From: (Bill=A0Kiene)

Hi "tmon",
Casting comes easy for some and hard for others but there is no
substitute for some good help.

Hi Bill, that's true.

I think why many fly casting instructors, videos and books on fly
casting say "don't bend your wrist" is because many only bend their
wrist to cast. If you only plan on casting on smaller streams, "wrist
casting " (only bending your wrist and not using your arm) will work
well for you. I have seen some of the finest fly fishers in the world
'wrist cast' on smaller water. It is an efficient way to cast for
shorter distances. If you plan on fly casting on open water like lakes,
steelhead rivers or the tropical flats you will have to use your entire
arm to cast. Kind of like throwing a baseball.

I'm in New England, so I'm not used to the big water you know out west.
But before you incorporate the arm for the big water, the wrist is more
important, no?

If you watch Doug Swishers 3M video "Basic Fly Casting", he will talk
about the "micro wrist". He is trying to verbalize about using your
wrist to 'snap' some speed into the end of the casting stroke and then
come to a complete stop. He means for you to give the rod a little/short
"kick" or "snap" and the end of the front and back stroke of your cast.

Joan Wulff says the same thing basically except I couldn't apply it
until it was demonstrated to me.

Doug Swisher did comment that we have lots of great fly casters now but
we also have lots of bad ones too. He said with all the short line high
stick indicator fishing in streams and all the trolling in float tubes
and pontoons boats, that many never have to lean to fly cast to catch a
lot of big fish.

I'm a wader so I'll have to learn how to cast. -

I worked for Fenwick, Orvis and Mel Krieger fly casting schools over
the years as an assistant casting instructor. We always had a head
instructor that ran the schools and then several assistant instructors.
I would recommend that anyone who is starting into the sport or anyone
who is not happy with their casting to find a goods instructor or
school. Some times just an hour or two can make a lot of difference
(maybe even 15 minutes?).

This is excellent advice. The learning curve with personal instruction
is tremendous.

After you learn to cast consistently with ease, then you can move on
much more easily to fly fishing.
Fly fishing guides really are happy if we can send them a customers that
has taken the time to learn how to cast first. It makes it much easier
for the guide to get that angler into some fish.

Do you really get any people who have never picked up a flyrod?