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wind and fly fishing????

4K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  Josh White 
#1 ·
one thing that really burns me while i am fishing is the wind. I know it effects casting when using lighter lures on spinning rods, but it must really effect casting a fly rod. last year the few times i was out trying out fly fishing it was not all that windy so it wasnt an issue. however this year i am planning on doing a lot more fly fishing and i know that i will encounter some winds that are really gonna mess with me sonner or later. just wondering if there are any techniques or things to look for when fly fishing in the wind, or is possible to fly fish succefully in the wind. If so, what are the limits? thanks.

nate
 
#2 ·
Absolutely.

First and foremost, keep the wind blowing on the off-shoulder.

In other words, keep the line going back and forth on the other side of your body than the wind is coming.

If you are a righty and the wind is coming from the right, turn around a bit and throw your backcast to the fish, or else with lighter rods (trout weights for example) reach across to the other side of your body. If you are lucky and practice enough you can change hands and fish lefty.

A tailwind is not so bad, just make the backcast tight, sharp and level while making the forward cast lighter, a little rounder than usual and a little higher to let the wind give your arm a break.

A headwind can be tough unless you have developed a very tight high-energy loop. This is where a lot of practice learning to concentrate the loop energy pays off, and where hauling and double-hauling can really help out.

The best thing you can do is use your head when the wind is strong. Keep the wind quartering from behind your off-shoulder. Consider moving from a spot if you can't get the wind angle you like.

Whatever you do please do not try to cheat rule #1 or you could lose an eye.
 
#3 ·
Another method I have used is one which lefty Kreh has shown... If you are right handed and the wind is coming to your right (left if left Handed).... Strip out 40 to 60 feet of line... and then "side cast " low into the wind..about only 30 feet of line..that's all you need. If done right, the wind will not blow the side casted line into you...once the rod is loaded with only that short line...one or two false side casts...IMMEDIATLY bring the rod hand up to the side of your head as you begin the forward cast...done high.... the line will then blow harmlessly over your head and out to the left...but as the wind grabs it it will result in a type of parachute cast... sort of a long high arc out in front of you.
 
#4 ·
Another method to keep the line away from you with wind blowing from your right - rather than casting off shoulder which can be difficult to learn - if you hold your hand in a normal back cast position - elbow about 90 degrees and hand opposite your ear, the rod would be in a vertical plane if wrist is pointing towards the front. Now rotate the wrist outwards so reel points off to the right - note that the rod tip will now be canted over the left shoulder - you can increase the cant by bending the wrist a bit to increase the angle. If you cast with the wrist in this position, the line will be moving back and forth on the left side of your body but your hand position will be in a traditional casting position on the right side of your body - something you have already learned. If you must cast into the wind you just need to work on a very tight dynamic loop as Juro indicated
 
#5 ·
Sounds like everybody has their own opinion on how to cast when it's windy! I, of course, have my own, which is the opposite of what some have posted here. :smokin:

Personally, I cast best in the wind when I'm casting with it and my backcast is going into it. I don't know exactly why, but it must be something in my casting stroke. In the Bahamas in December I was casting close to 100 feet with the strong winds without any trouble. I was honestly just having fun casting because I was putting the fly out longer distances than I ever have been able to before. When I tried to cast into the wind, I didn't do very well in comparison.

In general though, one rule that I think is almost always true is that you need to keep your casting hand on the downwind side of your body when casting across the wind. Otherwise you'll constantly be fighting to keep the line from blowing into your head. I said "almost always" because it depends on the strength of the wind, the caster's skills, the casting distance, and a bunch of other variables!

I would also say that you should really try to punch the cast into the wind, especially when it's time to lay the line on the water. Bring your hand down towards the water as you finish your casting stroke and finish it quickly, rather than letting the fly gently plunk down on the water. You want the line to kind of whip down on the water so it doesn't blow your fly around. If you're casting with the wind you don't need to worry about this as much since the wind will naturally straighten your line/leader.

I took up float tubing this year, and all of this went out the window. I can't get my casting stroke right yet in the float tube when it's windy! :eek:
 
#8 ·
Rick hit it on the nose... rather than turning arround (Which doesn't work if your sight casting) or doing any other crazy casts, simply cant your wrist to move the tip to the other side of your body. Nothing has changed, just the angle of your rod. You can cast just as far, just as accurate and fish wind in nearly any direction by learning this technique. If you learn how to do this you will become a much beter fisherman, you wont be at the mercy of the wind nearly as much.

Josh
http://www.rogueflyshop.com
 
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