Fly Anglers Should Be Ambidextrous

Fly Anglers Should Be Ambidextrous

The more you develop your casting and reeling abilities with your “off” hand, the better fly fisherman you’ll become.

Here’s a simple way to start developing a cast with your non-dominant hand, shared by guide and writer Kim Leighton on the Yellowstone River years ago: cast as you normally would, using your dominant hand, but as you do this, gently cup the reel with your off hand.

This will build a sense of timing and tempo that you can eventually transfer from one hand to the other.

If you’re only able to develop a casting ability with your off hand that is 25 percent of your good one, you’ll still be better off when you find yourself in a tough spot where the river, cover and currents make an opposite-arm delivery your only viable option.

Think of great athletes, particularly basketball players–the ability to be ambidextrous is an essential skill and a key component of what separates the good from great players.