Learning to mend fly line to extend the drift is one ingredient of better dry fly  presentation. Unfortunately, it's the end of the learning curve for most folks. Mastering the Reach Cast can land your fly below your fly line and thereby increase the length of your drift. If your fly line is up current of your fly you will catch more fish and you will spook less fish. You won't have to mend as often. Incorporate it and you'll hook more fish. Once mastered, the Reach Cast will become a natural part of all your casting.

Where we place the fly is only half of the cast. Where we place the fly line is the other half. That line placement makes us use a reach cast nearly all the time on moving water.  There is always some other rod movement; a final adjustment and rod movement that occurs just after the fly is released.

A baseball pitcher always puts 'something on' the ball when he releases it; a curve, a slide, a knuckle, etc. So, when you cast, think like a pitcher and fire the cast with a twist, either to the left, right up or even down.

 

Reach Cast or "Cast-Reach"

This cast should really be called Cast-Reach because when you do it, the cast comes before the reach. Here's how to practice it;

Let's say you are anchored in a canoe or wading with the river current coming from your right and you're looking at a rising fish 30 feet directly across from you.  Without spraying water droplets over the fish, make your normal cast well above where the fish is rising. When the fly is released on the final thrust forward, immediately upon releasing the line, point the tip of your rod upstream. The fly will land where the energy of the cast was concentrated, but the rest of the fly line will land higher upstream.

The timing is critical. In the case of a Cast-Reach-Right, (Being right-handed) I throw the final cast with my thumb up on top of the cork. But when I release the cast, I tilt the thumb to the left and point my entire arm upstream.

Next time on the river, practice cast-reaching. I know it will improve your game.

Questions? I'll be happy to talk with you.

Contact Marshall DeMott