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  • Deadly Fly Cast for Dry Fly Fishing

Deadly Fly Cast for Dry Fly Fishing

June 30, 2016

I honestly didn't know what to name this lesson.  I tried a few different things, but honestly it is deadly and naming it a "reach cast" doesn't do it justice.  So there you go, Deadly Fly Cast for Dry Fly Fishing.

Many of you that I have had the pleasure of personally guiding have seen this cast in action, and will testify to just how critical it is for extracting large fish, or all the fish, out from under cut banks. It also works for open water fishing too, but it really shines when fishing heavy structure like cut banks and stick piles.  The video will only do so much, but watch all the way through my blabbing in the back half to fully understand how important this cast is.

The Over Powered Curve Cast

  1. You will be able to land your fly against the shoreline (within inches) and not have to pull it away with a mend.  All of you have enjoyed the frustration of finally placing that fly against the grassy bank and it either drags almost immediately after, or you have to mend it and very sadly.... it gets pulled away from the shore.  Learn this cast and you won't have to deal with that!
  2. This cast makes an amazing mend in the air.  Getting 10-15' of flawless drift without a mend is typical. 
  3. It brings the fly directly to the water with a soft landing, but is just loud enough that the trout actually hear the "fly" land but not the line which gently parachutes to the water.
  4. You bring this cast in with lots of power and line speed, which is critical because it negates any wind you might deal with. Short of a Hurricane.
  5. You are now able to "stick the landing" and not have to mend the fly after it hits. This is crucial because I believe if a trout sees a large dry fly land then they are more likely to take it. 
  6. Use this with Streamers and a floating line and you'll be able to get your streamer to sink instantly because of the slack, this translates into more fish.  Which are usually big fish.  I'll make another post about this.  

Tips for Learning This Cast

  1. Use 25' of line, no more.
  2. Focus on a very short casting stroke. Its a tiny but fairly aggressive cast.
  3. Use a fast action rod.  I was personally using the Sage X Rod in the 590-4 model in the slow motion part of the video. Its an amazing rod and the recovery rate at which it snaps back to a straight position is amazing.  It is the best rod I have ever cast in the fast action category.  
  4. Be critical of yourself.  Work on it till you get it right.
  5. FLY LANDS FIRST, then the line kicks or recoils your desired direction.



The next video is focused on Skwala Fishing, but has essentially the same cast.


  1. Joe, I agree totally, and use this cast extensively when fishing on top.This is a definite game changing technique. Also using it against wind (when a reach cast gets pushed too much) can tuck a fly in nicely to soft pockets giving that nice built in mend. I think this may be to top water presentations, what the stack mend is to sub-surface (sinking that nymph) fishing. ps. quit catchin' all of my fish.
  2. Thanks David, I plan to show some streamer fishing casts here soon as well that operate on the same platform.
  3. Are you doing a parachute cast? This technique has been around for a long time, and is great for when you are fishing a downstream presentation. The other key in doing this is then dropping the rod tip after the fly hits the water.
  4. Thanks for the lesson!! Just read Drift Boat Strategies by Neal Streeks several pages on casting techniques while drifting includes a discussion of how to Over Power Curve Cast, timely lesson on video. Going to be spending time developing the skill this week as I try to land fish on the Yakima with tapering flow! Thank again!!

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