Casting

[Fishtales]

I  know Alex, but at least there would be little chance of it going off topic :shock: :lol:

[scotty9]

we can nail this.....how do i upload a pie chart :lol:

it answers the question, personal maybe, of how important each thing really is.

I think it's all interrelated. You can't get the fish without a fly, you can't get the fly to the fish without a cast (loose term), you can't catch the wary fish without stealth and so on.

And going back to casting - i totally agree it's situation dependent. In the salt you might need to be able to make a very long cast into a headwind, in NZ you may need to be pin point accurate, in Scotland you may need to have more knowledge of the habitat and fish behaviour as you can't see them and on the same token none of this may apply at different times.

[scotty9]

so, in Scotland you need to be more highly skilled in guessing whats going on perhaps, judging the invisible signs rather than the visible ones? i like the alchemy, my opinion is changing, casting may be a smaller component than i gave it credit.

I'm not sure, it's merely a thought, but it makes sense to me.

I still rate casting pretty highly, some of the fish I've caught over here I can't imagine a duff caster having come close to be honest. Many don't realise just how strong the wind blows here an awful lot of the time. Sometimes you have to cast from sitting on your arse behind a bush or lying on your front. Sometimes you need a long cast as there is no cover or way for you to get to the fish. In fact, it's the same as at home. It would be foolish to argue that a strong casting skill set can be a hinderence but there are definitely a few situations it can be a massive help.

[Wildfisher]

so, in Scotland you need to be more highly skilled in guessing whats going on

No you don't. That's exactly the point and why casting standards are low. There are so many fish in the water here it's just as difficult to fail as  it is to succeed.  :lol:

[Wildfisher]

I  know Alex, but at least there would be little chance of it going off topic :shock: :lol:

Has it gone off topic? Seems to me it hasn't really. It has broadened, certainly, but that's valid enough as it's all  about the skills required in catching fish.  I find it very interesting indeed and it seems to me it's  what forums are about. You could not have this sort of discussion  on most other forums without it descending into a slagging match.

[scotty9]

Has it gone off topic? Seems to me it hasn't really. It has broadened, certainly, but that's valid enough as it's all  about the skills required in catching fish.  I find it very interesting indeed and it seems to me it's  what forums are about. You could not have this sort of discussion  on most other forums without it descending into a slagging match.

Ah **** off, casting is the only skill you need, everyone else that says otherwise is wrong.  :makefun  :worried

Sorry, thought I was elsewhere for a while there :lol:

[whinging pom]

Ah **** off, casting is the only skill you need, everyone else that says otherwise is wrong.  :makefun  :worried

Sorry, thought I was elsewhere for a while there :lol:

Pull your neck in shit for brains!
Long casts make up for little pricks.

[Wildfisher]

Actually when you distill it down there is a huge amount of info. in this thread. What various  people  consider to be important, even most important. I believe  fly choice is probably the least important of all variables, as long as you are in the ball park that's usually good enough. Refusals may have  more to do with bad presentation / drag than pattern choice. Flies may well be dragging and the angler  does not even know it. I think Wyatt called it "micro drag". Good line control  i.e.  casting skills can help overcome this. That  said if you screw up on one fish there will be another shoal round the corner, so why bother?   :lol:

[davefromtheattic]

Actually when you distill it down there is a huge amount of info. in this thread

Indeed, it's been fascinating to follow.

[scotty9]

Definitely Alan, sometimes there is no feasible/practical way to get close.

Came across a random quote on a sexyloops signature that ties in well with some things that have been said:

Wise indeed was George Selwyn Marryat when he said: "its not the fly; its the driver"

page 193,
GEM Skues,The Way Of A Trout With A Fly