The Lagging Curve is a beautiful way to provide slack to a dry fly, and it's my favorite way to get perfect dead drifts to a dry fly in rivers. I fish a lagging curve at just about any angle, using both a forehand and backhand cast, and it provides slack to a dry fly for days.

The lagging curve is really the opposite of what most people mean by a curve cast. This is an underpowered curve and not a power curve.

The leader design matters a lot, and so does the casting stroke. I cover it all in the video . . .

Continue reading VIDEO: The Lagging Curve Cast — Dead Drifts for Days (Fly Casting Skills) at Troutbitten.

Admiring your casting loops makes you less accurate while also removing your focus from the water and your target. It’s a beginner’s habit that anyone can break in a couple hours, And it's worth it.

Continue reading Stop Looking at Your Backcast at Troutbitten.

The setup cast keeps you in control on the river. It allows for repositioning and redirecting the line, leader and fly to the next target. The setup cast gives you a chance to regroup and rethink, too. It keeps you in rhythm by keeping you out of trouble and lending new options to an active angler.

Continue reading The Setup Cast — Fly Fishing Strategies at Troutbitten.

Rounding the corner with a Corner Cast often outperforms a Roll Cast. It's faster, more efficient and easier. But remember, it requires great casting from, with good line speed and crisp stops. That's where good fly casting always begins. So develop a good baseline and everything else will follow. . . .

Continue reading The Corner Cast — Rounding the Corner Might Be Better Than a Roll Cast (with VIDEO) at Troutbitten.

The tuck cast presents a fly-first entry, from very steep and vertical with extra slack, to almost flat, with immediate contact. That’s how flexible the tuck cast is. It’s useful. In fact, it’s critical to how I present nymphs and streamers.

Continue reading Land With Contact or Without, When Using a Tuck Cast — Tight Line and Euro Nymphing at Troutbitten.

What do you do when the fly line to leader connection comes back through your rod guides? How do you get to fly line back out there? And if you're using a long leader system or a tight line nymphing system, and the butt section of your leader wraps around your rod tip, how do you get it unwrapped?

The fly rod dip and swish. That's the answer you do. It’s a really useful tool that solves a lot of problems . . .

Continue reading (VIDEO) The Fly Rod Dip and Swish — A Useful Trick You Might Have Missed at Troutbitten.

The fundamental kernel of fly fishing lies in the angler’s ability to cast and manipulate line, leader and tippet, to send not just a fly to the target, but to also control what that fly is attached to, both in the cast and throughout the drift. This is what separates fly fishing from conventional tackle. And nothing teaches or trains an angler better in this concept, revealing the options inherent, better than fishing dry flies . . .

Continue reading If You Can’t Fish Dry Flies, You’re Missing the Point at Troutbitten.

Casting around structure is one of the toughest things for any fly angler to learn, but what comes before the cast is most important. Don’t walk past the toughest spots. Get close and go get ‘em. Crowd the hazard . . .

Continue reading When Fishing Around Structure, Crowd the Hazard at Troutbitten.

All fly types — all rigs — need speed to reach their potential. Cast with acceleration and good crisp loops. Do it with dry flies, nymphs, indicator rigs and streamers. And don’t let anyone tell you differently . . .

Continue reading Fly Cast With Speed — Yes, Always at Troutbitten.

With three good solutions for creating tag droppers, there’s a method for every moment. And by getting each of these under your fingers, by practicing them and being comfortable, you’ll find uses for all of these methods as you work up a river.

Continue reading (VIDEO) Three Great Ways to Create Tag Droppers at Troutbitten.