“Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.” This famous quote from Satchel Paige is true in so many ways. Wait — you don’t know who Satchel Paige is? As soon as you finish reading my column, put this paper down and look him up. Everyone needs to know about Mr. Paige and his witticisms, longevity and accomplishments. As I was saying, this quote of his is accurate in many ways … but it’s not true in fly casting.
One of the things that I emphasize early in my casting lessons is the advantages of watching your back cast. Almost everything we have done all our lives focuses on what we are doing in front of us because that’s where the action is. Look ahead to reach the end result, the glory, the accolades.
This morning on ESPN, I watched a highlight of PGA golfer Jon Rahm hitting a 150 yard hole-in-one by driving the ball low and skipping it three times across a water hazard, only to hop on the green and seemingly roll forever around the top of the green and then down in a big slow arc into the bottom of the cup. Someone called it “a strike of Biblical proportions!” OK, it was a practice round for the Masters, all in fun, but what a shot to watch … after he hit the ball.
Here’s what I want to know: What did he do in his preparation to strike the ball? Did he play the ball forward or back in his stroke? How did he grip the club? Was it different from normal? How about his back swing? Was it shorter or longer? Did he pull the club through a different plane than normal?
My point here is simply this: Like Rahm’s “magic” shot, what you do behind you in preparation for your forward cast is as important as or even more important than your forward cast itself. It is simply factual that the better and more efficient your back cast is, the easier it will be for you to make a good forward cast.
How do you make a better more efficient back cast? Turn your head a little and watch it. Make sure it goes where you want it to go and looks how you want it to look. Remember, your back cast is nothing but the forward cast going in the other direction. Therefore, your back cast should look like what you want your forward cast to look like.
Normally, you want your back cast to travel 180 degrees away from your target. The only way to do this is to keep the rod tip tracking in the same plane forward and backward — and the only way to make sure that this is actually taking place is to turn your head a little and watch! Don’t be afraid to look. I know that when you first start out casting, turning your head is difficult to do because you have a lot of other stuff going on. The trick is to turn your head just a little.
There’s a reason I keep saying “a little.” In order to keep that rod on plane, which is all-important, you can’t rotate your shoulders or upper body around. But it’s natural to make such a rotation when you turn your head.
Try this for me. Stand square in front of a mirror. I know — scary. Now, turn and look at the wall or whatever may be behind you and stop. You moved your shoulders, didn’t you? Of course you did. You’re not an owl.
Let’s try again. This time, drop your right foot back a step (if you’re left-handed, drop your left foot back). That shoulder (on the same side of the foot you dropped back) is now farther away from the mirror and you are at a slight angle from the mirror. Now, turn your head and look back. Your shoulders shouldn’t rotate, or at least not very much. If you use this stance as you cast and just turn your head a little, you will find it easier to keep your rod tip on plane, watch your back cast and be more efficient with your casting stroke.
I find that a lot of beginning and intermediate casting clients won’t look at their back cast because they think (at least subconsciously) that it shows everybody else they are still new to the sport. The truth is that the most advanced casters in the world watch their back casts. They know what a good back cast means to their forward cast. It just turns into part of the cast to turn and watch.
Casting is casting, so these techniques apply to fresh water as well to salt water. In saltwater fishing, we are normally fishing in wide open spaces, so obstructions are rare unless you up a small salt creek. Freshwater creek or river fishing is often a different story. Even if you are out wading in a stream or creek, you may have trees, brush, tall grass or some other obstruction to contend with. Being able to look behind you will then help you to keep fishing by not having to climb so many trees to retrieve your flies.
Another huge benefit of looking back is helping with the timing of your cast. The back cast needs to almost straighten out before your forward stroke begins. Obviously, being able to watch your back cast will help in this regard.
As your timing gets better, you will notice other casting flaws disappearing as well. You will feel the rod load quicker, allowing for a smoother acceleration, which will help you in loop control, accuracy, distance and line speed. It will even cut down on the occurrence of the dreaded tailing loop!
So despite Mr. Paige’s advice (even though he’s one of my heroes, and I bet he could really cast a fly rod), I suggest we should look behind us. It will help us avoid casting problems — and if there is something gaining on us, maybe we can avoid that too!
Capt. Rex Gudgel is a fly fishing guide in the Boca Grande area and an International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified casting instructor. If you’d like to take casting lessons, book a trip or just need more fly fishing info, contact him at 706-254-3504 or visit BocaGrandeSlamFlyFishing.com or CastWithRex.com.
Capt. Rex Gudgel is a fly fishing guide in the Boca Grande area and an International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified casting instructor. If you’d like to take casting lessons, book a trip or just need more fly fishing info, contact him at 706-254-3504 or visit BocaGrandeSlamFlyFishing.com or CastWithRex.com.
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