Preparing for the Clearing Cast!

Louis Cahill Photo 

When you are fly fishing the salt water flats from a skiff it is important to pay attention to as many little details as you can.

As the skiff comes off plane and idles in towards the shallow edge of the flats where you will start stalking fish, this is a great time to strip out fly line from your reel and make a clearing cast.

Many anglers at this time will reach up, grab the fly and drop it in the water while they strip out the appropriate amount of fly line they will need. Well while the angler is stripping line off the reel, the fly is sinking to the bottom usually getting stuck in the turtle grass or stuck on the hard rocky coral bottom. Then the hook point gets damaged or the fly might actually get snagged and break off.

To avoid all this just simply keep the fly hanging on the snake guides or hold the fly in your hand (like the picture above) till you get the amount of line off the reel that you need. Then make your clearing cast, strip back in and get in the ready position.