Your Casting Stroke Should Follow Your Joints, in Order, by Size

Your Casting Stroke Should Follow Your Joints, in Order, by Size

Let me try to unravel that by saying that I was fine-tuning my cast with the help of John Juracek, who teaches out of West Yellowstone. John noticed that I was letting my elbow get ahead of my shoulder sometimes, meaning I was using my elbow to power the cast, and that was costing me distance.

He said that if you let your shoulder provide the foundational power for the casting stroke, then add the elbow, and then add just a little bit of wrist at the end, then you will form tighter, more wind-efficient and distance-covering loops. Shoulder, elbow, wrist, in that order.

If you look at people having trouble with the fly cast, I’ll bet you nine out of ten are over-elbowing, over-wristing, or not following the rhythm of their joints according to size.

My family has an old farm bell that I ring by pulling on a rope. If I stand with my back to the bell, and pull that rope with my casting arm, I naturally start with the shoulder, add a little elbow, and finish with some wrist. Imagine yourself ringing that bell when you cast, and your line will travel farther and straighter.