We tend to think of fly casting as a low stress physical activity so the likelihood of injury is low (with the exception of being hit with a hook perhaps) but in reality injured wrists, elbows and shoulders among those who are preparing for their master certification are quite common. Most candidates will spend a year or more practicing for an hour or more each day as they prepare for the test. This typically leads to injuries that are gradual onset in nature but sudden onset injuries happen as well. If you have spent several months preparing it is hard to back off when an injury occurs. It is also common to increase practice sessions significantly as the test draws near.
In order to prevent injuries there are some precautions you should take:
- warm up prior to practicing. Begin with stretching, short casting, or light resistance exercise.
- stay within your capabilities. If you’ve never cast anything heavier than a 5 weight rod don’t jump to a 13 weight to increase your strength. When practicing distance casting try to maintain good form rather than attempt to hit a new personal best in every workout.
- increase your workouts gradually. Add a few minutes to your workout each week or increase rod weight gradually over the course of several weeks or months. Don’t be fooled here – you may feel fine after adding 15 minutes or a half hour to your regular practice sessions but remember that many of the injuries you will experience are gradual onset in nature. It may take days or weeks before you begin to experience pain and by then it may be too late to simply back off.
- don’t train to your maximum every day. It’s tempting to finish every practice session by seeing how far you can cast but you will do better by limiting these sessions to once or twice per week.
- aim for smoothness and avoid jerky movements.
Learn to take frequent breaks. If you experience pain then it’s time to call it a day. If the pain persists for a few days then you should consider seeing your doctor.
Finally, if you do experience an injury, you should book a few sessions with a casting instructor after your recovery to get advice on things you may be doing wrong.
Stay healthy and enjoy the journey.