The rod is drifted forward to the10:30 position and then stopped sharply with the last two fingers of the casting hand pulling and the thumb pushing. (George Lavanish illustration)
March 10, 2025
By Joe Humphreys
Editor's note: Flyfisherman.com will periodically be posting articles written and published before the Internet, from the Fly Fisherman magazine print archives. The wit and wisdom from legendary fly-fishing writers like Ernest Schwiebert, Gary LaFontaine, Lefty Kreh, Robert Traver, Gary Borger, Joan & Lee Wulff, Vince Marinaro, Doug Swisher & Carl Richards, Nick Lyons, and many more deserve a second life. These articles are reprinted here exactly as published in their day and may contain information, philosophies, or language that reveals a different time and age. This should be used for historical purposes only.
This article originally appeared in the April 1981 issue of Fly Fisherman magazine. Click here for a PDF of the print version of "The Tuck Cast."
The tuck cast allows the angler to maintain contact with a weighted nymph, to let the nymph move naturally, and to get maximum drift of the nymph on the stream bottom. The most important characteristic of this cast is that it gets the nymph down to the bottom quickly, because the fly enters the water first with the full momentum of the cast. The energy of the cast is translated from the horizontal movement of the line into hard, vertical movement of the fly.
The tuck cast requires that the knuckles and thumb of the casting hand move in a horizontal plane. If not, the cast will cowtail, or cant off to the side, losing much of the momentum and line control. The execution of the forward power stroke is critical. The thumb must be on top of the rod handle during the casting stroke, and you should end up with the thumb and knuckles pointing directly at the spot you want to hit. The cast comes straight overhead and your wrist must be straight in line with your thumb. If the rod cants off at an angle to your wrist, the nymph will curve out to the side, and the result will be too much slack line between the rod tip and the nymph. Remember, a trout can pick up the nymph and drop it before you have any indication of the strike if there is too much slack line between the rod tip and fly.
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This article originally appeared in the April 1981 issue of Fly Fisherman magazine. To make the tuck cast drift the rod forward to the 10:30 position and then stop it sharply with the last two fingers of the casting hand pulling and the thumb pushing. It's a quick, squeezing action. The weighted nymph tucks back under the leader and drops to the bottom before the drag of the water on the line has a chance to lift the nymph.
When you complete the tuck cast, keep the rod tip up to further eliminate drag and to keep the line tight between the rod tip and the nymph while the nymph covers the bottom. A steady retrieve of line combined with a continuous elevation of the rod tip throughout the drift gives you line control and keeps the nymph down on the bottom. You're in touch with the fly throughout the drift.
The rod is drifted forward to the10:30 position and then stopped sharply with the last two fingers of the casting hand pulling and the thumb pushing. (George Lavanish illustration) The weighted nymph tucks back under the leader and drops to the bottom. (George Lavanish illustration) When the cast is complete, keep the rod tip up to further eliminate drag and keep the line tight. (George Lavanish illustration) Steady retrieve of the line combined with a continuous elevation of the rod tip throughout the drift gives you line control. (George Lavanish illustration)
