-- -- -- Casting matters most. Accuracy of delivery, of where the fly lands and how the leader finishes, is the key to effective presentations and efficiency on the water. Hitting targets means we confidently cover the river. Less false casting means more drifting, more stripping and more catching.
With time on the water and attention to detail, anglers find the casts and the techniques to catch trout. But it takes time, and learning a few tricks along the way certainly helps shorten the learning curve. Here's one of those tricks. I call it the Corner Cast, and I'm surprised how many experienced fly fishers stare in wonder at this one.
The Corner Cast changes the direction of delivery up to ninety degrees from the plane of the back cast. While the standard delivery of a fly cast has the fly landing one-hundred-and-eighty degrees in a straight line from where the back cast turned over, the Corner Cast allows an angler to round the bend ninety degrees from the direction of the back cast.
What some call the change of direction cast is similar, but it's most often shown with a repositioning of the line then a roll cast. Instead, what I call the Corner Cast uses the powerful momentum of a line and leader in motion to round the bend by simply altering the travel of the rod tip.
I use the Corner Cast every day. It's a natural cast, easy to learn and delivers big results.
