Great Casters Don't Think Straight, They Track Straight

THE most important thing you can do to get ready for any fishing trip is to get your casting in order. This weekend is supposed to finally have some good weather, so I'm going to be practicing my flats cast. One of my main casting flaws, of which I'm sure there are many, is tracking.

Tracking refers to the direction your fly rod tip travels in relation to where you are trying to cast the fly. Ideally, you are moving the rod in a straight line path (SLP) in order, in part, to keep your loop tight and to deliver the fly on target.

If you play golf, being "off" on your tracking is like hitting a hook or a slice.

I'm going to work on this by practicing my cast using the pantomime method indoors. I'll do this indoors by mimicking my cast and line my rod hand (your right hand if you're right handed) with a straight line on the ceiling.

One of the best ways to do this is to use the corner where the ceiling meets the wall. Stand with your side facing the wall and practice casting but make sure you're hand "tracks" with this seems. It's good because on the flats, you'll usually want to cast a bit off shoulder as you'll be dealing with wind.

If you have questions, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.