I have been a full time guide for nigh on 17 years now.
In that time I have seen many people casting and flyfishing on the rivers and streams of my area and beyond.
From the young flyfishers to the mature aged flyfisher on lake, rivers and streams of all sizes I have seen a lot of good and bad casting.  I have seen people who can cast a full fly line and make it look relatively easy to those who can curve a tight cast under a bush or around a rock.
There is one thing that is common in the majority of those I guide and fish with:
That is that many really don’t have a good understanding of what they are trying to do as far as controlling the rod through The Cast and The Drift.
I am not trying to be cruel or smart in what I am saying and as most people will tell you; They catch enough fish on fly to consider themselves Reasonably Good.

In most occasions; They are Reasonably Good!
BUT:
It really doesn’t take a lot more effort and thought to be Better!

I have had clients who have done coarses in casting  and can punch out long straight casts but when it comes to tight water and short line; They struggle to get the fly out to full extension and where the fly needs to be.
They struggle in managing The Drift and proper line management so as the fly drifts naturally on the water or their nymph down near the bottom where the fish are holding.

I often use the analogy of Golf when teaching Flyfishing.
They are very similar in the facts that in golf you need to know how to play a straight shot first.
Swing casting is a bad thing when you are trying to cast in tight waters or get your fly to a targeted trout.
Hook and Slice are a bad thing in golf if you are trying to get the ball down the middle of the Fairway; But they can come in very handy when you come to a Dog Leg or have to get back onto the Fairway from The Rough after a wayward shot.
The same applies to Flyfishing.
A Straight cast is the foundation to success and the ability to then be able to kick a cast left or right becomes an advantage to add to the Straight Cast.
Being able to cast a long distance and accurately is fantastic, but being able to cast short and accurately will catch more fish in most situations.
Being able to manage your Flyline, Leader and Fly  will catch you more fish in the fact that you are In Control of Your Fly on The Water.
Seeing that the line is going to or starting to get caught in a different current or backwater and make your fly drag or Nymph to stay up near the surface as opposed to down near the bottom all make a great difference as to whether a fish will take Your Fly or reject it.

This is called Mending!

Seeing what is about to happen and then using the rod to lift and place the line in a better position to give you that Perfect Drift instead of watching the line get pulled and the fly skate then maybe doing something about it.
Letting it get the Belly form then trying to fix it wastes a lot of the drift because you loose the part of the drift that it skates as well as where you Mend it and the recovery time afterwards.
If you only have a Drift Window of 2 meters and you waste a meter+ on the Skate and Mend; It really doesn’t leave much of The Drift where you have any chance of a fish taking your fly and being able to set the hook.
Being able to see that there is a Belly starting to form and make appropriate actions to fix it before it happens will give you a longer drift and a greater chance of a fish taking your fly

Being in control of your line gives you a better chance on setting the hook and keeping that fish on as opposed to (as my mate puts it) Wiggle, Wiggle, Pop and you left there cursing ” The Fish That Got Away!”

Being able to think about where you Back Cast is going to go and directing it between branches and snags so you are able to load your rod properly and direct your forward cast and fly to it’s desired destination on or in the water.
To understand how you use the Rod Tip to control The Line and that allowing each cast to come to full extension so you can then Pull The Line through and send it On It’s Way.

All of these things add to your chances of catching more and in a lot of cases; Better Fish!

Practice is the key.

Understanding the processes in what you are doing and the confidence that comes with that.

Having faith in your ability and not being put off casting/fishing to those spots that most people walk past because It Looks Too Difficult!

Going through the motions in Your Mind and having a Plan before you make your approach and cast.

Spending more time with your fly on the water as opposed to in the air False casting relentlessly or snagged in a tree or tussock.

Read, Watch, Learn and Play.

Please feel free to ask questions.
Come and spend a day or more with me at Our Lodge.

Most of all:
Have Fun 🙂

Tight Lines;  Scottie