to make sure it is in position and stage to where there is not a problem in delivery. Staging directly underneath me to simulate a deck, Staging behind me as if in the lower deck.

Been practicing the cast with out movement of the feet in order to cut down on weight shifting on the deck. Any rocking of the boat will jeopardize the day by spooking the fish in some situations.

Been working on energizing the fore cast while holding the fly to begin the back cast. By maintaining very good tension on the initial back cast helps greatly in shooting more line into the back cast. I have been working on using the advance spey cast by throwing line out in front of me creating a D or a V loop in front of me before making the back cast. What are your thought on this technique for this presentation in salt water. I understand that wind may be a great factor in when this is used. Do you use any special pre movements in the initial presentation for the back cast?

Your feed back is greatly appreciated.

All the best.

Gary Davison

Gulf Coast Spey

CND Custom Design: Representative

Willis, TX.

Office: 936-890-9639

Your feed back is greatly appreciated.

All the best.

Gary Davison

Gulf Coast Spey

CND Custom Design: Representative

Willis, TX.

Office: 936-890-9639