The Case for Distance

Fly fishermen sometimes debate whether or not distance casting is a skill needed to catch fish along the Texas Coast. Redfish junkies point out that most of their shallow water fish are caught up close, with casts measuring under 50 ft. Others add that many of our skinny water species are in fact cooperative enough to stalk and peg at close range. So if one seldom needs to cast farther than 50 or 60 feet, why be preoccupied the ability to shoot 80 footers? You don't need 'em right?

I agree that plenty of fish can be caught with a decent 50 foot cast. The problem though, is that there are countless angling situations outside of the flats where much longer casts are required. Maybe you're blind casting to a pothole, or fishing extremely clear water, or maybe you are trying to reach out into a channel or over waves in the surf. These are all situations where you need distance. A 40 or 50 ft. punch usually won't cut it.

When figuring the minimum distance you need to cast, an often overlooked factor is the powerful effect of winds and other unexpected complications. If your upper distance limit is 50 feet (on a good day), what is your distance in a stout wind or off the bow of a moving boat? What about a kayak? Chances are they'll cut your distance in half. Now your 50 foot cast has been reduced to a sketchy 25 footer and your options have shrunk substantially. When you consider these situations, the truth is distance IS important.

So what is considered a "distance" cast anyway? For an angler wielding an 8-wt. rod, I think casts of 75 feet or more fall into the "distance" category. Put another way- well over half of the fly line. Some folks can and will routinely cast much farther than that. Casts of this length don't happen by accident. They require good core casting skills and anglers must learn to double haul to achieve these lengths. But with a bit of practice, nearly anyone can master the skills that make long casts possible. Let's take a closer look at a few common saltwater scenarios where long casts pay off.

Open Water

There are plenty of times when the best bet for catching fish is to get off the flats. Maybe the water temps are too hot or too cold, or maybe the tides are too low. Visualize moving off a shallow flat to deeper open water. You might be able to see subtle structural features below the surface but you can't really make out the bottom. The goal is to grab the attention of a predator and trick him before he and his buddies spot you. Longer casts allow you to reach out to these fish before they spook. They also provide your fly with greater exposure time. Long casts equal long retrieves, allowing predators more opportunity to spot your fly.

Surface Blitz

Another situation where a long cast pays off is when you are chasing a rapidly moving blitz. These surface slaughters are exciting and when you first spot them it is easy to think, "Yes! Slam dunk." Sometimes it is a slam dunk. But other times getting your fly into range of these frenzies can be maddening. It can require surprisingly long casts. If you stop the boat short to avoid pushing the fish down, or if the fish suddenly change direction you will be required to shoot a very long cast under knee-shaking line-tangling pressure. If you are fishing alone, the situation is even tougher because once you shut down the motor you're basically dead in the water. As the clock ticks, surfacing fish can quickly move out of range. The combination of excitement and unpredictability makes cleanly hitting a melee of schooling fish 20 or 30 yards away one of the toughest casts you'll ever make. It requires steady nerves, good line management, and the ability to make clean long casts.

Surf

When the surf is good, it's great. When it's bad, it's absolutely miserable. But good or bad, the surf will always challenge your casting skills. At times anglers can find exciting sightcasting opportunities in the surf. But in general, surf fishing involves trying to reach fish-holding structure by propelling casts over waves or bars and across guts. To make these casts, you must overcome the wind and keep your airborne line above the tops of the waves. These are formidable obstacles. Even really good casters might have trouble shooting an 80-footer in lively surf, but they can use their double hauling skills to make solid 50-footers all afternoon. Those who venture into the waves with less-than-adequate casting skills are in for a very long day.

Wind

There are plenty of days when ripples and wrinkles litter the surface of the flats and your casts lay out with little effort. Life is good. And then there are the ugly days when the wind roars in your ears and you do well just to keep from hooking yourself. On those windy days your distance skills will pay off, but not from the standpoint of long casts. Rather, the core casting skills that allow you to make 70 or 80 foot casts in good conditions also allow you to accurately make much shorter casts in very bad conditions. This concept is one of the key reasons distance skills are important to flats fishing.

If you are evaluating your own skills as a caster, keep in mind that everyone progresses at a different rate. Do your best not to compare your skills to those of others, but take advantage of every opportunity to observe and learn what you can when you can. And, don't be fooled into thinking the casts demonstrated in a parking lot can be consistently repeated in real world conditions on the water. They are two very different things. The bottom line is that you should continually strive for improvement in your cast. Even though many fish can be tagged at close range, mastering the core casting strokes that make long casts possible will never hurt and always help your adaptability and success on the water.