THE SECOND of our two cheat sheets from Echo Fly Fishing head honchos, Tim Rajeff and Katherine Hunt (both renowned master casting instructors), the following tips (involving cool-looking loops, nerf balls and marbles) will help you get better distance in your cast.

Tim and Katherine’s 6 rules for Distance:

1. The higher the line speed the greater distance potential
a. Use your own personal optimal biomechanics to achieve maximum hand speed and therefore maximum line speed (summation of forces)
b. Stiffer rods act like longer levers (they offer the potential to develop higher line speed)
c. Running line with lower friction contributes to longer casts

2. The tighter the loop the greater the distance potential
a. Tight loops are formed by a straight line path of the rod tip
b. Tight loops cut thought the air better than wide loops
c. Tight loops optimize the power transfer from the bottom leg of the loop to the top leg of the loop
d. Tight loops look cool

3. The denser the line the greater the distance potential
a. Denser lines (higher sink rates) are smaller in diameter and have less wind resistance (aerodynamic drag), allowing the line to cast farther
b. A marble of the same weight goes farther than a Nerf ball

4. The heavier the line the greater the distance potential
a. Heavier lines have a better ratio of wind resistance to surface area (they cut though the wind better)

5. The “best” trajectory gives the greatest distance
a. Aim high on the forward cast if you have a tail wind
b. Aim low on the forward cast if you have a head wind (cast side arm if necessary to get “under” the wind)
c. A perfect cast is one that straightens out about 4 feet off the ground

6. The longer the head length the greater potential for distance
a. Lines are only “stable” when they take the form of an unrolling loop
b. Too much overhang causes distorted loop shapes
c. Too little overhang causes a loop to prematurely straighten out

Tips for Distance
– Develop a strong / fast arm position (try different arm positions until you find your optimal arm position)
– Move your center of gravity as much as possible for max distance
– At the point that your hand passes your head your elbow should lead your hand
– The motion used by the double haul hand should match the casting hand in length and intensity
– Move closer to the target

Want more? Check out their Basic Rules for Casting and read our issue 14 profile on Tim here.