Improve Your Overhead, Sidearm Fly Casting Accuracy

Casting accuracy is absolutely key to fishing success. Here's some great advice on basic fly casting and how to improve your accuracy. 

Pete Kutzer is an instructor with the Orvis Fly Fishing Schools, and he knows a thing or two about proper fly casting technique.

If you're having some trouble with your casting technique, distance and accuracy, give these videos a watch and put the Kutzer's tips to the test. I did, and it helped my casting immensely.

First, Kutzer talks about basic casting technique:

Next, he discusses how to improve your accuracy, which is always a paramount concern to any fisherman.

I'll admit, I am not the world's best fly caster. Far from it. But I watched Kutzer's videos (there are more in the series from Orvis besides these two) and went out to my yard and practiced. I saw improvement in both the smoothness of my cast and the lay of the line.

I need to continue to practice and keep improving, but that's what it's all about: practice.

Kutzer says we need to get the fly rod to do three basic things when casting:

1. Bend or load the rod with energy.
2. Get the rod to abruptly stop.
3. Get the rod tip to travel in the straightest path possible.

Each complete cast consists of two separate, though connected casts: the backwards cast and the forward cast. You're performing these three actions twice—once in a backwards cast and once in the forward cast.

One of the tips that helped me a lot was Kutzer's suggestion to start with the rod tip low. This made a huge difference in my casting.

To improve accuracy, we need to make sure the rod is tracking straight, allowing the line to unroll completely and extend smoothly. This goes back to the first video, where Kutzer advises that the rod tip must travel in the straightest path possible.

Watch these videos and go out and practice, practice, practice. Your fly fishing will definitely improve and you'll have more fun on the water.

Like what you see here? You can read more great articles by David Smith at his Facebook page, Stumpjack Outdoors.

NEXT: Fly Fishing for Brookies in the Swiss Alps Looks Absolutely Spectacular

WATCH