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Deb's Tip for Fly Casting: "Paint the Ceiling"
Many fishing instructors use the language "from 10:00 - 2:00" to describe the casting motion one should use when casting a fly line. Additionally, those who fly-fish will often make several "false casts" before allowing their line to settle with the fly landing in the desired pool. With beginners - this "time zone casting motion" is often exaggerated with the result being the fly line landing in a clump or pile when the line settles. Even when reminded to pause at the end of their forward and backward casts, I have often seen students' casts more resemble a " 9:00 - 3:00" motion which virtually guarantees a clump or pile of fly-line when the forward cast is stopped. Instead of tight overhead loops, I often see large sweeping arcs overhead.
A local fishing guide gave me the following language to use when helping beginners learn to cast. I have used it with my own students and they seem to pick up on the imagery and translate it into better casting techniques. He said:
"Imagine that you have all been hired to paint the ceiling. I can see that some of you are getting paint on your walls."
As I walk by and watch kids learning to cast - just the mentioning of "keep the paintbrush from hitting your walls" gives them feedback of how to shorten the range of their front and back casts. With the fly rod becoming the paintbrush students can show me where the front and back edges of the ceiling end, thus executing a more proficient cast. The line overhead results in a tighter loop which also approximates a "ceiling".
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