December 08, 2011
By Bruce Chard
Here is a good trout fishing tactic that will give you an advantage on your next salt water adventure.
Short Casts
In over 18 years of guiding fly fisherman in the salt I learned that most first time salt water fly fisherman had a very common weakness -- their inability to cast any distance over 40-50ft. Especially if there is any wind present. But they could make a great, fast, short cast presentation. I have since learned that this comes from rarely needing to make much of a distance cast while trout fishing.
On cloudy or windy days on the salt flats you can find yourself seeing fish at a very close distance. Some times as close as 20ft away. At this distance it's only a matter of time before the fish spooks.
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Your cast has to be much like a reaction. A quick forward or back cast presentation is a must. Making a short cast lay out straight quickly with not much fly line out the end of your rod tip combined with a 12ft leader and a heavy fly is very demanding. A very short stroke with an abrupt stop will help to form a tight loop and load only the very tip of the rod. Since you don't have much line out the rod tip your pause time in between casting strokes is very short. These critical components applied correctly will help you make that short cast lay out straight for a great short line presentation.
