** NOTE ** Video for Casting Forehand and Backhand appears below.

Fly casting differs from spin casing in a few key ways, and here’s one one of them: You need both a forehand and a backhand cast to achieve effective presentations. Trying to fit a forehand cast on the backhand side is a bad habit that causes problems and limits what is possible on the water. While there’s plenty of room for personal style in fly fishing, this is not one of those places.

I’ve been sitting on this idea for a long time, but I found it impossible to write it out effectively. I also tried adding illustrations, but the descriptions were always lacking. Then, when Josh Darling (Wilds Media) and I started the Troutbitten Tips video series, I knew I could finally explain the importance of using a forehand and backhand cast across fly fishing styles.

We need it for casting dry flies, streamers, wet flies and nymphs on both a tight line and under an indicator.

Here’s the video:

Open Options

As you see in the video, there are multiple reasons for developing both the forehand and backhand casting stroke. Being equally comfortable with both sides opens the doors to every angle necessary on the river.

I meet many fishermen who are excellent casters when fishing to their forehand side. But as soon as they need to fish to the opposite side, everything falls apart.

Some anglers try to force the forehand cast to the backhand side. They keep using the forehand stroke, mostly because it’s comfortable. But a few major problems crop up. And there are some big advantages to being fluent and effective with both your forehand and backhand.

Fly Line and Dry Flies

A natural curve happens in the line and leader as we make the cast. And that curve can be used to great effect.

We use the curve for positioning, for laying the fly, leader and fly line where we want them, with precision. Laying the outside of the curve into the current allows for less tension on the fly for longer intervals. And using a forehand curve on the backhand side allows for accidental drag to set in much sooner.

These curves (forehand and backhand) are used throughout fly casting to meet all kinds of river situations. If you’ve never fished a mountain stream under a tight canopy, armed with only a fly rod, a Royal Wulff and a seven foot leader, give it a shot. You’ll quickly see how useful and essential both curves are.

Creating these curves is truly just a tilt of the rod left or right. And you can actually lay a forehand curve while casting across your body on your backhand side by simply tilting the wrist. Let that one bake your noodle for a minute.

The point is, some advanced casting is possible by mastering both sides of the curve — forehand and backhand.

Lastly, much of this also applies to indicator nymphing paired with a fly line and short leader.

Photo by Josh Darling

On a Tight Line

Same as a dry fly, the key to success with a nymph is the dead drift. However, instead of laying line on the water and creating slack to the dry fly, tight line nymphing aims for the opposite: creating a (mostly) tight connection from rod tip to fly, therefore defeating the drag that can occur with too much slack under the water.

Understand that dead drifts on a tight line happen best by landing the nymph and the tippet in the same seam, achieving a one-seam drift. But that’s very difficult to do while using a forehand stroke on the backhand side, because as the fly lands the tippet crosses seams, creating drag.

We solve this problem by casting with the backhand to the opposite side, so the fly and tippet can easily be landed in the same seam. Fly and tippet cooperates from the beginning, and we have a real chance at a dead drift.

Hook Setting and Efficiency

Also important, the direction we set the hook requires that we’re comfortable casting both forehand and backhand.

Hook-sets should always happen in a downstream direction. So, on the forehand, we set the hook, go right into the backcast, and if a fish isn’t there we go immediately into the next forward cast and delivery. No set up. Pure efficiency.

On the opposite side, the same holds true if we move the arm over into a backhand position. Drift, hook-set into the backcast, and then into the forward cast. No set up here either.

But by trying to force the forehand stroke, we must make a series of false casts to set things up for the next delivery. Not only does this waste time, it also creates more chances for flies to tangle or grab a tree branch. And that can be especially bad news while nymphing with multiple fly rigs. The change of direction often leads to trouble.

Bad Form

Using the forehand cast for both sides is a beginner’s mistake. And yet, even experienced anglers make this mistake every day.

Think it through. Consider the necessity for both the forehand and backhand casts until you understand the advantages and disadvantages at all possible angles. Then have the discipline to learn both casts until you can make the switch without thinking.

Fish hard, friends

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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com