If you're looking to catch trophy fish, a guided fly fishing trip can be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. When you book a trip with a guided fly fishing outfitter, practicing your casts and adjusting your hook sets can make a big difference.
Here are some casting basics and hook setting adjustments you can make before booking a guided fly fishing trip.
Longer Casts
Sometimes getting a few extra feet on your casts can mean the difference between hooking a monster fish or missing it. Before you book a guided fly fishing trip, consider practicing your casting mechanics to add more length.
- Full Range: Many fly fishers struggle to maximize casting distance because they limit their range of motion. On a guided fly fishing trip, you may need extremely long casts. Practicing casting in a wide and open area (football and soccer fields are perfect) can help you measure and focus on distance without worrying about snagging trees or your fishing partner. To make sure you're using your full range of motion, try going lower on your backcasts and rolling your shoulder when you extend your arm forward. Once you find a rhythm, you can make adjustments to harness the momentum created by your backcasts.
Accurate Casts
Guided fly fishing trips can require long and accurate casts to hook trophy-sized fish. In addition to improving your casting length, you can also work on improving your casting accuracy.
- Put It in the Bucket: One of the easiest ways to practice accurate fly casts is to aim for a small target like a 5-gallon bucket. When practicing to hit your target, it's important to adjust your distance from the target, your angle, and the type of obstacles around you. To prevent losing your valuable flies in a tree, consider cutting the hook off of a used fly and/or casting near solid surfaces like walls or buildings.
Hook Sets
Many fly fishermen miss big fish because they don't set the hook properly. Before booking your guided fly fishing trip, consider making these hook setting adjustments.
- Rod Tip: To penetrate bony mouths, you need to maximize your leverage before you attempt to set the hook. If you normally set the hook by yanking your rod tip vertically, you'll need to consider a more horizontal hook set.
- Pressure: Applying more force doesn't always equate to better hook sets. Instead of yanking harder, you might want to pull with more consistent pressure.
